Let's Hit the Road!
June 18, 2019
With our tour of Rome at an end we loaded up on to the bus to head to Volterra. We definitely were traveling in style!
With our tour of Rome at an end we loaded up on to the bus to head to Volterra. We definitely were traveling in style!
We stopped at an AutoGrill for lunch and we were very skeptical. The American version of eating at a gas station off the highway would consist of hotdogs sitting on rolling warmers for who knows how long, stale fried food or pre-made sandwiches from the refrigerator section. YUCK! But the Autogrill in Italy was the polar opposite of what we have in the States! Fresh food cooked to order, a fabulous salad bar, wine and pastries. You couldn't go wrong with any choice made.
Back on the bus we were kept entertained by Patricia telling us stories about Italian history, filling us in on what to see and do in Volterra and generally making us laugh. We passed through some of the most beautiful countryside you could imagine. We were anxious to see what Volterra had in store for us!
Patricia made her way around the bus and took pictures of all the tour group members and later provided us with this terrific "cheat sheet" so we would be sure to be able to start to remember everyone's names. See how I was not kidding about the "J" names:
3 Jeffs
3 Johns
1 Joan
1 Justine
1 Judy
1 Jack
1/3 of the tour members had a name that started with a J!
Albergo Villa Nencini
Our accommodations for the next two nights were at the Albergo Villa Nencini which was located just a block outside of the walls of Volterra. It had the best view by far of any of the hotels we stayed at throughout the tour. It was so quiet and breathtakingly beautiful. We couldn't have picked a better spot to spend our 25th anniversary evening. Patricia was so sweet and ordered us a bottle of Prosecco for us which we gladly shared with our some of our new tour friends before heading to dinner.
June 19, 2019
Today we had Annie Adair as our local guide and she provided our tour around Volterra. Annie is an American transplant but she has vast knowledge of the culture and history of Volterra. The town is easily walkable and there is so much packed into a relatively small area. Nancy was an age inappropriate Twilight fan so was excited to be coming to Volterra which was the home of the Volturi in the book series. It is as magical as described when reading the books!
Today we had Annie Adair as our local guide and she provided our tour around Volterra. Annie is an American transplant but she has vast knowledge of the culture and history of Volterra. The town is easily walkable and there is so much packed into a relatively small area. Nancy was an age inappropriate Twilight fan so was excited to be coming to Volterra which was the home of the Volturi in the book series. It is as magical as described when reading the books!
So the clocktower on the left is the Palazzo dei Priori in Volterra and while it looks fairly similar to the one above, it is not the same! Even though the Twilight-New Moon location is supposed to be Volterra, the filming was actually completed in Montepulciano...but let's leave that town for another page!
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Amphitheater
This amphitheater was discovered in the 1950s and dates back to late 1st century BC and originally had seating for 3500 people.
Interestingly, we also found out that not too far away they have discovered yet another amphitheater that is currently still completely buried.
Interestingly, we also found out that not too far away they have discovered yet another amphitheater that is currently still completely buried.
Alabaster Workshop
We were able to visit an alabaster shop and watch as a master craftsman make quick work of fashioning a rough piece of alabaster into a beautiful bowl. The amount of dust in the air and on the ground was amazing. We were told that it does not seem to be a problem for the carvers. It was intriguing to find a bust of Honest Abe in a shop in Italy! Our sweet guide Patricia later gifted each of us with an alabaster wine stopper which we will always treasure!
Etruscan Museum
Volterra was an important city in the ancient times of the Etruscans long before the Romans showed up. This Etruscan museum has wall after wall of amazing carved alabaster burial urns. Each relief on the urn represented the social status, wealth and even occupation of the deceased. The figures on top were carved in the likeness of the deceased as well.
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Wandering around Volterra...
It's definitely not hard to get the "perfect" shot with all the history and beautiful landscape around...
but even the most perfect shot pales in comparison to seeing it in person!
but even the most perfect shot pales in comparison to seeing it in person!
Above: We wandered around Volterra and eventually decided to climb to the top of the bell tower at the Palazzo Dei Priori to see this hilltop town from above. It was worth the extra steps to make it to the top! Below: The City Council Hall is still used for town governmental meetings. Look at those ornate frescos on the walls of City Hall. This is NOT what we see in our small town back home! |
Money can't buy happiness...but it CAN buy gelato and that's pretty much the same thing, right??
The mint gelato at L'isola del Gusto was to die for. NO artificial mint flavoring here folks.
Just actual mint leaves IN the gelato. It actually has won awards! It was light and refreshing on a very warm afternoon.
We just might have gone back for more later on...We will never tell!
Just actual mint leaves IN the gelato. It actually has won awards! It was light and refreshing on a very warm afternoon.
We just might have gone back for more later on...We will never tell!
There's always time for a glass of wine!
As a group we attended a wine tasting. Prior to this trip we had never been big fans of red wine. We stuck with sweet wines, cider or beer...BUT Italy changed us. We learned from Francesco, a sommelier and wine writer (and the husband of our local guide Annie). He taught us how to really taste the wine, how to pair it with food and how to experience it. There was no need for dinner this evening. All we needed was wine, cheese, meats and bread...lots of bread. Oh and, we might have gone back for more gelato...