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Thursday 26 June 2014

... a holiday within a holiday ...










Days 68- 71 ... at the villa, near San Gimignano ...

Photos
1, 2 and 3  Bellavista villa 
4, 5 and 6.  San Gimignano home of many towers and amazing gelati
7.  Obligatory tower shots
8.  Those sunflowers

We are staying in a villa made of rocks.  The villa has a pool.  One of the days after we were swimming I pushed Daddy back in the pool with his towel on. It was very funny.  His towel was soaking wet.  In San Gimignano we climbed a tower.  It had big bells at the top.  It was really hot.  After the tower one of the other towers rang their bells - I was glad it wasn't our tower.
Jack

We are staying at a villa with three apartments. The villa has a pool that we spent a lot of time in. One of those times when we spent ages playing and swimming Grace and I had gone up to the house so we didn't see it but Jack pushed Daddy in the water with his towel in. Apparently it was payback for throwing him in the water. 
In San Gimignano we climbed a tall tower. At the top you had to be careful if you were tall so you didn't bump your head. Later one of the bells in one of the towers rang - Jack said he was glad it wasn't our tower. 
On Tuesday we went to Pisa!! The leaning tower of Pisa is amazing!! We didn't get to climb up it but we spent a lot of time taking photos of us three holding it up. Years ago Daddy took a photo of Mummy with her legs up in the air holding the tower. But no one is allowed on the grass anymore so we made do with holding it up. A detour through Lucca, and driving back home we found sunflowers. The next day we did basically nothing. The dinner was amazing in Volterra. We all shared a platter with all sorts of things on it then I had soup with pasta. It was delicious.
Lily

Watch out Tasmanian roads! I may have picked up some cavalier Italian road skills ... driving at a speed limit double what the signs say, passing on blind corners, overuse of the horn and entering an intersection and then looking left and right.
Al's fingernails are warn out and I just ignore the screaming, abuse and horns (from the backseat).
Great to be in one spot for 2 weeks with a great pool (except when 5 year old pushes you in!)
I am also going to miss the 'walled town' when back in Tasmania with more great examples in Tuscany... San Gimignano, Volterra and Lucca.
Except...what are the Italians (and French) up to when they stop you from walking and sitting  on their grass???
What is grass for if it is not to walk on or lie on when tired? It also prevents 'silly' feet shots of Leaning Tower of Pisa!

David

We are staying in a villa in Tuscany.  There are two other families here. We've had lots of swims....the pool is really nice.  On the first night we drove into Certaldo for dinner .... we went to a pirate pizza place...I had ragu with my pasta...it was delicious.  On Sunday we spent the whole day in the pool.  Daddy made us eggs for lunch.  They were really nice.  At dinner I didn't feel very well because I'd swallowed too much pool water.  I didn't eat much dinner and I didn't have an icecream (at the best gelati place in the world!!!!!).
On Monday we went back to San Gimignano...we went back to the best gelati shop!  It was our reward for climbing the tower.  Later we went to a museum that had a photo exhibition on - by Elliot Erwitt - the photos were really interesting.  
The next day we went to Pisa.  It was really, really hot.  We walked to the leaning tower.  It wasn't as tall as I thought it would be.  Next to it were 2 churches.  Mummy took photos of us "holding" up the tower.  
On the way home we had a detour through Lucca.  Of course we had to have an icecream on the way back to the car.  I was doing a Jack and had lemon.  We bought some fresh pasta for dinner ... 3 types...gnocchi, ravioli and tortellini.  I had the ravioli with spinach and ricotta...it was delicious.
Yesterday we stayed home all day...in the afternoon Lily, mummy and I had a swim.  Lily and I were doing backflips.  That night we drove to Volterra for dinner...we had a shared entree of bruschetta, ham, salami and cheese.  For main course Jack and I had ravioli with meat sauce...we love Italy!
Grace

No vampires in Volterra ... but we have found fields of sunflowers, blue skies, World Cup winning gelati and more amazing food.  Jack says he is sick of "walking round the world" and wants to go home but the rest of us are still having too much fun.  














8 comments:

  1. Wow Grace, how long did it take you to write your bit?! Glad you're all having such a wonderful time. Two weeks at a villa near San Gimingano sounds blissful!

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    1. Hope you've factored that in Jen!!
      x

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    2. No, unfort. - after our two weeks on the canals, the longest stop we'll have somewhere is a week. Great idea to do this in the latter part of your trip!
      It's pouring rain in Hobart this morning and I think will be a max of 9 degrees ...

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  2. In 7th photo, Grace and Jack are taller than Lily!!??

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  3. Grace- have you finished your Harry Potter book?

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