Touring Tuscany!

this past week we had our first overnight field trip in siena and florence [the tuscany region]! we started the trip off at 6:30am Monday, February 28 toward sienna. 

our first stop of the trip was at a winery resort called Castiglion del Bosco. it covers about 4,500 acres [5xs the size of Central Park in NYC!] it focuses on land, wine, and history. the estate includes villas, a winery, a golf course, resteraunts, cooking classes, a spa, and much more! [http://www.castigliondelbosco.it/]

*Kathy King i was thinking of you the whole time :)

this il borgo, the heart of the Estate, where all the guest-rooms  and amenities are located.

this is the bar where you can grab a cappaccino or some wine!

this is the Canonica which houses the cooking school where guests can watch or participate in the food preparation!

this is the organic kitchen garden where you can pick your  veggies :)

this is the Daniela Steiner spa

this is one of the many fitness options they have [spectacular view!]... they also have soccer fields, golf, tennis, hiking trails, ect!

once we were done touring the estate we had lunch in the town Montalcino.

we found a nice little place called Belvedere Bar with an incredible view, where I have so far had the best pizza i've had in italy!

our view :)

after lunch we head to Siena. Sienna wasn't my personal favorite. I am glad I got to go, but to me there just wasn't really much to do or see... if you do go you would only need a night there! we stayed in we got to do a wine tasting and visit some historical sites!

this is where we got to do our wine tasting in siena!

we got to taste 1 white and 2 reds [white was my favorite here!]

Happy Birthday to Mary!!

It was Mary Cates 21st birthday on Monday and we celebrated by going to a nice dinner in Siena with all 20 of us! There was a nice American family sitting behind us a brought Mary a glass of champaign... they were very nice!

so thankful to have her apart of my life!

our next stop was Florence! i would absolutely love to go back to Florence! it is one of my favorite places we have been! it is just such a fun and beautiful place! we stayed at Hotel Centrale. i would highly recommend it if you ever go- very centrally located [located a block from the duomo and the leather market :)], free/good breakfast [which is key!], and very nice! 

we had a progam sponsered dinner that night at Ristorante Paoli... if you ever go to Florence you must go here! it was absolutely delicious!!

it has my favorite soup there. it is called La Ribollita Soup or Tuscan Soup. you must get it if you ever go to Tuscany!

The Florence Duomo!

the inside of the largest brick dome!

these are the lovers locks of florence where couples would come and throw their key into the river... it is now illegal because it started to take away from the beauty and you will get a 75 euro fine!

the Ponte Vecchio [where i brought myself a ring :)]

we toured Capucci Foundation... a museum dedicated to the creations of Roberto Capucci 

a view of the famous brick dome!

we got to visit the Leather School in Florence where the owners daughter gave us tour and showed us how they design the leather!

we got to feel different kinds of real leather! my favorite was the lamb skin... so soft!

this is the Roberto Barthel design studio where they hand-make and restore everything in houses and yachts!

we also got to visit DAVID and the UFFIZI museum where the Birth of Venus is located... but we couldn't take any pictures!

i also recommend you to get the waffles that are everywhere in florence! my friends got it with gelato on top... it was heavenly!!