It's Thursday and we begin the day by meeting our private driver and mini-bus for our visit to the Chianti area a few miles outside Florence. Our first stop was the American Cemetery to remember and honor the WWII soldiers buried there. Over 4,000 white crosses cover the beautiful hillside dedicated to those who helped to liberate Italy in 1945. Afterwards we drove through the lovely Tuscany hills to Castello Verrazzano, an 800 year old estate and winery. There are 500 acres with half of it under cultivation for grapes and olives. Harvesting time is right now and we saw the loads of grapes being brought from the fields to begin the fermentation of this year's production. We were charmed by Gino (friend of vino) as he guided us around the grounds and into the deep wine cellars of the castle. His commentary was informative and amusing - we had a great time with him. Then it was time to taste the wines and eat the delicious lunch (you'll see the photos!). After our 3-hour lunch experience we drove to nearby Greve, a charming small town, for a little walkabout and some shopping. Our driver, Ricardo, brought us safely back to Florence and we all agreed it was a most delightful day - however, we did miss Suzi who decided to take a "rest day". Come again to see what's up . . .
See all our photos here: https://plus.google.com/photos/106242844572593515289/albums/6198481937847267153/6198481995540277058?pid=6198481995540277058&oid=106242844572593515289
See all our photos here: https://plus.google.com/photos/106242844572593515289/albums/6198481937847267153/6198481995540277058?pid=6198481995540277058&oid=106242844572593515289
