Tuesday, May 20th
Our friends Zach and Steph arrived on the rotator Tuesday afternoon from Florida. Taking a rotator flight in the military is like flying "stand by" on a commercial flight. We weren't sure if they were actually going to make it out until Tuesday morning. We hit the ground running after they arrived. We only had a little over a week with them, so we didn't want to waste any time...
Wednesday, May 21st
We walked down to the train station in Sacile after grabbing a brioche and cafe. (or 'crosant' and 'cap-a-cini' as Zach refers to them) You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the boy.
We hopped off the train in Venice and started exploring the little alleys that led to San Marco's square.
We had to make a few stops for gelato. :) I don't think I ever got a photo of our gelato because we ate it too quickly!
After about an hour, we found the square!..(along with thousands of other tourists!)
Before going any farther, we snuck into a restaurant for their first real Italian meal! Zach was excited about having spaghetti and meatballs. Steph liked her pasta, but she was more excited about trying Zach's meatballs. Haha! They couldn't have been happier!
We decided it would be fun to try and feed some pigeons in the square after lunch, so I grabbed a roll from lunch to help entice them.
Steph started....ahhhhh!!!
I tried next.... They felt soooo dirty walking along my arm. Thank goodness I had wet naps to wash my arm off afterward. I don't consider myself a clean-freak, but I was definitely grateful to be clean after this experience.
I felt like the bird whisperer.
We took bets to see which one of us would get pooped on first. If someone did, then we would pay him/her 10 Euro. Haha! Thankfully, none of us did!!
Zach decided he wanted to see a museum while we were there, so we stepped into the Doge's palace just off the square. We really wanted to see the "secret tour" of the palace, but they were sold out for 3 weeks. (!!!) We decided we wanted to see the palace anyway...
Zach and I snuck behind a blockade in order to get this shot. A docent saw us and started walking toward us, so we quickly walked back. We're such rebels! It's really kind of a shame that they don't let people take photos from this balcony looking into the main square. It's such a beautiful view.
Interesting frescoes in the Doge's Palace... (!!)
I would have to say I think the Doge's Palace is my favorite place in Venice. It's stunning, there are never too many people there, it's usually cooler than out in the square on a hot day, and there's so much history!
Can you spot Zach and Steph in this photo above?
The tour took us through the palace. I leaned out of a window to get a pic of the Bridge of Sighs.
(Taken from inside the Palace)
(Taken from inside the Palace)
We arrived at Zach's favorite part: the prison.
I don't think anyone's getting out...or in.
On our way back to the train station we hopped on a vaperetto through the Grand Canal.
I pushed people out of the way so we could get a good shot of the two of them with the Rialto bridge. I think I took about 15 photos of them here to get a good one. Haha!
On our way back into Sacile we stopped to take a few photos, while we waited for Nick to get back from his after-work run.
I can't remember what we were laughing at here... ;););)
That night we took Zach and Steph to the Cellini's. (It's actually pictured behind us in the photo) They had their first taste of tirimisu there. Steph told Zach that he had to try tirimisu at each restaurant we went to. He also had to decide which one was the best by the end of the trip...
Thursday, May 22nd
Thursday morning I was busy getting ready, so Zach and Steph stepped out into our local market in the square. They had their first real Italian experience on their own. Zach found some dried mango he wanted, so he decided to buy a kilo's worth. He didn't realize until after the vendor filled his bag that 1 kilo is equivalent to about 2 pounds of food. Haha! He'll be eating dried mango for a while!
When they came back, I took them to my favorite cafe around the corner from us. It was packed with people. We ordered, then stood at the counter and ate our typical Italian breakfast. About 30 minutes later a table opened up. We called the waitress over and *might* have had a second breakfast. :)
Afterward, we walked through the market to look for souvenirs. Zach's goal was to find an Italian outfit which included: a bright colored shirt, tight pants, shoes, and some sweet sunglasses. We actually found all of those items! (which you'll see later) Steph found a cute fedora, and a few other cute souvenirs.
