last night, we decided to meet up with a couple guides on their pre-trip for dinner. the food was 'meh' (the first time i've said THAT this trip) but the view was AWESOME and the little town of Montepulciano was incredible. gorgeous scenery, quaint little shops (we started doug and erin's wedding present there - thanks to gorana's lovely suggestion), amazing architecture...everything we've come to expect from all these little italian towns. i was pretty tired earlier in the day (after babysitting) and i wasn't going to go out, but i'm so glad i did. we had lots of fun exploring and hanging out
the roses were the size of my head...ok, well, maybe sarah's child sized head. HAHAHAAH. they were big! and colourful!
all the little stores in this town were full of yummy foods that i've never seen at home...truffle spread, wheels of cheese that had skin saturated with wine, organic olive oils and wines from the region. many of the other stores had crafts, art and kitchenware made of olive wood and glass. so vibrant and original. i can't wait to go back and buy lots! haha
vicki later told me that these were all stones pulled up from all over the town, and some were from 100 BC! some are crests of people that ruled the area before the romans and even the italians before that. it's all fenced off so you don't get too close but it was really interesting to see real pieces of the history of this town
gorana trying to get the perfect shot of the windmills. i don't think she ever got the shot she was looking for
pasta pasta pasta EVERYWHERE! i was meant to live here :)
more brilliant buildings that put toronto to shame
just what i pictured italy to be...hilly streets with vespas all over the place.
we needed treats to get us through until dinner.
mmmmmmmmmmmm
aren't these yellow shoes ridiculous? what's more ridiculous is there's a men's store with these yellow shoes, too! gorana was saying we should get matching pairs for our wedding one day. HAHAHA could you imagine!?
vicki became our own personal guide of montepulciano. it was amazing all the information she shared with us (and all the secret places we never would have found if she wasn't with us)! THANKS!!
the lions on the well are the crest of a family that ruled in these parts for many centuries. so you'll often see the lions with the shield and balls in the architecture and in the piazzas
scenery!!
vicki's incredible wealth of knowledge brought us to this great cantina (wine cellar) that wound down all the way from the street into the ground. the barrels were HUGE (at least 5 time bigger than ones i've seen in canada/california) and it smelled like heaven down there.
seasoning all the bottles. chris did great with these shots!
proof that we were in italy on the day england and the US played! they set up a huge screen and tables/chairs outside. people were drinking beer all over the street and you could hear them cheering/lamenting from all the way down the hill. the italians really love their soccer!