Pisa was a cute little city. (note: really little) We had a walking tour of the most popular area, obviously the piazza where the leaning tower is located. It was quite interesting though, I learned about the construction of the leaning building and why it had to be placed in that spot regardless of the soil that was giving way beneath it. The piazza was actually an ancient clock. All the buildings were strategically placed so the residents of pizza would always be able to know what time it was just by looking at the way the sun hit certain buildings. Most of the buildings are gone, but the leaning tower still stands! Go figure. After the tour, we had some time to wander and shop. My friends and I had lunch at a cute little restaurant that had the best raviolis I’ve ever eaten. Then we went to snap some cliché pictures of us trying to hold up the falling tower. (I also got some funny pics of everyone else trying to do the same thing.) After some shopping and some dessert, we met the group at 5 got back on the bus to go to the hotel.
Back at the hotel we freshened up and got ready for dinner. Dinner was included at the hotel and it was the most lavish meal I think I’ve had so far in Italy. First course: salad, second course: pasta, third course: chicken and potatoes, fourth course: ice-cream. I’m using to eating only one plate at a restaurant in order to stay within my budget, so it was really, really filling to have 4 plates like an authentic Italian dinner should have. After a long day and a long meal, we headed up to bed.
Saturday was equally as busy. We woke up super early, had breakfast (also included!) and got on a bus to be in Florence by 10. I can’t say enough about that city. It was beautiful, clean, friendly and very historical. We took another walking tour and passed through the religious center, the government center, the museum area and made our way all the way down to Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in the city. The city is much smaller and more manageable than Rome. We didn’t need to take any public transportation to get from one side of the city to the other. After the tour, my roommates and I ventured to Santa Croce- the church that holds the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo, among other great names. There were tons of street markets and shops that we stopped at. We visited the Duomo, the leather markets, and of course, went to see the famous David. It was truly a long, exhausting day but worth every step. I’m happy I got to go home with some nice new leather, too! We met the group at 6pm and headed to the hotel. After another 4 course dinner, my friends and I enjoyed a nice bottle of wine to end the day on a calm note.
Sunday was probably my favorite day out of the whole trip. After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel around 8am and headed to Trequanda. Once there, we visited a vineyard and winery. The area was so beautiful, surrounded by mountains and fields. We were taken on a tour of the winery and taught how the wine is made and the aging process. It was really interesting and reminded me of a movie I watched recently called “bottle shock” – definitely recommend it if this kind of stuff interests you. I took tons of pictures of course, because the land was beautiful and historical. The winery is one of two in all of Italy that is run entirely by women. This is to make the statement that “anything you can do we can do better” since winery typically only hire men. After the tour, we got a chance to taste some of the most famous wines that are made there. After trying a couple, we were then brought back to the kitchen area and taught how to make pasta! It was super fun. We got to watch as the chef created the dough and then we were given the chance to shape the pasta ourselves. Surprisingly, making pasta is really easy! It’s definitely something I want to try to do on my own! By the time we finished our cooking lesson, it was way passed lunch time. We headed to the restaurant, which was absolutely adorable for our meal. This lunch literally took three hours. We had no idea it was going to last that long or that there was going to be so much food. They came around with a first plate of cheeses and meats, and brought us a different bottle of wine to taste with the first course. Then we were served some pasta Bolognese. I thought that was going to be our whole meal, considering they came around asking if anyone wanted seconds. But I was way wrong. After two plates of pasta, they brought us more chicken and potatoes. It was so delicious but unexpected- since they waited about an hour between plates- and a different bottle of wine to enjoy with the meat. After trying to get through most of my dish, dessert was already on its way- this amazing apple tart pie. (I’m making myself hungry now just thinking about it). It really was the longest and most filling meal I’ve ever eaten. I think it even tops any Thanksgiving meal I’ve had too- but worth every second. After the meal, we were able to walk around the vineyard and follow a trekking trail. The trail was much needed to walk off some of the food. I also bought a couple bottles of wine that I liked from the winery. After a few hours of wandering, we got back on the bus and headed back home to Rome. It was truly an unforgettable weekend. Every day was something new and interesting and we got to top it off with some authentic Italian food and wine. La dolce vita.
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