The market closed around 1pm, and we drove over to Gorgazzo spring to take photos. We all took a guess at how cold the water was in the spring. Zach guessed 51, I guessed 55 and Steph guessed 59. Zach stuck his watch underwater and we watched the temperature drop. He held it until it read 54 degrees. We called it a tie between Zach and I!! Brrrr..... 54 sounds cold. It's crazy thinking Matt and Nick took a dip in that spring about a month ago!
We met Nick on base afterward and grabbed lunch at an awesome Greek restaurant, then headed back home.
Steph and I stopped to take some pics in the beautiful field of poppies!
That afternoon Nick really wanted to have an adventure with them. I had to pack and get ready for our trip down south, so they all headed up into the mountains.
They hiked to the peak!
There's still snow!
At one point, they found a hill with snow on it and all decided to slide down on their rear ends. They all said it was fun, but they were a little frozen afterward!
They drove (after getting lost) to see Barcis; one of our favorite lakes!
That night we took them to Alex's restaurant. Most of our squadron was there to celebrate the arrival of a new squadron member. It was a fun surprise for all of us! There was also a group there performing. It sounded more like a karaoke night, but it was somewhat entertaining.
Zach tried his second tirimisu here. He didn't let on whether he liked it better than Cellini's. We just had to wait in anticipation for his final decision at the end of the trip.
Friday, May 23rd
The next morning we woke up at 5:30 to get out the door by 6am. We were driving down to Siena to take a food tour with the Tuscan Wine School. We made it there with an HOUR to spare! (That's a first) And we didn't get lost! (Also, a first!) We made the most of that hour by walking around the city.
We were all shocked by how many brick buildings are in Siena.
We stumbled across the Duomo. (which Zach called, "Duarmo.")
I think the black and white stripped churches are my favorite.
Each neighborhood in Siena has a flag. They almost look medieval. They use these during the Palio horse races each year. They fill the main square with dirt, and the horses race around three times, while 60,000 onlookers cheer on their favorite horse. Sounds crazy! I was grateful we weren't there during that time.
Duomo Museum
Zach joined in with Nick's crazy antics and did a jumping photo by the "Duarmo."
Nick's grumpy face. :)
So much gelato, so little time.
An American woman stepped out of a cafe and told us that we had to eat there and enjoy the view of the main square. So we did! We each grabbed a snack, sat, and enjoyed the view. Supposedly, this is the best square in Italy. This is also the square where Palio takes place.
Annnddd the rain found us...
Nick insisted that he walk without an umbrella. By the time we got back to the Wine School he was soaked. DOH!
We met up with our tour group. It consisted of 12 people total. We were by FAR the youngest ones on the tour. Our tour guide, Sarah, took us to 3 different local shops.
We started with Gino Cacino's cheese and meat shop. There used to be a market just outside his front door every week, but they had to move the market outside the city because it was too hard for the vendors to get in and out. Gino didn't want to move, so he opened a store right in the same square. It was a little off the beaten path for us, but it certainly shouldn't be missed!
Gino Cacino is a nickname. His real name is Giorgio, but they added "ino" on the end to make it sound smaller when he was young - "Giorgino." They simplified his name further by shortening it to "Gino." The slang name for cheese in Siena is Cacino, so the name stuck - "Gino Cacino."
The meats and cheeses were so good!
We started talking to the couples around us. They were all retired and had been on vacation for about a month each. Haha! They were very intrigued that two young couples were doing a tasting tour in Siena.
Steph and I had to get a pic with Gino Cacino.
We stood in the main square while our tour guide described the different types of Italian coffee. I usually order a caffe americano, which is just a shot with hot water to dilute it. There's also the cafe machiato which is coffee with a drop of milk. Some confuse that with caffe latte, which is mostly warm milk with a shot of coffee served in a glass.
We walked into the tiny Caffe Fiorella and each had a cafe machiato. It was THE best coffee I've had since living in Italy. I would go back to Siena just to have that coffee again.
