Truly last Italy post AND back to school!

Okay, so I said the last post was the last of the Italy pics, but well, I have a few more to share.  I had such a great trip there that I just had to share all of these photos.  It's not as good as being there but the photos are here for me to look at and remember all the sights, art and memories we made there.
Here are the last of the photos:

Greve, Italy (in the Tuscany region... Chianti Classico)

Vineyards

Ruffino Santedame Vineyards (makes a variety of local wines as well as Olive oil)

Fig trees growing on the grounds

Eduardo teaching us about the region and why Chianti and Chianti Classico are different in name.

Breathtaking views!

The barrel room

Dinner at another Ruffino estate.  GORGEOUS! 

Amazing etchings everywhere!

dessert... Tirimiso!

My new favorite wine!

Murano glass chandalier!

Leather markets in Florence

All the awardees... final night dinner celebration!

5 courses plus wine with each course!  WOW!  It was a wonderful time!

That is it for my Italy trip!  Let's just say that it was a trip of a lifetime!  I'm so proud of my husband's success and recognition.  I'm so lucky that I got to be there with him! 

I'm getting ready for school to start on Thursday and going back tomorrow for opening day festivities and getting my room ready.  It's exciting and I have butterflies yet again!  It never gets dull!

Final Italy post...

It's been over a month since I've been to Italy but I'm  still not done with posting my trip... LOL!  I have a final post detailing how I spent the rest of the time in Florence.  We left after the Palio and dinner and drove on to Florence. Our hotel was really nice! We stayed at the Hotel Helvetia & Bristol on via de'Pescioni which is in the luxury shopping area.  Our room faced Cartier!  So gorgeous!  Here's a view from our window that opened up...

Went to the Palazzo Strozzi for the Picasso, Miro, Dali exhibit!  It was great!  Mostly early work but fascinating to see how Dali and Miro were inspired by Picasso.  I got a great book for my classroom about it.  Great find!

Duomo in Florence

Baptistry doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti

My hubby on the streets of Florence

Next, we went to the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio to see the gorgeous rooms and artwork there.  It was awe inspiring! So much power there... it used to be the ducal palace in the 14th century and then became the house of the Florentine government around late 1600's.  Pretty amazing.  Matt liked it because it was one of the settings of the movie, "Hannibal".  

This was in one of the fireplaces... so cool!

The view from one of the balconies in a chamber.

Overlooking the main hall.  Gorgeous!

Map room

Medieval potty!  LOL!

The balcony in Hannibal... actually it's the mayor's office.

LOVE this bicycle against this graffiti door.

Ponte Vecchio bridge.

This is the coolest... All these padlocks are hanging on the chains around the bridge. I heard the represent couple's commitments.

We walked to the Pitti Palace next and breezed through the rooms which were opulent and amazingly small but so many of them!  The colors, details, and history are surreal!

Egyptian obelisk in the gardens.

Avenue of trees.

The palace from the gardens

Up high on the garden grounds.

Street performers!

Window displays are works of art!

Chalk painters on the streets - there were new artworks each day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Arno River at night.  

 

 

 

I have one more day to share... There are just so many photos and exciting sights to see!