Well, today was our last day in Tuscany. Our hosts were gracious enough to let us check out late as our flight was not departing for Stuttgart until 8:55pm. Steve and I walked up the roadway to drop off the recycling and garbage and on our way back we met with Niccolò and his father Sergio half way up the olive orchard to say our goodbyes. They were busy working on a canopy for a sitting area in a flat section of the orchard where people could hang out. Back at the villa, Paola reconciled what we owed for the electricity and use of the washing machine and then gave us a few options of places to visit that were nearby and might be of interest to take up the hours we had before our flight.
In a short while we had our two cars all packed up and we bid our goodbyes to our hosts
. We took a route that would bring us to The Mall so that I could submit my tax redemption for all the stuff we bought there immediately rather than waiting for a cheque in the mail. Steve, Lori and Connie waited at the café/wine bar but not for long as the lineup was very short and I was done in 15min. From The Mall we took a route back towards Firenze and turned up a steep roadway that went up the hillside and through a protected forest area for 13km. The twists and turns were a motorcyclists dream and I also thought what a great cycling ride this would be, but we didn't see any traffic except for a couple of cars the whole way to the little town of Vallombrosa. This was where Paola said we could visit the Benedictine Abbazia di Vallombrosa and where she and her husband visited by scooter when they were younger. We found a place to park within a short walking distance and when we got out of the car we realized how high we were just from the cold temperature up here. The Abby garden and inner courtyards were open to walk around and it was well worth the drive
. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. In the most interior courtyard was a wooden carving that stood about 4ft tall that seemed rough at first glance, but as we studied it we could see a multitude of detailed carvings of creatures and man throughout. It was quite an exceptional piece of work.
From Vallombrosa we went back down the same roadway, this time passing a couple of cyclists that were working their way hard up the steep incline, which reached over 18% in places. Call me crazy, but I may just plan a cycling trip back here! Half way down we veered off and took a route that worked its way through the small town of Pelago where Paola suggested we could find a place to eat, but nothing seemed open so we continued our way to Pontassieve where we were sure we’d find something. Apparently though, Saturday in this area is just like Sunday and there was nothing open for lunch. We ended up at a roadside eatery just off a parking area for the local soccer arena, where we hoped to get a bite to eat
. This place turned out to be a little gem. Steve and Lori had burgers that looked very good. Connie had a plate of carbonara that was excellent and I had a great sandwich and tuna topped green salad, all at a great price. One older guy working the place had his BMW 1200GS sitting outside and a few of his friends arrived with their KTM bikes to drag him off, presumably for a rip up the magnificent roads up the hills surrounding the area. Steve and I were jealous indeed! We had lots of time before having to head to the airport, so we just relaxed and sat around in the place for a while.
It was still early, but we decided to make our way to the airport in Firenze to drop off the cars and have a long leisurely time before our flight. It turned out to be a good thing we left early because trying to find the drop off place for the rentals was a bit of a nightmare. There were no clear markings anywhere along the roadway and our GPS didn’t pinpoint the difference between the pickup and the drop off locations
. To make matters worse, at one point we actually followed some signs that seemed right only to find ourselves on the Autostrata towards Pisa. We managed to get off the Autostrata before hitting the toll booths and headed back towards the airport where we got some directions from a security guard. Even with the directions and what little signage we were able to discern, it was still a challenge to fine the drop off point. Finally we got ourselves to the right spot, handed our keys over, and before long we were on a shuttlebus to the terminal. Even after all this, we were still an hour early for the check in counter for our flight, so we went downstairs to the restaurant area and had a couple of beers. Once the counter was open we checked in and made our way to security, who were pretty strict about the one bag and purse per person. Connie ended up having to repack her carry-on to make it through, even though others with three carry-ons seemed to get through okay. Once through, we had lots of time to relax until boarding, which entailed a short ride to the plane by bus onto the Dash 8 we’d be flying in
.
A short 45 minute flight brought us to Stuttgart and we landed
around 10pm where we were met by my cousin Isabel, still in her Dirndl
from the Cannstatter Volksfest (Stuttgart beer fest), her father Peter
and her son Hugo dressed in his lederhosen all waving Canadian flags.
It was a rejoiceful gathering and even Connie said it was nice to be
home again. They had brought two vehicles so they could take all of us
and our baggage to Isa and her husband Hanno’s apartment. It was a
short 20 minute ride at this time of night, but Peter did manage to kick
off a speed camera on the way. Peter and Isa put on a fabulous spread
of breads, cheeses and meats on two big wooden trays along with beer of
course. Thus began the stomach stretching to prepare us for the
Volkfest we would be attending in a couple of days. After we ate Isa
took Steve and Lori to their hotel, which was just a few minutes’ drive
away and was also where Bubba and Tracy were staying. A short while
later Hanno arrived from the Cannstatter Wasen (a.k.a. the Wasen), which
is the location of the fest, and the rejoicing kicked up once again as
did the opening of more beer. This would pretty much set the tone for
the next 5 days.
Last day in Tuscany
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Vallombrosa, Tuscany, Italy
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