On Good Friday, we visited Chianti, the same name of the red Italian wine produced in Tuscany. Chianti is known for its green hills, vineyards, olive groves, country homes and culinary tradition. Culinary. Why did we have to be there on a Good Friday??? Haha… Believe me, I tried hard to move it to another day but I couldn’t find any other day to squeeze it in.
So at the start of the trip when the tour guide asked us for our dietary requirements, I just had to say “vegetarian”. No matter how tempted I was, I still had to observe fasting and abstinence on Good Friday. No excuses. Haha…
We visited a vineyard called Poggio Alloro where they quickly briefed us on how wine is produced.
Then, we also had the chance to visit its organic farm.
I spotted an artichoke in the farm. This is how an artichoke plant looks like. :)
We had wine tasting and lunch on top of a hill overlooking breathtaking Tuscan landscape. As my seat mates were having meat-laden pasta, mine was pasta with plain tomato sauce! Haha.. And as they were enjoying their platter of salami, cured ham and various types of cheese, I only had an organic omelette. Waaa.....
Mental note to self – the next time I visit Tuscany or any other culinary place, never on a day of fasting and abstinence. Haha…
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This is part of a Tuscany Daytour package which we booked via Italia Tours. The escorted tour costs USD113/pax which includes transportation and lunch. The tour departs at the Sta Maria Novella station in Florence daily at 630am. Itinerary covers Chianti, the walled cities of San Gimignano and Siena, and Pisa.