**Greve (grey-vey) in Chianti

Heading into Greve or other parts of the Chianti region I recommend you rent a car (there are buses but that doesn’t allow as much freedom). You can also do one day tours to wineries (see my next post for details). However Greve is only about 20 miles outside Florence and can be reached by car in around 45 minutes. The good thing is you only have to deal with minimal city driving before you find yourself winding through beautiful country roads lined with vineyards and beautiful villas. For me I find this part of the drive rather relaxing as it reminds me of driving on my roads back home in Indiana. Of course, these are much narrower and locals still drive like a bat out of hell so channel your inner racecar driver and put the peddle to the metal. Actually, scratch that and drive the speed limit, enjoy the views and don’t get upset when all the locals pass you going well over the “suggested” km/hr. There are several wineries you will pass on the drive and when it isn’t the off season it seems a fair amount offer drop-in tastings (not always common at Italian wineries).

I recommend scheduling a few tours ahead of time and then finding a few wineries that you can stop in for a quick taste on your drive. There are also quite a few wineries that offer lunch as part of their tour packages. For a list of wineries in the Greve area click here.

On our first day, we drove to a little village known as Chianti Shire and stopped in at a place called Accademia del Buon Gusto ran and owned by a great man named Stefano Salvadori. We took the spontaneous approach and decided not to call ahead; something we have learned does not always work here as we have found out by many signs on doors reading chuiso when we pull up. But on this day, we were in luck and Stefano was standing outside welcoming us with his awesome hat and warm smile. Once inside you will find a small room lined on one side with old movie theatre chairs he salvaged from the theatre he frequented as a young man that was being closed down. The rest of the place is filled with what else but bottles of delicious wine! As we sampled wines he told us stories about himself and wine and even had artwork to go with some of the funny stories. Here you will sample wines made by other wine makers as well as some made by Stefano himself; though he will not tell you which are his. We did not know we had tried his until the tasting was over. As we each compiled a list of some of our favorites he offered to re-sample any that we wanted. Once we were finished we found out 2 of our favorites were his own (phew). There was something so genuine about him, between his stories and his modesty even though he makes a great wine. He wanted unbiased opinions; hence the reason he didn’t tell us we were drinking his wine! My husband and I love to meet new people and can definitely find ourselves talking to those we meet for hours, this was no exception. Three hours later we were purchasing wine, delicious chocolate and some artwork. This is a spot I would recommend you stop by; he is knowledgeable, friendly and has a lot of great wines to taste of several different styles. Don’t worry if you are not interested in staying there 3 hours you can finish the tasting in a much shorter time.

The following day we drove back into Chianti and stopped off at Castello Vicchiomaggio, a family owned winery. When it isn’t the off season they have a tasting room that you can see from the road. We stopped and everything was closed up so we called and found out that they were still offering tastings at the castle. We drove up and were buzzed in to the office where they had a small tasting area setup. We tried about 6 different wines and purchased one bottle. Since we bought a bottle they waived the tasting fee which was the same price as a tasting so why not!? Check later for more info on this winery as we will return for a tour in a month or so when they are fully open. The grounds were beautiful and we were told they offer lunch and have an agriturismo.

*An agriturismo in Italy is generally a working farm/winery that offers rooms for guest to stay. These are great options if you would like to stay in the wine country area outside some of the main cities like Florence or Siena. They often have pools, offer breakfast and beautiful views all around you.

Next, we headed to our scheduled tour at Castello Di Verrazzano. We stopped by the day before and they were done with tours for the day and closing up. This winery is also an organic farm relying solely on mother nature, down to the water. Last year they lost 30% of their crops due to a low rainy season. The owner of this winery lives on site and can be seen wondering around when you are on tour. Many of the employees grew up living on the property and are now raising their families in the castle as well. Pretty sweet life if I do say so myself! Alongside being a winery they make olive oil, balsamic vinegar, have a wild boar farm and vegetable garden. There is so much history, some that even tie them to the U.S. but I won’t spoil all their stories, you will just have to go and find out!