Next we walked down the street to Bino's Bakery. He was a shy, old man that made all kinds of traditional Italian treats. We got to taste pan forte. It tasted like fruit cake, but had a stronger spice taste. We also tried a light almond cookie covered in powdered sugar called ricciarelli. Within seconds of tasting it, Nick ran to the counter and asked for a box. Everyone in the tour group heard and started chuckling. The tour guide told him to wait until they were done. Haha!
Nick bought his box of cookies and we walked back up to the Tuscan Wine School to try a few more treats. We tried honey, truffle paste, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chocolate with saffron. (Tuscany really has some of the best foods in the world! They're so spoiled!) The most interesting tasting was probably the olive oil. We held about a tablespoon of olive oil in a cup, in our hands. We covered the top of the cup to trap the smell and to heat up the olive oil. Then we smelled it, poured it in our mouths and swished it around. Just go and try it with the olive oil in your pantry, and tell me what you think. Haha! I LOVE olive oil. So much so, that I could almost bath in it. That being said - pouring a large amount in your mouth feels very strange, and isn't very appetizing.
At the end, I bought two different types of honey: lavender and sunflower. I also bought the white and dark chocolate with saffron. They were delicious, and probably won't last long. :)
After our amazing 2-hour tour, we got back in the car to drive down to Montepulciano. We took the scenic route called Crete Senese. It was just the classic Tuscan scene we were expecting with rolling hills, and winding roads.
At one point, some sheep were near the side of the road. I had to get out and take a pic.
Across the street I spotted this sign. I decided to go check it out...
The man had his own farm, and made his own pecorino cheese.
I pointed to the hillside and asked the man what the word for sheep is. He said, "Pecore." I thought he didn't understand my question, so I asked it a few different ways in Italian. But he understood completely. Sheep are "pecore" which is why sheep cheese is called, "Pecorino." Duh!! We finally caught on. The cheese was delicious! I was glad we stopped and bought some!
The whole drive down, Nick was looking for a good field to kite board in. After stopping several times, he finally decided against it. He came to his senses when he realized that most farmers probably don't want you running around their fields. Haha!
Our first sighting of Montepulciano...
We met up with Marta, the woman that owns the house where we were staying for 3 days. She drove us into the city. It was a crazy maze!
The house was beautiful! It was three stories and had a spectacular view. After we set our luggage down, we wanted to go explore the town.
There were cats everywhere. These kitties stayed right in the windowsill.
We walked up to the main square. There were "mosquito eaters" EVERYwhere! Steph and I tried to block them with our umbrellas as we were walking. You could tell even the locals hated it! One of the locals informed us that it had occurred last year as well, but it had never happened before that.
Despite the amount of bugs, we still enjoyed the spectacular view!!!
I know Nick disses Rick Steves, but I think Zach and Steph enjoyed learning a little about the history. Zach's holding up the Rick Steves' book here.
That night we ate at La Pentolaccia. They had some of the most delicious homemade pasta, and they were just 2 minutes up the road from us. Everything was within walking distance in this cute little town.
Saturday, May 24th
Early in the morning, we grabbed a quick coffee at Caffe Poliziano and then started off on a walking tour through the lower part of Montepulciano. As we walked to the start, Nick pointed out this sign. Twilight was filmed here!! HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS?!!! This store had pictures of their storefront in the film. Holy Moses! That made my day!
So happy!!
Montepulciano had all kinds of stores. One of the oldest stores had beautiful leather. This store somewhat surprised me. They had cowgirl boots in every color you could imagine. (In Italy?!)
We found the start of the tour! I handed Nick the camera to take photos, and I led us through the Rick Steves tour.
We're standing in front of Porta al Prato, and next to a 'secret' passageway. You can see where a heavily fortified gate would have been to block people from entering.
We walked a block up to the Colona dell'Marzocco. The lion holding the Medici shield on top of this column represented Florence. Originally, Montepulciano had existed under the auspices of Siena - which would have been a she-wolf statue with sickling human twins.
These were Etruscan and Roman fragments along one of the many palaces in Montepulciano.
Another gate within the city?! Rick Steves says that this indicates that the city grew in "concentric cirlces."
We booked it up to the main square again, so we could get a view from the clock tower before 1pm - when it closed. I have never seen a smaller, steeper staircase in my life.
