Orvieto + Tuscany + Florence

Orvieto, Italy (Umbria)

Just a quick note, this map shows that Orvieto is actually a raised city. We took the elevator up from the parking lot to explore the city, and it was a fine introduction to Italian countryside!

We had a couple of hours to check out the city after the official tour. Dave casually asked, "Hey, where's the bathroom?"

Lucky for us, we didn't have to go far to find it.

From the top of the hill-town of Orvieto,

the views are stunning.

Inside the Duomo di Orvieto, we came across some fascinating and intense art. One piece that stood out is called The Damned Cast into Hell, by Luca Signorelli from the Renaissance era. When you take a closer look, you'll notice some pretty striking and powerful scenes of violence.

As we made our way back to the bus, this scenery made me pinch myself and say, "Am I really here?"

This quaint room was cozy and led us

into a deep and restful sleep in Tuscany.

Tuscany, Italy

Late afternoon, we arrived at our Tuscan home, Tenuta il Burchio. The view from our window and the fresh air made us want to stay forever.

I just had to get another look out the window. It felt as if it was straight out of a fantasy movie. We found out the lodgings was actually a working farm, and everything we ate was truly farm to table. The food was flavorful, and the wine and dinner entertainment? Truly unforgettable.

I wanted to get a snap-shop of just how tiny the bathroom was. I thought, perhaps, this is the absolute smallest bathroom I have ever experienced. Everything in this bathroom worked perfectly and was very clean.

Florence,Italy

Our friend and local tour guide proudly showed us this unique 3-D map of Piazza della Repubblica right in the heart of Florence.

Sometimes while traveling, you stumble upon these awesome little surprises—like unexpected "nuggets." I had the chance to shake hands with Conan O'Brien, and he kindly agreed to a photo. He’s really 6'4"—I’m only 5'0"! I always get a little starstruck when famous folks are genuinely kind and down-to-earth.

I can tell you that I appreciate a good glass of wine. In Florence they have these wine windows called buchette del vino. This one, unfortunately, looks closed.

With our friendly local tour guide, we strolled through The Uffizi Gallery. There’s so much stunning art and crowds of people—it’s hard to take it all in! One of my favorites was this gorgeous piece called Primavera by Botticelli.

From the window of the Uffizi Gallery, I caught a glimpse of the Ponte Vecchio. After our official walking tour, we happily strolled across the bridge to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens—such a perfect way to relax after all the energy at the Uffizi!

We were walking up from the Pitti Palace to the top of the Boboli Gardens and stumbled upon this path. I wonder where it leads?

The Statue of Abundance can be found on the hike up to the top of the Boboli Gardens. It is impressive.

David really loves his Coca-Cola. He had a bit of a tough time with the bottle, though—ended up ripping the top clean off! Silly American.

Here are our tickets to the Uffizi Gallery

and the Boboli Gardens.

Our tour group grew exceptionally close during the trip! This moment was on the transport/tramvia while heading back to the bus from Florence city center. Thank goodness for deodorant!

Click Here to go to Venice

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