There are several tour options depending on the price you would like to pay. We chose to have a full lunch included with our tour and tasting. We were so happy we did. You can also choose to have only light snacks of cheese and some of their own wild boar meats. The lunch was freshly prepared and plenty of it, so no matter who you are you will not be hungry when you leave. We had a great time after the tour at lunch enjoying the wine and conversation of some new friends we met. Our table had a couple from Brazil and a couple from Korea and we sat there for a few hours sipping wine and chit chatting. I always recommend talking to the people around you because you can learn some very cool things and you never know who you may end up staying in contact with down the road. We had lunch a week later with the Brazilian couple we met and plan to stay in contact with them in hopes of one day seeing them again!

There are so many wineries in the surrounding area of Greve in Chianti so stay tuned as we continue to explore more wineries.

Something I love when traveling is finding festivals or special events that are traditions of the area I am in. I have been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time on a few trips and have yet to be disappointed. Being that it is February places all over the U.S. are celebrating Mardi Gras. We learned that Italy is no different; here they celebrate Carnivale in several cities. After a little research and talking to a local friend we found out that Viareggio is known for one of the best Carnivale celebrations in Italy. 2018 is their 145^th year of this crazy party.

Carnivale is such a town staple they start promoting the following years celebration before this year is even over!

The town of Viareggio sits on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea with beautiful views of mountains off in the distance. From the train station, you can easily walk to the beach and the main street lined with restaurants, shops and small cafes. This is also the promenade where the festival takes place. This town is less of a tourist destination and therefore you will find more locals and hear a lot more Italian being spoke. As we strolled through the neighborhoods and watched Chloe enjoy her first beach experience we were stopped by a few elderly women who just wanted to chat about their dogs. Doing our best to understand their Italian we soaked up the moment; I was even able to respond with more than just a smile and nod!

The time had come to go see what Carnivale 2018 had to offer! Tickets to the event cost €20 and it was worth every penny, I mean you travel to take in and experience culture and life so why not. Carnivale takes over the main promenade of Viareggio where the street fills with food vendors, beer, and the biggest Paper-Mache floats I have ever seen. When I say big I mean floats taller than the buildings. Italy uses the festival to inform the locals and tourists of some of the issues they as a country face. Two of the main floats depicted a skeleton smoking and a man in a wheelchair. The skeleton represents the health issue they face here as smoking is still done by majority of residents. While the wheelchair shows the difficulty that handicapped individuals face living in a country that was built hundreds of years ago at a time when handicap accessibility was not a consideration. For me I see how difficult it would be in a place such as Italy. Tearing down entrances to buildings and changing sidewalks that have been here since before the 16^th century seems like you are destroying history. But I am glad to see Italy embracing these issues and working to alert the public and try to solve these problems.

There were several other floats in the parade all unique and interesting. Rather than try and describe them I will let the photos speak for themselves.

The festival food like the rest of Italy’s meals did not disapoint. Sandwiches filled with fresh vegetables and meat sliced right in front of you, all reasonably priced left us wanting seconds and thirds. Of course, Chloe was given all the free meat and veggies she could want (okay she is a dog she always wants more) but she was more than satisfied. One of the other great things about the festival was that you could buy bottles of wine for €6! Just another demonstration of how different Italy and America are in these areas. America capitalizes on festivals and even in restaurants charging 10 times the amount for beer, food and wine making events and such unaffordable to many.  We left the festival spending €52 for tickets, dinner, drinks and a night we will not forget.

All-in-all we were happy we chose to attend and experience the Carnivale festivities. If you have the opportunity to attend feel free to dress up in wild costumes and masks and join the circus of attendees and float participants dancing in the streets.

One of the great things about Florence is that you can easily hop on a train and be in another city within minutes. What I love about the train is you can relax and enjoy the views of the Italian country side. Our first time hopping on the train was painless; we purchased our ticket from the counter (using my Italian) since we were traveling with our dog but there are several machines in the Stazione where you can buy your ticket as well as online. We chose to check out Lucca; a Tuscan town close to the coast of Versilia.

On the train

You could say we were chasing the sun at this point since it had been chilly and rainy in Firenze. Lucca was forecasted to be all blue skies. On the train, we enjoyed beautiful views of hillside towns set to a backdrop of snowcapped mountains. Lucca itself is a walled town known as the ‘city with 100 churches’. It also boasts several towers in almost every direction you turn. Once you exit the station you are only a 2-minute walk from the ancient town. Unlike many walled cities in Tuscany, Lucca’s has been well maintained. What was once intended for military use is now a gorgeous pedestrian promenade with trees, grass and wonderful pathways. With the sun shining the people were out in full swing pushing strollers, riding bikes and walking their dogs.