...but the view was worth it!
Our first stop was the balcony before reaching the top of the tower.
Anyone notice Zach's sweet Italian outfit? He purchased everything he's wearing from our local market so he could fit in. :)
Nick tried to sneak into this photo, but I'm quicker! Haha!
Nick, Steph and Zach jumped under the bell. Hopefully, the bells aren't set to go off at any certain time! Haha!
It wasn't long after taking this photo that Nick and Zach had the brilliant idea of ringing these bells themselves. Holy cow - it was deafening. Somehow, no one yelled at us when we walked back down the stairwell and by the ticket counter. We got lucky!
Oh man, looking out at this view...it will never get old. I could definitely see us coming back here.
We headed back down the steep staircase. I had to duck on several occasions just to fit. Hope you're not claustrophobic going up and down these stairs!
For lunch that day, we sat right in the square and had some cheese and pasta at Ai Quattro Venti. I didn't get a great photo because we were all busy sneezing. It was pretty hilarious because Zach, Steph and I all took turns throughout the trip sneezing. Nick was the only odd man out. (And I think we were slightly driving him crazy.) Haha! Despite that, we had a delicious meal in the square on a beautiful day.
Next, we wandered over to the fortress on the hill which happened to actually face the city, and not away from the city. The rulers wanted to keep an eye on the townsfolk. (Yikes!)
We also came across a torture museum...
Nick was obviously disgusted by this, and Zach couldn't help but make fun of it! Haha!
Hahah!
Zach went in and bought two tickets, so we followed suit. After about 20 minutes, Nick sat down. He felt sick to his stomach after reading some of the horrible things people would do to each other. I, however, felt grateful to live during this period where we don't put so much thought and effort into hurting others. I'm very grateful!
After our walk through town, we drove about an hour north to L'antica Querciolaia thermal spa. It was a natural hot spring. The clay-like soil of the north meets the southern rock and creates hot springs where the water gets trapped. There are several hot springs around the area. I had NEVER heard of this before reading Rick Steves explanation of the geology of this area. Do you think of hot springs when you think of Tuscany? Me either. We had to test it out for ourselves.
We started at the warm indoor pools...
...Then moved to the outdoor pools.
The water was so blue! And the smell was soo strong! (of sulfur) There was soft sand on the bottom of this pool. The guys picked it up and put it all over their faces. It was like a mud facial. (Ew!)
Steph and I were noticing that the spa wasn't filled with skinny, model-like girls. It was mostly older women that clearly weren't in shape. We were grateful.
We grabbed some coffee and gelato before heading back home. The spa was definitely relaxing.
For dinner that night we went to La Corte Medicea. Steph and I stuffed our faces with truffle pasta. It was amazing! We both wanted to go back just so we could have that pasta again. Zach ordered a 600 gram steak. That's 1.32 pounds of meat. Other than the few bites he gave us, he ate it all! I was impressed! (We clearly did not go hungry on this trip.) :)
Sunday, May 25th
Sunday morning we went back to the local cafe to grab breakfast. There wasn't another soul to be seen on the streets at 8:30am.
What a peaceful scene.
Zach and Nick had a morning game of checkers. (It was missing a few pieces, so they played with some chess pieces as well.)
After breakfast we drove over to Terre Margaritelli for a horseback ride through a vineyard.
Haha! This picture cracks me up. Zach's not paying attention, and Steph's being sweet, and cute. Sums them up! Haha!
After waiting for about 30 minutes for another group to arrive, we were all assigned our horses. I wish I could remember all of their names. I was put on their biggest horse first. I think they thought I could actually ride. Ha!
Zach was riding Lola.
They put Nick on a small, Arabian horse that kept farting the whole ride. Haha! Luckily, I wasn't riding behind him. :) They also warned Nick not to kick the horse because he was known to take off.
The ride was HOT, but beautiful. It was only about a 45 minute ride. I think it was enough for all of us.
At one point, Steph's horse decided it had enough of the trail and started to head back to the barn. She eventually got him turned back around. :)
Lola and Zach
Nick was nice to take photos during the ride. I don't think we would have any otherwise. I was pretty focused! Haha!
