Day 7 Bottle of red, another bottle of red!

1030 a.m.in route to Rome. We're on a very comfortable highway with views of vineyards and hills on both sides. Road trips in the U.S. would be a lot better with some views on the highway. I think I'll write a letter.. ha ha.. We have been told the trip into Rome is quite intense and that Florence was a breeze. If you are reading this, the trip was a success, because I type these up in route and post them as soon as I get Internet service.

Let talk about Siena shall we? I loved Siena, we all did. Siena is a population of about 60k, all in a reasonably small city. The first day, the ladies did some shopping after lunch in an area of town called Il Campo. Don't listen to my history facts, they are probably inaccurate. But, if you look at the picture to the right you can see a rounded sitting area in the middle of buildings. Twice a year they haul in sand to surround the sitting area for a horse race. The pictures of the races look very exciting and intense. We ate down in this area twice, it just feels really historic and special. I saw a few paintings that showed battles in this area, I guess Florence really did a number on Siena. The first day was really relaxing and we did a lot of walking and people watching.

This was part of a wedding, the father drove the bride around the track of Il Campo as people waved, cheared and took pictures. He was really proud and you could see the joy on his face. By the looks of it, he could afford the wedding, no problem.

Day 2 of Siena, was the Wine tour mentioned in my previous post. We slept in until about 9 and had breakfast, then I updated photos and typed, while sitting on the balcony over the football stadium, but no need for repeats. Around 2 pm we boarded a bus to a vineyard in Montalcino called, Abbadia Ardenga - Il Poggio. The ride was beautiful, pretty much what I pictured, but much more massive. Hillsides covered with green grape vines. The Vineyard building was very old but well kept. The owner, Mario, was a little old man wearing a nice nice suit and hat. He didn't speak a lick of English, but he definitely loved the young ladies, taking any excuse to take them a side and put them on display. Allison, was no exception and was roped in with his charm, only to be put on display, while he showed the difference between the way women dress today compared to the 1800's. She was a good sport, but was also embarrassed. I being a nice guy, took pictures, as seen to the right.. : ) That little pervert Mario..

We tasted 5 types of Sangiovese's all varied by year and soil the grapes grew in, one better than the next, 3 of which were award winning Brunellos. The last was one of the best wines I've ever tasted or seen! Dark ruby red and I could smell it across the table, while it was being poured. Very dry but you could still taste all types of fruit, great, great stuff. After that we sampled some Grappa made from Brunello grape skin and stored in oak barrels. Not the best grappa I've had on this trip, I'm definitely partial to the ones we had in Cinque Terre. (Message for mom, dad, and Jen: You're going to need to give grappa a second shot, I'll bring a small one home from the right grapes for our taste, the one Jen had was brutal, some taste almost like Bucca but less syrupy, we've found a few greats) (Rich, thanks for the recommendation! and please pass along this blog address to the office if you haven't already)

After the wine tour, we visited Montalcino city, which was very small and beautiful. We stopped at a wine shop and sampled 3 Brunellos for 9 Euro, these were all reserves of great vintages, ranging from 30-100 Euro. I suggest you run to a liquor store and find a Brunello, the older the better, but nothing older than a 2004, unless you plan on keeping it for years. I bought a 2004 Brunello for 34 Euro, which is around 50 u.s. After I bought the bottle, I was told it is sold in the U.S. for 100 or 150 U.S. I was told I should hold it for at least 2 years if I could wait, and anywhere up to 2016 if I am extremely patient. We'll see, I really would like to wait for a special occasion, I have little faith in myself though.. :)

My battery is about to die, and we're about an hour from Rome.

Thanks for the great messages, I'm glad you can all share this with us. I'm hoping it doesn't come off braggy, that isn't my intent. If you haven't been to Italy, you should start planning, even if it's 5 years down the line, and you put away a little every month. I'm so glad I came.

Message from the Nigro's:

Aunt Jr., Steve would like to tell you , he doesn't remember any mishaps of his early driving and it must be your advanced age that's causing you to remember falsehoods.. (from me, thanks for your supportive words, they have been very encouraging)

Erin, thanks for following and for your comments. Love and miss you lots and wish you and Judd were here!

Ken, we met a couple from Canada on the vineyard tour who claim to work for the Canadian government. They said they had a six month vacation and get to travel around Europe, but we know that they're not really on vacation and they wouldn't admit it but we know that they work for the same people you do and that they're really on the job. Say hi to Jackie.

and hello to everyone else following, you're all missed.

Messages from me:

Hi Golder, I can't say I wish I was there, sorry suckers! Actually thanks for following, and Please pass this link on to anyone who wishes to follow. I hope all is well there. Rich, thanks for the Grappa recommendation Cinque Terre has been the best by far.. really great stuff!

Auntie Lori, this is your postcard, goofball. It's very time consuming you little brat! I miss you a bunch, I know you would love it here... So much yummy food and it never stops.. Yesterday we ordered a glass of beer and they served us homemade chips and a bowl of snacks, that's the standard when ordering just a drink: )..

Buddies, start planning a trip to Europe if you haven't been. I know you may not think it's your type of thing, but it will change your life.

Mom, Dad and Jen, I'm glad to hear you have been so entertained by these posts, I miss you guys a ton and wish you were here. Of all people I think Dad would enjoy it the most, I doubt you would hear " Oh that place sucks" ha ha Go Pat's Jen! How did you do with my team?