We began our trip exploring Tuscany's rolling hills covered with silvery olive groves and grape arbors, medieval villages, and some local inhabitants.

 The Annual Grape Harvest Festival takes place in the small Tuscan village of Impruneta, drawing crowds from faraway distances who look forward to the festivities and competition between the four wards of the community.  It's a full day event filled with performances, parades, and good fun!

The Bellavista, our Inn in Impruneta, borders the village square providing us with the best views from our open windows overlooking the festivities.

The group totaled 7 plus our good friend Tomasso Beccuci,  who led us astray as often as possible, taught us some new Italian words, and made us laugh almost all the time.  Tomasso and his family own and operate the Bellavista Inn and certainly made us all feel a part of the famliy.

We're soon off to the island of Elba located a mere 12 kilometers off Tuscany's mainland and part of the Tuscan island chain.  It was here that Napoelan lived in exile for months and to this day one can visit his home on the island.  Today Elba is a gold mine for eco-tourism with its moderate climate, transluscent azure waters, and its vast trail system throughout its mountains and peaks.

Some people get so excited once they arrive!!  Here we are on our first night on the island at the Northwest corner of Elba in a tiny village called St. Andrea, watching the sun set over the island of Corsica.

One thing we discovered is that Elba has plenty of noses...can you find them in the pictures above?

Kayaking along Elba's dramatic coastline was really a special treat for us.  The water is so clear that you can easily see down 50-60' giving this place a magical feel.  Its rugged shoreline with interesting rock formations, caves, and old military bunkers is broken up with protected harbors and sandy beaches making launching and landing a delight.

On our final island day we decided to venture to Elba's highest peak, Mt. Capanne at 1018 meters, via the Cabinovia.  For some of us, this was one of the biggest adventures of the week!  But boy, did we get a view overlooking Marina di Marciana as seen in the right photo below.

      Leaving Elba behind us, we drove to the medieval village of San Gimignano, also known as the "city of towers".  With less than a dozen towers still standing today, this medieval village situated high on the hills of central Tuscany depicts the heart of ancient Tuscan life.  Left to explore on our own for a few hours we discovered quiet narrow streets hardly big enough for two bicycles to pass, frescoes on church walls, a torture museum, and neat little shops to pick up those last minute gifts.  A final dinner of fresh Tuscan delights  sent us on our way to pack for the trip home...    

            All in all it was a wonderful trip with lots of good memories and stories to tell.  Thank you David, Preston, Peter, and Karen for sharing this adventure with us. Until the next adventure... Cathy, Jeff and Whitney

             The intrepid crew...

                            The Guides

the Becucci family,

The champ warming up                             Mama Becucci                            Sara and Matteo (the mature brother)  

and the people of Italy!