The day we were at the winery they had a Cantine Aperte, which is open cantina. They had a DJ there, and lots of yummy food! This was my favorite meal. It was a soup with chickpeas and little slices of pasta. It was so good!
Steph enjoying some vino rosso.
This was the vineyard we got to ride through. Not a bad view! We also got to play a little bocci ball while we were there. None of the Italians seemed interested at first, so we started the trend. It was the DeWulf's against the Windhorsts...and the DeWulf's won!! Haha!
I didn't get a picture of us playing, but I got a picture of the Italians.
We drove back to Montepulciano that afternoon to grab some dinner.
This was the view from our home we rented.
Haha! Here's Zach and Steph from their bedroom window.
When I looked at renting houses this one looked amazing! It used to be an old laundry mat that a family fixed up. The only problem was that there was only one queen-sized bed, and a bunk bed. Zach and Steph jumped at the opportunity to take the bunk bed. They are troopers!
We all cleaned up and headed out to our last dinner in Montepulciano. We had eaten at the two best restaurants in town the first two nights. We tried our luck at a third....it didn't really compare to the first two.
We did get to see another cute kitty in a window on our way to dinner!
Even though our last dinner wasn't great, we still had a great time! How can you not love this?! Afterward, we had to grab a quick gelato. We couldn't possibly go one day without gelato!? Haha!
Monday, May 26th - Memorial Day
Our last morning there we sat out on the terrace to enjoy our coffee. Zach, at this point in the trip, was still ordering his breakfast by saying, "a crosAnt and capucini." Hahaha!! We all ordered a "brioche" which is what the Italians call it. When the order came out and we all had the same thing, Zach was slightly surprised. Haha!
After breakfast, we walked to the northern part of the town. There were a few cute shops we had missed. This sweet man was busy making mosaic paintings. The longer I've been here the more I realize I love mosaics.
Next door was a little copper store. The man had a factory around the corner where he made all of these. They were a *little* expensive. Maybe later in life Nick and I will look into getting copper pieces. :)
We walked down a cute alleyway, to find this spectacular view. I'm glad we got a photo with all four of us in it.
This was our last view before heading up north to Pisa!
We drove about 2 hours to get to Pisa to take the obligatory photo! Haha! How could you resist?
I had to get a shot of all the other tourists taking photos as well. :)
Oh geeeeez. Boys will be boys. This was actually Nick's idea.
The leaning tower of DeWulfs!
We also grabbed a piece of pizza while we were in Pisa. Haha! Say that 5 times fast!
We got home and crashed that night! It was such a fun trip, but we were all pretty pooped. Nick had a check ride that next morning. Oy!
Tuesday, May 27th
Steph, Zach and I all headed out to the bakery around the corner from us for breakfast. They went shopping for a few last-minute gifts around our town square.
Zach spotted a few little chicks near the river. So cute!
Around noon we headed out to Trieste to see a castle and the main square. It's about an hour-long drive, but we hit a pretty big storm on the way. The temperature dropped from 70 to 47 degrees. My lane had about an inch of ice on it from all of the hail that had hit moments before. Luckily, we never encountered it while it was falling. Traffic was almost at a standstill.
We stopped for lunch, and then drove on.
I'm glad we didn't turn around because this was the view from the castle!
Miramare castle
The gardens of Miramare
We walked around the castle for about an hour, then headed into the gardens.
I went farther than I ever have through the gardens. The grounds are huge! They just keep going.
We all got a big kick out of this sign. Apparently, you can't wear your swimsuit to the castle. Just in case you were considering it. :)
We took a quick break to see the square in Trieste and grab some gelato, then headed back home for their last meal in Italia! We wanted to take them to Al Faro on the hill, but it was closed so we drove to Le Masiere. We each had a four-course meal there. We were all waddling out by the end, but it was delicious!
Zach tried his last tirimisu here. He decided that his favorite was the first tirimisu he had at Cellini's in Sacile!
We had such a fun trip with our friends! Hope we get to do it again! Ciao, ciao!
