Super Tuscans Tour 2014.
   
   
 

Picture Gallery 2.    The Tour.
   
   
   
  With Aston Club touring you have to decide at the outset whether to wash you car every day or not.    I much prefer driving to cleaning so that was an easy decision!   

On our first Aston Tour in Oct '98, everyone washed their cars before setting out each day.    For our second tour, we even invested in a ship's collapsible bucket, with all the cleaning bits to go with it.   

This time round we knew that the Blue Beauty's boot would be overflowing with barely enough room for clothes and shoes for fifteen days, let alone cameras etc.    Even the maps we didn't need on the day were stowed in the boot, so definitely no room for buckets, cloths and brushes.
   
  So we progressed happily from this   to this
   
  Our Midnight Blue Beauty became Midnight Dirty.     Miraculously,  the Aston survived without a single scratch (others were not so lucky) instead, we acquired just a handful of pin sized stone chips.   I can accept that!
   
   
  Part 1.    Tuscany.

We stayed in Tuscany for three days and nights.    Our plan was to see the sights of Pisa and Lucca, then drive to Borgo San Lorenzo (North of Florence) and meet up with the gang!
   
   
  Day 1.    Pisa and Lucca.

102 miles to Borgo San Lorenzo.     Staying at Monsignor Della Casa.    http://www.monsignordellacasa.com

   
   
 
  We walked in to Pisa, over the bridge spanning the River Arno, heading for the centre.
   
 
  A busy town centre and very touristy.    It did not prepare us for this ........................
   
   
   
   
 
  Its right there, centre stage and so impressive.    You can't miss it.    Touristy with very good reason.
   
   
  The site comprises three parts,   Duomo  (the Basilica)   .....  with its impressive, hand carved pulpit,
   
  .......   the Cathedral with its icing sugar dome at its centre and, of course, the leaning tower.
     
 
  The architectural style of the Cathedral feels very heavy, very solid, from the outside.
   
 
  A view from the Basilica showing just how much the tower is leaning.     Interestingly, the top layer is horizontal???   If you thought my earlier picture was exaggerating,  here is the reality.       
 
  Enough sightseeing.   It's time for a leisurely coffee then back to look inside these amazing buildings
   
  The Inside of the cathedral is mind-blowing  - stunning architecture, massive ornamentation,  gold everywhere and a sense that this is a place of great importance.   In the second pic,  just try to imagine the gold inside the room up in the gallery ......  and the artwork everywhere was worthy of Michelangelo.                     
 
     
         
             
   
   
     
  But a girl can only take so much culture, it was lunch time.
   
 
  On this type of holiday I love a simple, tasty lunch.     This felt exactly right  -  Prosciutto and Melon with Focaccia and my first taste of Brunelo de Montalcino.     Superb!
   
 
  Then, halfway through lunch,  our first sighting of a fellow tour member.    Derek and Edward drove right in front of the leaning tower (a pedestrian only area).     It set the scene  - they were to test their map reading skills on a number of occasions during the tour but they seldom stopped laughing.     They were the source of great humour and amusement for the whole week ....  and without doubt, brought the most valuable Aston on the tour.
   
 
  We should also have seen Lucca on our way to our resort but ran out of time and energy so headed straight to "Della Casa".
   
 
  Tuscany, at last!    I have fond memories of Monsignor Della Casa.
   
 
  Unpacked and ready to say "Hello" to the rest of the gang.    We all came together with an al fresco Prosecco party before Supper.     

Joni is in the doorway to our rather lovely Villa.   We had an excellent stay here and were well looked after, although the driver was suffering a little!
   
   
  Day 2.    Florence.

41 miles local sightseeing.
   
 
  Feeling rather worse today so decided to miss out on a coach trip to Florence in favour of a quiet lunch somewhere in the hills above Borgo San Lorenzo.    Very Tuscan with stunning countryside.    A wonderful restaurant,  mostly given over to a Wedding  -  the second of our tour.   There had been one at Pisa and there were more to follow.     A nice, gentle Sunday.
   
   
  Day 3.    Sienna and San Gimignano.

157 miles round trip.
   
 
  Sienna is South of Borgo but firstly we had to navigate around Florence.       As we crested the hill on the right suddenly there was Florence laid out before us.     We had not seen it from above before, just nestled in its own basin.   Another magical memory.
   
 
  We were sorry to have missed-out on our day in Florence and will have to go back for a few days  -  I love it here.
   
 
  Then, out of Florence on the Chianti Trail.     The scenery just got better and better as we climbed toward Sienna.
   
 
  Half way up the scenery (and the light) began to change.   More blue Cypresses.   More silvery Olives.
   
 
  More hills.    The roads through Chianti are real driving roads and we were keen to go up higher.
   
 
  At the top now and nearly at Sienna.  
   
 
  Just as I imagined Tuscany would be.    Still plenty of vineyards everywhere, mile after mile.   Surely time for a little Chianti.
   
 
 

Right first time  .....  La Manga was definitely the place to be.   Central to the square and the food was sensational.
   
 
 

Thin Bacon (not prosciutto) on warm cheese over Polenta on a bed of young Radicchio.    I must make this at home!    Joni had the most enormous Salad with Feta cheese bathed in oils and loved it.
   
      
  Joni chose this delight but mine was just dried biscuit  -  a local delicacy!   But I had the same last night so I fancied something else.
   
 
  Whilst I waited for an alternative dessert,  here is a quick 360' around the main square.
   
 
 
 
 
  Sienna  -  all the bricks are pure Sienna colour.
   
    
  Ahh!   That's better.    Happy now!      Then its back to the car and on to San Gimignano.
   
 
  San Gimignano.    Affectionately known as the town of the seven towers.     Where have I heard that before  - Les Sept Tour in the Loire!
   
    
  Very beautiful,  and seemingly authentic,  it could easily be in Provence.    Here, the entrance to the town is open but with narrow streets that run around the base of the walled town above.
   
 
  Fascinating shops and only a little touristy.     Too big for the Aston's boot or we might have been tempted.
   
 
  Always that sharp contrast between light and shade.
   
 
  Now into the fortified centre of the town.
   
 
  Just one of the seven towers.
   
 
  Quaint and rather pretty.W
   
 
  Di, on the left,  drove the whole tour solo in a DB7 Volante with the hood down and has our total admiration.    Navigating with two was not always easy!     Ian and Maureen are next to Joni  -  they suntanned themselves on board a V12 Vantage Volante.
   
 
  The tallest.
   
 
  From the walled town back out to the lower town below.
   
 
  Our last view of these stunning Tuscan hillsides.   Tomorrow we are off to drive part of the old Mille Miglia course to Brescia then on to The Italian Lakes.
                       
                       
 

Tuscany.          The Italian Lakes.          The Alps.            Back into France.