A wine tasting in the Chianti region was on Tom's bucket list. We left Bagni di Lucca around noon and headed in that general direction. Prior research had us looking for Barone Ricasoli Winery which became an exercise in frustration. Around 3 pm we found an open pizzeria in a tiny town and regrouped.
The proprietors treated us like "those" Americans...don't know proper time to eat (noon) or rest (oh, 1:30 - 3:00) but fed us anyway...slowly and deliberately. We decided to head back and stop at the first winery sign we saw. What a treat was in store for us...a serendipity! The fortyish, proud, 5th generation, newly Eco-friendly owner poured our wine & grappa, answered all our questions, then took us on a tour of his facilities. It was way cool. Perfecto. Arrived back at Pian di Fiume in time for another two and a half hour delicious meal.
Packed up and checked out the next morning. Good resources had recommended a bike tour around the wall in Lucca. I'm sure that is a great adventure but it was threatening rain and Greg got a wee bit anxious on the über narrow streets. Drive-by is how you could describe our Lucca experience.
We decided to land in Verona to be a comfortable distance from Venice where Caroline & Tom would be flying out the next day. Tom and Greg got their first "hamburger" in Italy. It had a half pound hamburger patty, two frankfurters (sliced), wurtzel, bacon, fries, and (Tom) cheese on a bun that would make a round loaf of bread proud. No, neither finished it.
We waddled to the Arena and wasted money by paying to go inside. The old and beautiful can be seen from the outside. It is over a thousand years old and the acoustics are perfect - next time maybe a concert. I'm thinking that seeing it will only make Greg appreciate the coliseum in Rome more. We stayed at another agriturismo just outside the city. Had a beautiful view of Verona that was socked in with a mixture of smog & fog. Seeing the lights and hearing the bells toll were bonuses.
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