It’s time!

I’ve finally finished editing and choosing the Italy destination wedding photos to blog!

I’m excited – are you?

The short version is Angela and Brandon had a very very small destination wedding in Florence, Italy and planned activities for us all the day before.

The long version is ….

There is a tour company in the Florence area called the Accidental Tourist. Since this year (2009) was the 3rd October in a row that the bride and groom had visited Italy together, they had a chance to use this company previously – for a Tuscany cooking class (can you imagine how delightful that would be?). The day before the wedding (Tuesday) Brandon and Angela treated all 15 of us to a whole day of wine, olive oil, food and fun in Tuscany.

{if you check out the website, I think we did the ‘wine and snooze’ tour}

It was a magical, ridiculously special day in the Tuscan countryside. Really, an irreplaceable experience….

Check out the images below:

We met the company at one of the Florence piazzas and were picked up in 2 big vans to bus us out to the countryside. On the way … on a beautiful Italian morning … we crossed over the Arno. That bridge (image below) is the Ponte Vecchio. It is pretty much the only Florence bridge that wasn’t destroyed in WW2. The bridge dates back to Medieval Europe.

Our first stop was a huge (huge) estate in the Tuscan hills. Here the (fabulously wealthy) family still makes olive oil and wine as the owners always have for centuries, in spite of their other modern businesses and interests.

{If I had a ‘front yard’ like this you can bet I’d host weddings here}

Our guide – Steve, pictured right – is an American ex-patriot. He and his 20-something year old son (Alessandro) took us through the estate. At this time of the year, the estate was really only used for the olive oil and wine. Steve showed us step-by-step how both products are made, what makes them special, and the traditions surrounding them ….

The bride and groom below. Behind them, growing almost all the way to the buildings’ walls, are acres of olive trees.

{yes, he’s wearing a Flogging Molly jacket}

Around 11a or so, after learning ALL about how the wine and olive oil are made, we went to a different Tuscan farmhouse for some tasting. … mmm ….

Freshly baked Italian bread (without salt as per tradition), drizzled with olive oil, and 5 different kinds of Chianti wine.

I don’t know a single thing about wine, so it was really interesting to learn all about it – as well as taste the different kinds as we go to really be able to see the differences.

{of course, we bought some to bring home!}

One final stop on our day in Tuscany – really the day went by so quickly …. I could have spent the whole week on this tour …

As part of the day, we all went to this private Tuscan home for a fresh, home-cooked (ridiculously amazing) meal.

If I had to guess, I would say this place was 400-ish years old. Stone walls. Great vintage windows. Odd corners and levels. And beautiful views wherever you look.

We all ate IN Christiana’s kitchen. Right where she cooks for her own family.

Grilled bell peppers, mushroom lasagna, homemade pasta, frittata, tiramisu and probably 3 or 4 other things …

Just one more day in a whole week of memorable travel, but so special to be part of this bride and groom’s wedding.

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