Lake Como is spectacular and it is the play ground of the wealthy! But plenty of “regular” people get off the ferry for day visits. Many of the towns surrounding the lake are mainly summer villas and tourist shops. But if you can find your way to the less visited areas of the towns you can be rewarded by local customs and beautiful views!

Our first sunset on Lake Como!

The Bellagio chapel at night! \240This church is nearly 500 years old and was the center of town until the town became a stop on the tourist’s circuit.

And the town was picturesque!

Of course, it didn’t hurt that the weather was fantastic!

Dana found the perfect frame for a local water taxi!

George and Amal Clooney's villa!

Starting our tour of Florence.

The river Arno runs though Florence and is the central river in Italy. It has several bridges that cross from the old part of town to the new. \240All of them except the first bridge were bombed by the Germans in WWII.

Another view of the bell tower of Duomo!

The Duomo, otherwise known as Santa Maria del Fiore, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, is the third largest church in the world (after St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London) and was the largest church in Europe when it was completed in the 15th century. It is 153 metres long, 90 metres wide at the crossing, and 90 metres high from the floor to the bottom of the lantern. The third and last cathedral of Florence, it was dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore, the Virgin of the Flower, in 1412, a clear allusion to the lily, the symbol of the city of Florence.

With its 45.5 meters of diameter and a total height of more than 116 meters, the dome is the largest masonry vault in the world and was built between 1420 and 1436 by Filippo Brunelleschi, following the project he presented in the competition launched by the Opera in 1418. The Cathedral of Florence was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV on 25 March 1436.

Brunelleschi's major innovation was to built the Dome without a supporting structure. The Dome consists of two distinct domes: one internal, more than two meters thick, with a deeper angle than the other and consisting of large arches held together by ribs and made of bricks arranged in a "herringbone" pattern. The external dome is covered with terracotta tiles and marked by eight white marble ribs.

David, created from 1501 to 1504 when Michaelangelo was less that 30 years old, \240was originally commissioned as one of a series of statues of prophets to be positioned along the roofline of the east end of the Duomo. But it was instead placed in a public square outside the Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of civic government in Florence. The David stool in the Piazza della Signoria, where it was unveiled on September 8, 1504. Howeverr, the statue was moved to the Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence, in 1873, when it became apparent that the marble was wearing away. It was \240later replaced at the original location by a replica. The replica still stands outside the Palazzo Vecchio today.

The 15 meter marble block used to carve David had actually been used by 2 other artists in the past, both of whom gave up on it. Michelangelo, found it wasting away in the church yard and offered to work with it. The rest, as they say, is history!

The Palazzo Vecchio is the center of government in Florence. Part Museum and Part City Hall today, it was the residence of the Medici family when they came to power in the 15th century.

The loggia outside of the Palazzo Vecchio was created for the Medici to address the city residents. Today, it contains many original sculptures that were commissioned by the Medici family.

The Ponte Vecchio, or old bridge, is the only bridge in Florence that was not bombed during WWII. The top layer of the bridge contains an enclosed walkway that stretched for one kilometer from the Palazzo Vecchio to the new palace of the Medici’s so that they could travel from one to the other in private. The walkway has been closed to the public for years. But is due to reopen later this year.

These arches support the overhead walkway on the way to the bridge.

The Ponte Vecchio originally housed butchers when it was built. But the Medici complained of the stench as they walk across the bridge in their aerial walkway, and they relocated the butchers to another section of town. The shops were then converted to goldsmith shops and today the bridge is wall to wall jewelry shops on both sides!

Here is our steak Florentine for 4 people! And this doesn’t show all the antipasto and pasta courses we had!!

There were several display cases of wine implements adorning the walls. This one was particularly stimulating!

And the wine cellar was well stocked!

We ate until after 10pm and the streets were nearly empty (for the first time all day) when we walked back to our hotel.

The Villa Le Lecchi sits atop a hill overlooking the Tuscan vineyards. The part you see here was built in the 1800s but the smaller part at the back with the chapel was built in the 1400s.

Our room was elaborately decorated in period pieces with draperies, carpets and fabrics reminiscent of its architecture! The frescos painted at the doors were exquisite!

The entrance to our room.

Our sitting room.

And our bed …

And there were castle walls everywhere!!

The Tuscan hills with San Gimignano \240in the distance.

The tiny village of Lecchia is just outside the gates of the villa!