After our stroll on the promenade we sipped on vino and enjoyed our free aperitifs as we watched the locals with their children running and playing to the backdrop of the Church of San Michele. Life here is meant to be enjoyed, no need to rush.

As we passed shop after shop displaying signs saying SALDI 50%, I finally gave in and purchased a coat. I mean when in Rome right? Okay I was in Lucca but you get the point. In Italy January through March is when nearly every store has massive sales in preparation for the spring arrivals. It is not uncommon to see shops offering 70% off most items, so if you enjoy splurging this is the time for you.

If you are visiting Lucca you should be sure to climb the Guinigi Tower (Torre Guinigi). Dating back to the 1300s the Guinigi family later adorned the tower roof with holm oaks to symbolize rebirth as well as to give a refined look during a time when numerous bell-towers were going up inside the walled city. The views of the Lucca and mountains are breathtaking let alone seeing trees on top of a roof 125 feet in the air. Chloe was not too sure about all those steps and even less so when she realized we were what seemed like the top of the world.

One of the things I love about Italy and Europe in general are the doors. Every one you pass is beautiful and historic, made of jaw-dropping wood adorned with carvings and interesting knobs. I can’t help but take photo after photo after photo. Snapping photos with the doors of Europe has become a family tradition, so fair warning you will probably see lots of them. After a little more exploring we were back on the train heading home. Of course, we did stop in for a pint at an Irish pub once we got back to Firenze.

Driving in Italy

Arriving in Firenze by car can be quite daunting. Any slight hesitation results in honking and stares like you are directing traffic in your underwear as vespas whiz by on all sides. It is not for the faint at heart but it can be done. After dropping luggage at our new home, we were off to return the rental car. The confidence I gained driving into the city quickly diminished as Siri led us astray several times telling us to turn the wrong way down 1-way streets! What should have taken 10 minutes wound up taking 25 as we drove in circles like a dog chasing its tail.  None the less we made it without being honked at and with minimal arguing. A true feat in a foreign country.

Grocery store

After our 3 mile walk home we headed to the grocery (Penny Market) where we were immediately reminded of one of the MANY reasons we love this country. Walking into an Italian grocery is like a kid in a candy store; with mind-blowingly cheap, fresh food all available to us. Walls lined with fresh pasta for less than €2, bottles of vino for €1; how could one not love this place? Feeling like Homer Simpson staring at a burger, we wiped the drool from our face grabbed some wine and all the fixings for some of the best Caprese one could eat. *Hint try the buffalo mozzarella*

Jet-lag is a real b*tch

As a kid through my twenties I could travel anywhere and never feel jet-lag. I can remember my parents discussing it but never understood. Then 30 hit and the jet-lag we experienced the first 5 days can only be blamed by our old age. Wide awake all bright-eyed and bushy tailed at 2am does not make it easy to wake up before noon. The feeling is strange as your brain is saying GET UP!! but your body is saying HELL NO STAY IN BED!! After giving in to the fact that we couldn’t kick this feeling I purchased some melatonin and just like that we were asleep at 10pm and waking at 9am. Finally feeling normal we could start exploring the city in the morning hours. Moral of that story purchase some melatonin and take it day one; especially if you are on a short trip you don’t want to spend majority of your time in a foggy haze.                                                             *For more tips on beating jet-lag see our travel tips page*

These heels were not made for walking…in Italy

Generally, I have no issues walking in heels or wedges but the historic sidewalks and cobblestone streets can leave you with severe feet problems without the proper shoes. Last time I was here I walked around in wedges for a couple days and tweaked a nerve that didn’t heel for close to 5 months. Most days we walk on average about 6 miles wandering here to get pastries then over to the park to let Chloe run and play; it’s amazing how fast the miles add up. Another reason we love this city so much; daily life is active there is no way around it and why would you want it any other way?  How else can you eat pizza and pasta every day and still be able to move?

Hiking to the turquoise lakes is around 7 miles. If you plan to backpack and camp for a few days I would recommend having previous experience as it is a strenuous uphill climb all the way. At times you must go off the path due to fallen trees or other objects blocking the trail. Plan accordingly and enjoy the beauty that is Colorado.