I have a lot to share so settle in for ride! First, let me say that I can drive with the Italians! Second, let me say that I can get around Tuscany without a GPS. And finally, allow me to brag about the fact that I can do all this and decipher street signs ten signs high, at a pretty good clip. Okay, I had Shelly as a navigator, but you get the picture. I sort of liked driving outside the lines, cutting people off and rolling through stop signs. See, you get honked at if you stop where it says to, so you just roll through them. I had to fit in somehow, right? Yesterday and today were long travel days. Yesterday started off with going to my favorite town, Barberino val'Delsa. This is where I usually stay. Dear friend Michele found it on vrbo.com years ago and I have stayed there three times. Yesterday's visit reminded me just how much I miss this quiet little town and my desire to return as soon as I can. I can clear my head there. After a coffee at Danila's, we set off for Siena and San Gimignano.( I have written about these places before so will I skip repeating the details here again...please visit my prior trip entries to learn more about these places if you like). We made it back to Barberino for a great dinner of red and white wine, salads, melon and proscuitto, and entrees of stewed rabbit and rosemary tri-tips. By the time we left, it was dark and getting back to Florence was a challenge. However during our journey, we somehow ended up at the top of the Piazza de Michaelangelo. This is the highest point in Florence and it offers a breathtaking view of the city at night. It was surreal seeing the Duomo all lit up and the bridge lights reflecting off the river. After a short stop to take in this sight, we headed down hill and into a neighborhood that I had once explored on foot, however, by car, in the dark, is a different story altogether. We inched our way inbetwwen stone walls with literally inches to spare before finally making our way back to the parking garage only to find out that we were not expected at the garage! Explaining we had parking arrangements made already to four Italian parking attendants in English is not easy. So, I pulled out my Iphone and showed them an email I had saved regardng the reservation. It was almost comical seeing the light bulb come on for these four guys at the same time! We left the car and walked back to the flat completely exhausted. Today, we jetted off to Brunello country only to get seriously lost in the Tuscan countryside. We wanted to reach Multipulciano but we landed somehow in the most charming little town of Lucignano. I had never heard of this place and I will go back! We had a lunch of white truffle ravioli, spaghetti with tomato, garlic and basil, salad, spinach in butter and white wine. We met some other travelers from Milan who like comimg to this little place. Shelly and I dertermined Lucignano is where the Itailians go on vacation. At lunch, we learned we were not far from Cortona so we made our way there and spent the afternoon wandering around in the intense sun (more on Cortona in previous entries as well). Our way back To Florence was via the Autostrade at about 90mph I calculated...much fun! The sun finally caught up with us both so we ate in tonight, just more wine, cheese, fruit and rosemary crackers. Tomorrow, we learn to shop and cook! So looking forward to this. Will share the mouthwatering details as soon as I wake up from this dream vacation. Ciao!