In the original 1400s the smaller villa housed a chapel with the priest living in rooms above. The chapel is still in use, most recently for a wedding!

Tom and Dana are ready for more touring!

Here we are at the well in the central square.

San Gimignano is a World Heritage UNESCO site and the preservation of the 1000 year old buildings definitely shows!

Dana and Jill do a little shopping!

And Jill caps off the day with some Gelato!

And after the truffle hunting came the pasta making! Bob and Dave got busy in the kitchen rolling pasta!

Our host at our Bed and Breakfast recommended we have dinner in an Etruscan cave called Da Divo and it was exquisite! Our meal was truly gourmet!

The restaurant was ancient and included Etruscan caves!

Plaza Il Campo at night!

Here is the inside of the church - before I discovered that we weren't supposed to take pictures!

Charles V, after visiting the Sienese "bottini", is supposed to have exclaimed that Siena was two cities in one, each as beautiful as the other, the first underground, the second above. Water was conveyed to Piazza del Campo - the central plaza - through a master-conduit, most likely first utilized around 1342. "The Sienese saluted the event with great rejoicing", wherefore the fountain, appropriately named Fonte Gaia (Joyous Fountain), was built the following year (1343). The fountain was replaced several times and changed from Gothic to Renaissance style. Interestingly, it’s thought that the foundation contributed to the huge losses due to the bubonic plaque.

The painter Signe do Bonaventura is revered in the square that celebrates the oldest bank in the world. Started as a pawn shop in 1472, the month Del Peschi is still in operation today as the 3rd largest bank in Italy.

These arches were used in the US film - we just can't remember which one!

The Duomo of Siena was designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.

The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with the addition of red marble on the façade. Black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, etiologically linked to black and white horses of the legendary city's founders, Senius and Aschius.

It is interesting that this “pagan” mosaic that depicts the Roman mascots of the surrounding cities is found in the center of the entrance to the cathedral!

There are thirty-five statues of prophets and patriarchs grouped around the virgin. The finest Italian artists of that era completed works in the cathedral. These artists were Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Pinturicchio, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Bernini.

The pulpit is intricately engraved and sits on an equally beautiful enlayed floor depicting biblical scenes.

A choir-book, one of many, found in the pope's library.

A second massive addition of the main body of the cathedral was planned in 1339. It would have more than doubled the size of the structure by means of an entirely new nave and two aisles ranged perpendicular to the existing nave and centered on the high altar. The construction was begun under the direction of Giovanni di Agostino, better known as a sculptor. Construction was halted by the Black Death in 1348. Basic errors in the construction were already evident by then, however, and the work was never resumed. The outer walls, remains of this extension, can now be seen to the south of the Duomo and the original central part of the cathedral is now a parking lot.

But the villa and surrounding vineyards and villa were fabulous and the sun came out in the late afternoon to light our way! \240Maurizio Del Pina, our host, was so gracious and concerned with the loss of ‘energy’ that he hosted us for dinner at a local restaurant and worked with the power company to ensure our ‘energy’ would be restored! The restaurant, Tiziana, was fabulous and fed us to the extreme! We brought half of it home! (That will be Monday’s dinner)!

Actually, the local power company was ready to fix the problem, but in the \240true Italian style, they had to wait 2 hours to receive permission from the National power company to be paid. But all was well by the end of the night. In the meantime, here are a few views of our 6 bedroom / 6 bath villa!

Our group was reunited at the Villa, with Heather and Kent from Dallas also joining us! Here we are as the sunlight fades (still without power)!

The next day dawned brisk and clear. \240By afternoon, we were enjoying wine overlooking the vineyards! (Well some of us were also enjoying our phones!)

Here are the early risers having breakfast!

Pienza is a town between Montepulciano and Montelcino both visible from the hilltop town. After entering the village on Corso il Rossellino, we passed into an elegant palazzo is just before Piazza Pio II, home to the town’s cathedral.

Corsignano was the original name of Pienza. But in the 15th century Pope Pius II, who was from this town had his home, Palazzo Piccolomini, remodelled and renamed the town "Pienza" after himself.

Steps carry you along the outside of the town wall. We found Jill to be a happy hopper along the wide steps!!

And we all made it to the scenic overlook!

There was a wedding going on at the cathedral in the town and we captured the moment! There was also a harvest festival going on in the square at the same time.

Here is the bride and groom.

We thought it was remarkable that the wedding car had ‘Just Married’ in English!

