Just a little Salt and Pepper...

So, this weekend I went on an adventure.  I went hiking, wine and olive oil tasting in Chianti.  The day started really early, we had to meet the tour group at 7:30 at the train station, where we took an hour bus ride to Chianti.  I finally got to see the Italian countryside.  I never realized how much of a country girl I am until I hadn't been around 'real trees' for a while.  The Italian countryside is beautiful.  It doesn't scream beautiful at you, its a quite beautiful that you appreciate and take in.  The hike about about 2.5 hours long.  And boy was it a work out.  Worth it though.  I got some nice shots out of it and memories of a lifetime.  At the end of the hike we went to the Sassolini Family Villa where we had lunch and wine and oil tasting.  The home is beautiful.  The food was amazing.  We had olive oil and bread.  An amazing red wine, and we learned how to really taste the wine.  Then we had pesto pasta, red sauce pasta, salami, and then dessert wines. The dessert wines are strong stuff.  The red wine was my favorite.  I bought a bottle of it for six euros.  I plan on drinking it with Keith when he gets here.  The Sassolini family was so generous to open their home to us and serve us lunch.  Heres some pictures.

The view from the Sassolini back yard.  Some view huh?

Grappa, a dessert wine.  This stuff will put hair on your chest.  Smells like rubbing alcohol.

Dessert wine with a biscotti.  You let the bread soak up the wine and eat it.  Then sip the rest.

Delicious Red Sassolini Wine.

Isnt this house cute?  I want to live in it.

The Italian countryside.

For you Keith.

Roommates.

This machine is what they used to use to squeeze the oil out of olive oil leaves...until they made a machine that can do it for them now.

All in all, I had a very good time.  Definitely well worth the 40 euros.  

Update on classes: All is well.  Had my first Italian quiz, I think I did ok. Nothing much to report.  

I booked a flight for Paris.  A friend of mine in my painting class and I are going in March.  I'm very excited.  We're going to spend an entire day in the Louvre.  And then go to the ballet at night.  We are very excited.  And I think this might be my only 'out of Italy' trip so I'm going to make it worthwhile. And we're going in two weeks!  I'm going to Paris in TWO WEEKS!  I'm so excited.  

Later, today I'll post some pictures of the carnival here in Florence.  Until then...

Peggs.