Cortona
1st Full Day
On our first day in Cortona, we began with a simple breakfast at home and lazed the morning away until lunch time when we went down to the same square that we had visited before for some pizza. After eating, we took a short hike around a piece of Cortona. This hike was in the guide book that Ombreta gave us, so we assumed it would capture Cortona well. It was blistering outside, so we returned to Casa de Ombreta as soon as possible. We wasted yet more time with card games and books until it was time for dinner. We ate at the square again, at a restaurant that had been recommended. The food wasn't amazing, but it wasn't bad either. After eating out, we tried to find a place to watch the EuroCup finals, Italy vs. Spain, with some gelato, but the viewing was bad enough and the square crowded enough that some of us gave up about half time, when the score was two to zero, Spain. Spain went on to win 4-0, but I was so tired by that point I was literally asleep.
2nd Day
Our second day was much more busy. After eating another breakfast at home, all eight of us jammed ourselves into our rental seven-seater car. Poor Sara was in the back, and was being slept on by both of her kids all the way to Montalcino, another scenic hill town in tuscany. We were all starving by the time that we arrived, so we quickly found a place to eat a small lunch. There was an awesome waiter who, when we walked in, was clearing a table. He promptly handed the stacks of cups to Henry, before pretending to balance a vase on Henry's head. He then had Brogan place the cups at our table, clean ones, not the ones Henry had been holding, and helped him fix them when he put them on the wrong side. After lunch, the parents found a recommended wine-tasting place, which we originally thought was closed, but turned out to be open. From there, we drove to Montepulciano. In Montepulciano, we gathered dinner stuff as we made our way up to the fort. Well, the parents did, at least. Meanwhile, we ate gelato and ran around in silly circles. When we reached the fort, the parents did another wine tasting. Us kids climbed the fort wall and ran around some more. Previously, Henry had pointed out that, in mid-evil times, though people in these high towns could see great distances, they could also be seen from great distances. Then Henry saw the view. End of Story. After a long, scenic drive past fields of sunflowers, we reached Casa de Ombreta. The pasta we bought took a LOT more time than we anticipated to cook, and we didn't wind up eating until 11 o'clock at night.
3rd Day
Today was a "home" day, meaning we didn't leave Cortona. Something that I continuously forget to mention: we have a very large backyard with 4 tortoises, and 2 kittens that live close by. Sometimes, it is nearly impossible to drag Elizabeth away. In any case, after breakfast in our backyard we took the long walk up to the pool. Alas, it was not to be, for this pool, too, was utterly devoid of cooling, thirst--quenching water. Sigh. Soon, a short stroll turned into a five mile walk in the greuling heat. We walked past the house featured in the novel "Under the Tuscan Sun", until we reached a small place where the adults could get a glass of wine and we could all get some water. We finally reached the Santa Margarita Church, close to our house, but the cathedral had mass and we couldn't look around. When we got home, the parents walked down to the square for food supplies while the rest of us stayed at the house and recovered from our journey. To top the day off, we had a wonderful steak dinner at home.
1st Full Day
On our first day in Cortona, we began with a simple breakfast at home and lazed the morning away until lunch time when we went down to the same square that we had visited before for some pizza. After eating, we took a short hike around a piece of Cortona. This hike was in the guide book that Ombreta gave us, so we assumed it would capture Cortona well. It was blistering outside, so we returned to Casa de Ombreta as soon as possible. We wasted yet more time with card games and books until it was time for dinner. We ate at the square again, at a restaurant that had been recommended. The food wasn't amazing, but it wasn't bad either. After eating out, we tried to find a place to watch the EuroCup finals, Italy vs. Spain, with some gelato, but the viewing was bad enough and the square crowded enough that some of us gave up about half time, when the score was two to zero, Spain. Spain went on to win 4-0, but I was so tired by that point I was literally asleep.
2nd Day
Our second day was much more busy. After eating another breakfast at home, all eight of us jammed ourselves into our rental seven-seater car. Poor Sara was in the back, and was being slept on by both of her kids all the way to Montalcino, another scenic hill town in tuscany. We were all starving by the time that we arrived, so we quickly found a place to eat a small lunch. There was an awesome waiter who, when we walked in, was clearing a table. He promptly handed the stacks of cups to Henry, before pretending to balance a vase on Henry's head. He then had Brogan place the cups at our table, clean ones, not the ones Henry had been holding, and helped him fix them when he put them on the wrong side. After lunch, the parents found a recommended wine-tasting place, which we originally thought was closed, but turned out to be open. From there, we drove to Montepulciano. In Montepulciano, we gathered dinner stuff as we made our way up to the fort. Well, the parents did, at least. Meanwhile, we ate gelato and ran around in silly circles. When we reached the fort, the parents did another wine tasting. Us kids climbed the fort wall and ran around some more. Previously, Henry had pointed out that, in mid-evil times, though people in these high towns could see great distances, they could also be seen from great distances. Then Henry saw the view. End of Story. After a long, scenic drive past fields of sunflowers, we reached Casa de Ombreta. The pasta we bought took a LOT more time than we anticipated to cook, and we didn't wind up eating until 11 o'clock at night.
3rd Day
Today was a "home" day, meaning we didn't leave Cortona. Something that I continuously forget to mention: we have a very large backyard with 4 tortoises, and 2 kittens that live close by. Sometimes, it is nearly impossible to drag Elizabeth away. In any case, after breakfast in our backyard we took the long walk up to the pool. Alas, it was not to be, for this pool, too, was utterly devoid of cooling, thirst--quenching water. Sigh. Soon, a short stroll turned into a five mile walk in the greuling heat. We walked past the house featured in the novel "Under the Tuscan Sun", until we reached a small place where the adults could get a glass of wine and we could all get some water. We finally reached the Santa Margarita Church, close to our house, but the cathedral had mass and we couldn't look around. When we got home, the parents walked down to the square for food supplies while the rest of us stayed at the house and recovered from our journey. To top the day off, we had a wonderful steak dinner at home.
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