Under The Tuscan Sun on Day 6Greetings!!! Well, for sure, my Tuscany stay is the most relaxing part of this trip so far. Our vacation villa here in Pietrapitti is quietly located in the hills, surrounded by trees and greenery filled with unending rows of Rosemary and Lavender.  MY VACATION VILLA NESSLED IN THE HILLS OF TUSCANY  THE GIRLS LISTENING TO GRANDMA'S CHILDHOOD STORIES If you have never been to the Tuscan countryside, it is a must - it's like a little serene paradise of trees and vines and rolling hills. Today, I was voted down regarding our itinerary. I had originally planned to take a day trip to Pisa and Lucca. But, the troops would rather have another day by the pool with no agenda. In Gianna's words, "Yesterday was fun.". Gianna decided to whip up some french toast this morning and it was DELISH!!! She used bread and croissants!!
Most of the day was spent walking around the huge property and in the pool. We did manage to take a drive in to town to the local "Pam" Superstore to do a little food shopping and fill our fridge. Driving down the hills from our villa on the very narrow winding road was a bit of a challenge, but I gave the camera to Gianna to snap a few shots on our little driving adventure to the supermarket.
I was in the mood to cook last night, so we made Gnocchi, Salad, Chicken Cutlets and even Mashed Potatoes. There wasn't much left when we finished eating.! I apologize for the lack of food pictures yesterday, but I promise, I will more than make up for it the rest of the week!  VIEW OF THE POOL
After some time in the pool, we plan to go into the town of San Gimignano again late this afternoon to shop and sightsee...and of course, eat! For the rest of the day, I will hang out at the pool again. The sun here is HOT! and yesterday I got a little bit up from the bugs. The peacefulness more than makes up for that!  VIEW FROM THE RECEPTION AREA Just a special note: As I leave each hotel and/or apartment, I will be adding a review on my Italy page. (Just be patient, as it may take a few days). Our first apartment, Residenza Navona was an amazing 5-star apartment in one of the most charming sections of Rome. I truly felt like a resident of the city and not a tourist. My hostess, Alessandra, was a class act, who was better than any concierge in a 5-star hotel. More to come about this lovely apartment. Off for another day under the Tuscan sun!!! Happy Monday!!! -E PS: To Tanya: I can't wait to see your pictures from Norway!!! Miss talking to you every moment of the day "Cuz"! xoxo | Greetings from Norway! - Day 6Good morning everybody! "Hei" (Hello in Norwegian) Greetings from Norway!!! We had a lovely day aboard the Emerald Princess at sea yesterday. Semi-relaxing, yet running back, forth, up, and down all over this vessel from one activity to the next! But we even managed to squeeze in a bit of Afternoon Tea. Last night was one of the formal nights. Everyone was all dressed up and busy doing all sorts if photo shoots in the ships atrium. It was such fun & I can't wait to see all of the proofs later today! Due to my limited internet access I won't be able to share photos until our return from the cruise on August 16th. After last nights dinner and a show, the sea was rough and the swells were 2.5m-4m. We were definitely doing a bit of Rock n Rollin'! And that's not the type of Rock n Rollin' that I enjoy :-( I was entirely too uncomfortable to fall asleep. So today I'll be running on the pure excitement of being here in Norway for my very first time! Meanwhile back in the states, Cali to be exact. My babies (15 & 12) we're performing with their choir at Disney's California Adventure. I wish I was given their performance schedule prior to booking this trip. As I would've made arrangements to definitely be there to watch them and have fun with them at Disneyland! As for today, we are very excited to be going on a small cruise along Lysefjord, out of Stavanger. Majestic Lysefjord is considered one of the most beautiful fjords in all of Norway. We'll enjoy some spectacular scenery filled with craggy mountainscapes, steep cliffs, and dazzling waterfalls. Perhaps the most noted site is the "Pulpit" a famous rock formation that towers more than 1800ft above sea level! I can't wait to take pictures and I know you can't wait to see them! Off I go! Perhaps I'll even spot a Troll! See you all tomorrow, -T |
