Italy

I hate the last day of a trip. I get despondent and grumpy. Internally, I am chanting. “I don’t wanna go!” like a grumpy toddler. Pulling away from Chianti, I felt the early stages of grief kick in. It was going to be downhill from there… Except that il Marito detoured to one of the most unexpectedly beautiful and historic places of our trip– Sirmione, on Lake Garda.

The center of the city is almost entirely pedestrian, and it contains ruins of an Augustan-era Roman villa and a medieval fortress. Plus, Sirmione is on a small spit of land, so you have lake views everywhere. You can’t mourn the end of trip when your busy soaking in views like these.

Bambino certainly enjoyed it!

We only had one small issue. I hate unprotected heights. I’m not afraid of many things, but I struggle with narrow spaces and rickety railings. This has only been made worse by Bambino, whom I irrationally envision leaping off hotel balconies. Unfortunately, I married a man who likes to climb steep staircases, and photograph beautiful landscapes.

Thankfully, we all survived. (Il Marito is a patient man.). Next stop, the US of A.

Last night, we booked a spur of the moment tour of Castello di Brolio and the Barone Ricasoli winery. The grounds were spectacularly beautiful, and the vistas from the terraces were even better. We learned a lot about regional history, and tasted some lovely wines. Bambino loved the castle, and thankfully napped through the tasting. A mag and a couple other bottles are coming home with us.

After the tour, we headed to Radda for lunch and exploring. We found a fantastic bottega. To make things even better, their special was tagliatelle con cinghiale– il Marito’s all-time favorite. It was the best I’ve ever tasted. Bambino was loved, kissed, and entertained by the entire bottega staff. He also finagled a complimentary piece of strawberry cake.