Tom cut a ripe bunch of grapes for us to taste!

And the Sangioves grapes were sweet and plump! Maurizio said they would start harvesting them tomorrow!

After the winery tour, we tasted Maurizio’s wines and found them very tasty! \240We ended up drinking Maurizio's wines several evenings at the Villa.

The grapes are brought in from the hillside to the top of the winery. The grapes are sorted and de-stemmed.

And then the grapes and juice are pumped in to vats from the roof.

Once in the vats, the must is tested for sugar content and acidity.

Oenology students from Florence were learning the testing process.

Tim and Dave at the vats!

Large barrels ...

and small barrels ...

And more small barrels

And here is the bottling equipment.

Once bottled, the bottles are placed in wire containers. The labeling comes later, depending of the country and importer so that the label can meet the requirements of each.

We finished our tour with a delicious 4 course lunch paired with Fanti wines … starting with olive oil tasting!

And then came the wine! Here we are getting ready for wine and a four course meal!

We tasted Rossi with our antipasta, \240 Brunello with pasta, and Brunello Reserva with pork roast and potatoes.

And then we were treated to a variety of older Reservas, 2013, 2015, 2016 and Vin Sanyo dessert wine. Yum!!! So of course, we bought some!!

The scenery from the winery was breath-taking across the lily and koi pond.

And looking back to the mountains of Tuscany!

The wine tasting building is new and filled with art! The paintings are all by Berlin painter, Christopher Lehmpful, who paints with his fingers. The sculptures are by Flora Steiger Crawford, the first woman graduated in architecture in Switzerland.

The paintings were thick with paint and often take weeks to dry. When viewed close up, they were blurred and difficult to distinguish. But when viewed from a distance, they were surprising clear with a bit of a Van Gogh style.

Here is the owner's villa ...

The Vallocaoa Estate is a place where wine, art, history, passion, and people live in a dynamic equilibrium dedicated to creating wines that reflect the heart of Italy.

All of the sculptures by Flora Crawford are supposedly of her family. When they started arriving at the winery, they came in crates labeled "Flora Crawford's mother", "Flora Crawford's aunt", etc. and it freaked out the staff until they understood that they were models!

In Montepulciano, the \240DOC wines are controlled and must contain at least 50% Sangiovese. The Sangiovese can be mixed with other ‘International grapes’ such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. \240 DOCG is even more controlled. \240Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines are often 100% Sangiovese.

Here we are learning and tasting - well mostly tasting!

Chiant is the wine of the region - but of course, there are Chianti Classico, Reserva and Gran Selezione options. This winery is owned by the Jackson family (aka Kendal Jackson) in California, but is clearly an Italian experience and quite excellent!

Chianti Classico must be at least 80% Sangiovese grapes and there are many production rules for elevation and aging. Only Chianti Classico can display the black rooster on the label.

Red wines made in Chianti without the Chianti rules are called Super Tuscans and can contain any blend of International grapes, or it can be 100% Sangiovese. We enjoyed a fine wine tasting with antipasta (cheeses and meats) and bread with delicious olive oil. It was so good, we brought home the left-overs and snacked on them the next 3 nights!

While we were enjoying our wine tasting, a group of riders came prancing through the vineyards!

Tim and Jill are having a discussion about the route … or maybe who is “Capitoni”!

We had striking views of the hills of Tuscany as we biked around Montepulciano. Most of our biking was on sand and gravel … up hill both ways! But we found a few places to stretch our legs and enjoy the vista.

We stopped for lunch at Casale - an old villa, now a sheep farm and cheese manufacturer. Tom and Dana had eaten here 5 years ago and it was just as delightful as we remembered. After some cheese and wine and light fare, we were ready to journey on…

… to our next winery, Melinaccio. The grapes were sweet and heavy on the vine!

The vineyard and winery owner, Alexandro, share his philosophy for making wine as we sat across from his vines. He takes pride in letting the vines and the land exist in nature with nothing added … no fertilizer but the worms and waste of the critters that wander in. No water but the small amount that Mother Nature sprinkles throughout the summer. He grows grapes on about 10 acres and leaves the rest of his 25 acres wild … well except for 2 acres of garden and fruit trees.

And his wines were delicious!

After more wine, we saddled up for the 2 mile ride back to the villa.

We were quite serious about our cheese!

The original inner wall and gate, were about 30 yards inside the outer wall. This picture doesn’t do the slope justice. The couple in the previous picture were barely hanging on to the stroller as they navigated the decline!

