Day 10: Venice to Tuscany, a day to relax!
We had one more night to sleep in Venice, the group was going to get up and hit the road to Tuscany after breakfast. Venice is one of the places neither of us had expected to fall in love with. We had heard things before we went and thought that it would be nice to see, but did not expect much more. We found ourselves wanting to spend more and more time here, not quite that we wanted more tour time here, but we definitely would like to come back. The culture and lifestyle is unique in so many different ways, and to experience it like a local; spending the mornings strolling along the canals or watching the sun go down over the Rialto while "everyone" is gone is amazing. We highly recommend the early morning walks and the mid-afternoon naps to catch-up while the sea of people are in Venice….Or, perhaps power through it and go visit the not so heavily traveled parts!
Before we left Venice, we woke up early to catch one more peaceful glimpse of the Grand Canal waking up. We walked down near Saint Maria of Salute Bascilica and around the point to see what that side of Venice looked like before heading back to the hotel to catch up with the group!
Before we left Venice, we woke up early to catch one more peaceful glimpse of the Grand Canal waking up. We walked down near Saint Maria of Salute Bascilica and around the point to see what that side of Venice looked like before heading back to the hotel to catch up with the group!
After about a four hour ride from Venice to Tuscany, Matt was able to squeeze our bus down the narrow roads that lead us to where we would be spending the rest of the day. Villa il Crocicchio. This small villa was a great place for us to settle down for a little bit and catch our breath! We had a very nice room, lots of areas to sit and enjoy the scenery, it was a wonderful place! After we had settled in, the group was going to meet up for a cooking demonstration, followed by a group dinner at the villa. The demonstration was a great time and very interactive with the members of the group, the multi-course dinner we had was top notch! Lots of variety and a little "magic [endless] wine" made for a great group diner!
As with all the group dinners, we tried to switch it up and sit with different members or couples. By the time we were through with the trip, we had made the rounds and it was a great way to build our friendship with our tour members!
As with all the group dinners, we tried to switch it up and sit with different members or couples. By the time we were through with the trip, we had made the rounds and it was a great way to build our friendship with our tour members!
- Now would be a good time to start thinking of getting a contact list together for the group! Nicole and I passed around a completely optional contact list where people could fill in their information if they wanted to. Later on we sent photos we had of members, the group photo and invited them to our group Facebook page! We still keep in touch with many of our tour members!