We were getting the hang of driving and directions. Teaching the kids to navigate via the sun and sorting through the extremely confusing signs on the sign posts at all the rotaries. The kids, 3 in the back seat, are enjoying the rotaries because the centripetal force smashes them to the right as we enter the rotaries and then back to the left as we choose our path. Once I figured out the kids got a little thrill out of it, I started taking the rotaries on 2 wheels, which Maggie is not happy about.
Our first full day at the villa was nice. Swimming in the am, visit a Tuscan town steeped in history (and at the top of a steep mountain), drive home on a meandering drive through endless fields of sunflowers, swim, eat dinner then get on the pc. This will likely be our routine for the next week.
We are staying at a working farm 90 k south of Florence. The family has had this farm since ~1825. Unlike the US, the Italians are trying to preserve small farms. Many Italian farms now take in tourists in part because they receive subsidies. The family stopped by and dropped off some of their produce today. It is all very fresh and delicious. Of course the kids must try some of everything! We had pasta tonight because everything is closed on Sundays except the tourist trap restaurants. It is like traveling back in time. Literally nothing is open that that doesn’t cater to tourists and even a lot of those are closed.
We visited Cortona today which, according to legend was the 3rd place Noah stopped after the floods. So it is pretty old. There is history/art here from the Roman era and the Renaissance era. But mostly it has great views and gelato. The town is only 300 yards X 600 yards inside the Roman era walls. It is built into the side of a mountain. almost nothing in the town is flat -- everything is at a 45 degree angle. Hiking around it is pretty fun, but I don't think they are producing any soccer stars here.
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