This cathedral took five centuries to complete and is the fourth largest in the world. The outside is made completely of marble and is so intricate that one could spend hours pondering just one corner of the church.

A small red light bulb in the dome marks the spot where one of the nails reputedly from the Crucifixion of Christ has been placed.

This is what I found to be the most interesting piece in the Duomo. This is a statue representing St Bartholomew. Draped around him is not a robe, but his own skin. He was apparently skinned alive and beheaded. Disturbing.

Charlie sees the light.

One of my favorite ladies, Mita, stole me from Dan and Charlie when they were watching the world cup at a local pub. We went on a little shopping adventure and I got these shoes, which I love. Above all else, comfort!

Charlie and Dan solving all of the worlds problems.

Sara: I wonder if the Italians would find it weird if I decided to go for a swim in this fountain?

Late night gelato run. Dan took us to a great haunt that where many students gather in the evenings. Thank you for a wonderful several days Dan! Now it is your turn to come visit us!

Lunch over the lake. The fish was amazing, and the view was fantastic.

Charlie taking it all in...

There is so much to do on the farm, it is hard to take it all in. They do of course make amazing wine and have several beautiful places to stay and a refreshing pool, but it doesn't stop there. There are cooking classes and horse riding, bike riding and cheese tasting. Olive oil tours and the restaurant and tours of the old wind mill. The possibilities are endless.

After tasting a few of the delicious organic wines Faye called the front desk and found that they did indeed have a room available, we decided then and there that we MUST extend our stay in Tuscany. Three days should do.

This is one of Faye's daughters, Sasha. I adored this little munchkin with her beautiful summer skin and sun-kissed curls. Despite my very limited Italian, we got along just fine.


On our second day at Fattoria Lavacchio we took a cooking class. The ingredients we carefully selected from the garden and prepared in a beautiful old kitchen. After our effort we enjoyed our bounty with wine from the vineyards that surrounded us.




Faye is such an amazing host and our time at her place is among our favorite from the trip. What makes it more special is the philosophy of Fattoria Lavacchio. One morning Faye took us on her morning rounds. Each morning she stops at the local farms where she picks up local, organic produce to use on her farm for her guests. Fattatoria Lavacchio is not just about profit, it is about preserving a way of life and the earth that makes that way of life possible.

One of my favorite things about Podere Belvedere was the animals. They were so sweet and after being away from my own critters for so long I was really needing some animal attention. The rascal shown above is named Attilio. Attilio is a Lagotto Romagnolo, a breed of dog originally from the Romagna sub-region of Italy used to hunt truffles. He is just a few months old so he is learning how to hunt truffles, but his mom was a champion truffle hunter. Attilio will be earning his keep in no time.


The second thing that I loved about our stay at Podere Belvedere was the food!!!! Edwardo and his family are very talented in the kitchen. We had a lunch and a dinner and several breakfasts with them. The food was amazing and many of the ingredients were sourced right from their little farm.

Our lunch was a simple pesto pasta, but it was amazing! The pesto was made with walnuts and hazelnuts rather than the traditional pine nuts and the basil was pulled fresh from the garden.


The dinner we had was to die for. Simple, fresh, amazing. This was the starter, I didn't get any other pictures of the dinner, I was too busy wiping up the puddle of drool developing under my chin. The dark bundles on the right were enough to convince me to give up the fight and move into Podere Belvedere permanently. Plums stuffed with cheese and pine-nuts wrapped in lard (the white part of prosciutto) and then grilled. He could have stopped there and I would have thought the dinner was worth it.

And for dessert: Vin Santo and biscotti. Vin Santo is an Itlaian dessert wine and the traditional way to enjoy it is by dipping a biscotti in the wine. Delicious!

Charlie and I decided on our second day that it would be a good idea to go for a bike ride. The hills pretty much destroyed us, but it was great to get out and move a little. It was time to try to work off some of that pasta!!

Podere Belvedere was built in the 13th century. It is hard to even fathom what life was like back then. Podere Belvedere gives a little peek into the past. 

As I was exploring the garden I came across the most curious looking little creatures. They were like a cross between a humming bird and a butterfly. I was captivated by them for at least half an hour.

Edwardo and family, thank you so much for your hospitality. We had a wonderful time with you and hope to come back again. Give Attilio a scratch on the belly for me!

On the way back to our hotel we stopped at Trevi Fountain. Legend has it that a coin into the fountain will lead to a new romance. It just so happens that I threw a coin into the fountain before meeting Charlie. We shared a kiss in front of the fountain as a thank you.
 
Our accommodation was interesting in Rome. We went from staying at the best hotel of our trip (thank you to starwood points) to the worst hotel of our trip back to back. The first night we stayed at the Westin Excelsior the luxury five star hotel on the fashionable Via Veneto. We watched Italy get tossed out of the world cup in the hotel bar while enjoying our 8 euro fruit juice. The room was gorgeous. We had a balcony and a bathtub big enough to get lost in. I rewarded my abused feet to a nice long bubble bath while Charlie took a call for work.

The second night we stayed at Fawlty Towers, a youth hostel. The shower didn't work, the toilet didn't flush, the bed was lumpy and the walls were paper thin. But, there was a free breakfast and a lovely terrace and kitchen to use.

Our second day in Rome took us to the Colosseum. Charlie and I had both been to Rome before but never into the Colosseum, now was the time.

Charlie posing with the Gladiators. He had to stand a full two steps below them to they could reach his shoulders. It turns out that gladiators were a bit on the short side.

Our next stop... Tuscany!! Word to the wise: just because you purchase a ticket on a train in Italy does not mean that you have a seat on said train. Charlie and I rode on the floor of the train all the way to Rufina.