Hi all,
I have just returned from Tuscany for a week thanks to Slowtravel!! We had a wonderful stay at our prized villa! Here are tons of shutterfly photos
I wrote a review for the villa and will send it in today.

link fixed!!

OK - I couldn't get into the shutterfly pics but I love your blog pics, especially the ones of the cat and the coffee maker! I have a new Breville 15 bars, but yours looks incredible!

I want what she's got!

hahaha thanks! I will try to fix the link

here is another slide show
http://flagrantdisregard.com/flickr/slideshow.php?id=4672

just a teaser!! I can't wait to get the esspresso machine, they scheduled a delivery for Wednesday, and we bought a giant bag of beans in Italy!!

Great pics - especially the calico cat at the end

Riana,
You've caught some interesting moments, and wonderful scenes. I remember from your contest photo albums that you have a good sense of "framing" your photos.

Glad to hear you were able to use your prize so quickly and that you had a good time.

Yes, very beautiful and unique pictures, especially the scenic ones.

Regarding picture #33 on Shutterfly: Where is this building that has such a lovely facade? It's very intrigung.

I enjoyed these photos too, Riana... my favorites were the ones with the wisteria.

Kathy

I agree with Colleen - love how you framed your shots!

Very nice work---you have a good eye.
I too liked the wisteria shot and the door knocker, but the best was David thru the lion shot in Piazza Signoria---how did I not see that angle.

Wow, Riana! You're a girl after my heart. Your style of photos--love of color, doors, buildings, and such, is right where my joy lives.

Where in France are you?

Karen

P.S. I forgot what I wanted to ask: Where in Tuscany were you? What towns? (I'm fairly new here and wasn't around when you won your prize.)

Thanks for all your nice compliments!!

The wistera smelled absolutely WONDERFUL too..but the bees loved it as well, so a lot of buzzing going on above.

We live in the south of France near Beziers. We drove to Lucca (7 hours) and our mountain cabin was up in the Garfagnana... think Cararra marble mountains and very remote. We visited Pisa, Florence (took the train) and Lucca and a lot of little tiny villages perched in the hills.

Number 33 is in Florence. Just down the street from the Zara store walking towards David. There were so many people I was pushed up to the lion and then saw that shot between the legs! LOL

Wow!! Your photos are amazing. It looks like you had a wonderful trip. Thanks for sharing.

Your pictures are wonderful. We too, will be in Tuscany in 12 days. Thank for sharing.

quote:

Originally posted by Riana:

Number 33 is in Florence. Just down the street from the Zara store walking towards David. There were so many people I was pushed up to the lion and then saw that shot between the legs! LOL

Yes! Oustanding, Riana. I was hoping you would say that as I'll be able to go and check it out for myself in a few weeks. Thank you, Cindy

Have a great time Cindy and eat lots of gelato!!

We took the train to Florence from Lucca for only 4.90 euros rather than drive because they are doing some major construction on the roads in Florence. I don't know where you will be based, but it is a good idea to take the trains when you can.

The grocery stores were the best places to get gifts like sauces and seed packets and sealed up parma and speck

ciao!

The grocery stores were the best places to get gifts like sauces and seed packets and sealed up parma and speck

Riana,
"Speck"?

This is the prize that Riana won:

Knowital, www.knowital.com - Tuscany, Italy

Vacation rentals in Tuscany and the rest of Italy

Prize: One week in Ansugo di Sopra, a cottage on 3 acres in the hills above Lucca, Tuscany (3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, sleeps 6).
http://www.knowital.com/rentals/lucca/html/luansugo1.html

>> Riana, you changed your member name from "French Toast"!!

We were also in Tuscany in April and I finally saw David's complete photos last night - realized last summer's sunflowers were now spring's wisteria. Anyway, he "says" he's going to make captions and post them, so maybe we can have a wisteria viewing section.
Marcia

Yes,I changed my name, I figured that I am not so "toasted" anymore! LOL

We should have a wisteria page...I brought home some wisteria "pods" that were opening at the time that we were there and will plant them in my garden, so someday I will have wisteria (hopefully) from that villa!

Speck is fabulous, it has some similar characteristics to smoked bacon. However unlike American bacon that comes from belly portion of the hog (same as Pancetta), Speck is made from hog legs. The meat is seasoned with salt and pepper, laurel and juniper berries. Speck is then smoked using flavorful beechwood, or ash for ten days. The meat is then aged for months to produce a smoky and slightly spicy product with a distinct pink/red interior with a small amount of fat. Yummmmm

quote:

Originally posted by Riana:
Have a great time Cindy and eat lots of gelato!!

We took the train to Florence from Lucca for only 4.90 euros rather than drive because they are doing some major construction on the roads in Florence. I don't know where you will be based, but it is a good idea to take the trains when you can.



ciao!

Thank you, Riana.

I'll be traveling to the Oltrarno of Florence after 10 days in San Gimignano and Montepulciano, and I definitely plan on utilizing the public transportation system while I'm there. I'll be traveling solo so I figured why make it more difficult and expensive on myself by trying to drive the first time out. I'm sure it will be heaven just to stare out the window. Cindy