Europe 2013 – Final Days
Narrative and photos from our final days of our 2013 European Vacation. This photo was taken in Sienna – oddly enough, it was the first time Sienna had celebrated summer solstice, which is widely celebrated in many towns and cities in Europe. We were fortunate to be there for Sienna’s first. It was quite the party. Unfortunately, they were not able to celebrate this year.
June 22 – Second day in Monteriggioni. Slept in, I know – hard to believe. We enjoyed our little fortress town, which was a key fortress from 1214 to 1550 during the bloody rivalry between Florence and Siena. Florence won that one. We had a picnic in the garden behind our hotel and then Davis and I did a 4 hour hike in the afternoon.
June 23 – After breakfast in Monteriggioni, we drove north and west luccto Forte dei Marmi, an upscale Mediterranean seaside town (see pics). After spending the afternoon in Forte Dei Marmi, we drove to Lucca, where we will spend our last night in Italy – sad.
This wine shop in Monteriggioni was fabulous. We ordered a case of wine to be shipped back to the states. I bought a bottle that we had later with dinner.
Our dinner location for later that evening. We ate in the Garden!
The beautiful wine we had with dinner. Some of you will notice that this is my photo for texts and phone calls! What a wonderful evening in Monteriggioni. We loved this hilltop town.
A view of the Monteriggioni Plaza from the wall that surrounds the town. You can see the wine shop, the restaurant, and even the cafe that we had lunch when we arrived from the chianti region the day before. I hope these small towns do ok during the pandemic. Tourists are their livelihood.
We had a most excellent picnic next to the pool in the back of our bed and breakfast. What a wonderful meal of fresh bread, cheeses, fruit, and lots of inexpensive Italian wine.
Our picnic wine. The five of us drank all three bottles with lunch!
While the others took naps, Davis and I hiked part of the trail that meanders from the North of Italy all the way to South Italy. That is bad-ass Davis with his quickly constructed hiking stick with Monteriggioni in the background. We pretended to be scouts looking for possible spies in the countryside. You can never be too careful when you are a small hill town with Florence and Sienna on either side.
Breakfast selection at our B&B (former stables) before heading to the Mediterranean for the day.
Carter and Elizabeth enjoying and elegance breakfast. One thing I will say, our breakfasts were excellent at every hotel we stayed at. Thank you Laura Madrid. You do know how to pick wonderful locales.
After breakfast, the five of us piled into our small rental car and drive to luccto Forte dei Marmi, an upscale Mediterranean seaside town. Notice the beach cabanas.
The Boys of Summer hitting the Western Mediterranean off of the coast of Italy.
Looking back at luccto Forte dei Marmi from one of the piers.
We got to Lucca, changed and walked around before dinner. You know how I like my door photos. Here is one from Lucca, Italy. The two male models really make the photo.
Our dinner spot in Lucca
My entree at dinner in Lucca
Another spectacular breakfast! With all the good food and wine we had, I never gained a pound. I even lost weight.
Biking the huge ramparts of Lucca. Unlike the walls around Monteriggioni, which were built in the early middle ages, the rampart around Lucca were built much later – to withstand cannon fire. See how wide it is. Several cars can pass each other.
Yes, the rampart is huge around the city – very impressive. This is a rare photo. Lizzy almost never gets on a bike. However, the boys coaxed her into doing it. She managed very well indeed.
We worked up an appetite and had a wonderful lunch in one of the any plazas in Lucca.
Walking back to our hotel before driving to Pisa for our flight on RyanAir to Paris and then back to the states. Travel with your kids. I leave you with this poem I wrote on the flight to Paris and a final photo afterwards.
June 24 - RyanAir 6.24.13 Snow capped Alps appear far below as we soar toward Beauvais from Pisa. Twelve days have passed since the Chunnel With a life time of memories made. Museums and cafes in Paris Hiking, Riesling and sauerkraut in Alsace Shopping and Risotto in Milan Museums and gelato in Florence Wine, cheese and Chianti in Monteriggioni With hiking and a picnic by the pool Celebrating the summer solstice in Siena Catching some sun by the Mediterranean Sea Biking the ramparts of Lucca We have rested little and traveled far And we will have many stories to tell.