There were several churches hidden in nooks and crannies throughout the town.

One of the more impressive buildings was the military fortress built in 1261 during the age of the Republic of Siena. The building was repeatedly destroyed and reconstructed due to the contest between Siena and Florence for control of Montepulciano. The last reconstruction is attributed to the architect Antonio da Sangallo il Vecchio, so the fortress is called “Medicea”.

Bob, Tom, Jill, Dana and Kent were captured in the courtyard of the Fortress.

Today, the fortress is used as a civic building for concerts and public programs. But on one side is an Enotecca (wine shop) that is definitely worth a stop.

Jill wanders among the tables set behind the counter. You can sample around 50 different wines in the “very American” wine tasting units.

But the real treasure lies below the floor - which is made of glass! \240During a recent renovation, the ruins of an Etruscan settlement were discovered. It had been rumored for centuries that an ancient civilization had existed on the top of the hill. \240And now its been uncovered! The Etruscans were an advanced civilization. They had a religion and art and language that rivaled the Grecian and Egytian civil actions and served as the prototype for the later Roman culture. But little remains of the Etruscan culture other than funeral crypts and remains such as these.

This is an Etruscan wine vat amongst the wells and other ruins uncovered here.

This is NOT Ronald Reagan! Rather, Bob is taking a short break enjoying the sunshine in the square!

The well in the central square displays the arms of the Medici family of Florence (the shield with the 6 balls) flanked by lions and griffins - a mythical creature representing Montepulciano.

The city hall in the public square is the site of the finish of the famous BRAVIO OF THE BARRELS. Each year on the last Sunday of August, Montepulciano hosts a race of medieval origins consisting of a run ... pushing wine barrels uphill (which we can all attest is a long, steep, arduous climb!!) The challenge takes place amongst eight districts which, in various corners of the old town, try to roll 80kg barrels on steep slopes uphill! Similarly to the medieval tradition, a painted cloth is awarded to the winner.

Alas, we were too late for Tim to be able to participate in the race!

These palaces sit across from city hall and are still owned by the descendants of the 15th century original family.

Kent and Heather are determined to experience the Montepulciano life!

Here is Tom with Enrico Trabalzini, the owner of the winery. Enrico has visited Destin, FL as a guest of Destin Charity Wine Action Foundation board members, Steve and Joan Carter!

We traveled down through the staircases, wide enough for donkeys to traverse, to the family chapel.

Enrico stopped to explain that the donkeys hauled small carts up and down the stairs from the food storage areas to the kitchens of the original villa in the 16th century.

Enrico shared a story of a visitor from Orlando, Fl who - after touring the winery - later fashioned the dragon from the film Mulan from the iron image of the fasteners found along the wall of the steps. \240These fasterners were used to secure the donkeys and to hold the torches to illuminate the stairs.

At the bottom of the staircase is the family chapel. We were awestruck by the tall gothic arches and somber atmosphere created by the brick arches that holds the streets and buildings of the city above. This space has ceased to be a chapel and has, instead, been converted to store wine casks. The casks in this room are all over a hundred years old and the wood is so dry that they are no longer used today. But the mystic of the space is palpable!

Through the arch is an area that is used for current wine barrels. This space is naturally cool and moist through all seasons and makes for perfect wine storage!

One of several antique wine presses located in the winery.

Finally, at the bottom of the caverns, lies an ancient well. In Montepulciano, in the 12th century, the original forebearer Riccio de’ Ricci, foresaw the weather with such security that he was believed to be a warlock. To save himself from the accusation, he woke his secretary; making his forecast by observing the way in which the hedgehog scanned the sun. The hero thus received the nickname of ‘Riccio’, which was passed on to his descendents together with their own coat-of-arms, where the little beast looks at the sun, evidently to understand how the weather will be. Today, this is the logo of the De’ Ricci winery.

After our tour, we had the opportunity to taste several of the wines of De’ Ricci.

And Enrico shared all of his secrets for making exquisite wine …

The Colliseum …

The Spanish Steps …

The Parliament …

Apartments with a view of the Circus …

Eyes on Rome …

And we ended our tour of Tuscany … full of wine and cheese, friendship and fun, history and hysteria, shopping and … well more shopping.

At the end of the day, Maurizio sent us this shot … unloading the last of the grapes from the last of the vines in the last of the vineyard. And with that … our stay way over! We will definitely be back!