Chianti
On our way from Florence to the Chianti region, we stopped to walk through the 4,950 graves in the American cemetery. There is a lovely covered reflecting pool at the top of the hill, with a huge mosaic map showing the various offensives of the Allies in World War ll.
The next day we drove through Chianti, beginning to see the ever-present cypress trees lining the roads and paths--a symbol of Tuscany. We visited the Santa Giulia family vineyard, where the owner took us through his winery and explained about the three types of Chianti: everyday, Classico and Reservo.
We then enjoyed a wonderful lunch of eggplant parmensan, made by his wife, which including all three of his delicious Chianti wines.
We stayed for two nights at the magical Castello Gargonza, a tiny medieval village atop a high hill, which has remained in the same family for over 600 years. It is now a hotel and conference center, with a well-known restaurant. We feasted on roast pork with potatoes, creme with raspberries, and Tuscan vegetable lasagna with white cheese sauce (another Yum!) The owner graciously took us through the private family garden, and also provided a wine tasting with cheeses and homemade prosciutto. Truly this was a delightful place that I never wanted to leave!
PRO TIP: Be a local...learn some Italian words: hello, goodbye, goodnight, please, thank you and numbers. You'll make a great impression! and the some translation apps have a camera feature which instantly translate text that you hold it over.