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So Much to See In and Out of Florence

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I spent one of the best days in the Tuscan countryside just outside of Florence. I met with a tour group in the lobby of one of the best hotel Florence is known for and off we went. The sun was out and the sky was a gorgeous blue, which was only interrupted by an occasional cloud drifting by.

I was one of eleven tourist and we drove to a private villa and got to tour their wind making facilities and they even had an olive oil making facility. We went to another farmhouse and tasted some great white wines, Chiantis and we were served dessert wines as we devoured bread soaked in the smoothest extra virgin olive oil. I noticed that since I’ve been in Florence, the bread seemed almost tasteless, but I found out through this tour that the tradition here is to not salt the bread because, historically, salt has been a precious commodity. Plus, it also makes the local prosciutto stand out. I still found it tasteless, no matter how they explain it to me.

We then were taken to another wonderful farmhouse, which was on top of a hill overlooking their vineyards and a small forest. It was Sonoma and Napa but 3-times better. We got to make spinach and ricotta ravioli, which we all got to eat later for lunch. Some people took a walk through the countryside, I chose to do the cooking and wine tasting. One of our tour guides assisted me with the cooking and we had a marvellous time. Later after lunch, another tour guide treated us to his superb singing voice.

The last part of the day, a lovely Italian couple hosted us at their home! She cooked us a wonderful 4 course Italian meal. Her husband, spent the day shared some stories with us of his time as a race car driver and how he and his wife spent time in the Mediterranean conducting cruises for several years. I was amazed. It was time to head back to Florence, and I good thing to, the weather was turning.

Tomorrow I’ll be in a part of the Cinque Terre to watch the sunset.

Related posts:

1. Florence Sunset
2. A Rose Grows in Florence

Tags: best hotel Florence, local prosciutto, Tuscan countryside

1 Comment to So Much to See In and Out of Florence

1. 

   If you come back travelling around Florence consider http://www.hotel-florence.net as one of the most interesting countryside hotel just near Florence
   Best Regards
countryside hotel on April 26th, 2010

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