Local Visits Today

So I started the day with a text message from my daughter Emilianne.  It was the website reference to Vignamaggio, a winery about 40 minutes from where we are staying.  If there was anyplace she REALLY wanted to visit in Italy it was there.  The reason she was interested in this location is because some scenes from Much Ado About Nothing were filmed there.  We had not planned to head to Siena until about 2 so we had time to do a quick trip.  So Sarah, Emilianne, Erik and I headed there.  Unfortunately both Laurie and Joel chose to stay "home" to do laundry.  In retrospect it was definitely a good choice on Laurie's part because the drive would have made her majorly sick as we drove through two hill towns - meaning two major ascents and descents on very windy roads.

We took a tour of their gardens and wine making facility which was very interesting. One of the cellars we visited has been used for wine making for over 600 years. I bought some wine as this location is in the heart of the Chianti region and I couldn't pass up that opportunity.

There's a sun dial from 200 years ago over the door.  It's still accurate within 15 minutes.

Then we returned home.  Finished up our laundry and headed to Siena for some shopping and a late dinner - well late for us, but normal for here (7:30pm).  Dinner was a restaurant recommended in one of the tour books as an "out of the way place with excellent food".  Well it was fantastic.  Our waitress took great care of us and we did the whole nine yards of salad, 3 plates of pasta, bottle of red, meat courses, dolce (dessert), after dessert wine and espresso. It was well worth it.

Before we started the day, Emilianne was determined to use the pool.  Here is proof of her success.

Tomorrow - Florence.