Okay, okay here are some more pictures, bear with me though because I have to convert them all to web size before posting, so can't go too quickly. So here we are in Montalcino, a medieval hill town with more great views of the Tuscan countryside.
I did say 'hill town' didn't I?
There were some beautiful flowers, more than usual because they were preparing for a saints day festival.
You can see that the weather was still a bit dodgy here there was a brief thunder shower after we returned to the hotel, but it soon cleared up and the weather started to improve, no idea what the church is, we didn't visit.
This display was part of the harvest festival, big baskets of cherries, loaves of bread, bales of straw and sheaves of wheat.
Every house had a beautiful display, Brian particularly like these cacti.
There was glorious scented jasmine growing up the walls in all the towns we visited and also at our hotel.
A little shop selling pasta and snacks, the pasta looked so colourful.
This sign shows the area where Brunello di Montalcino can be grown. No more vines can be planted and claim this name, by limiting the supply they also control the price!
Fattoria dei Barbi - Fattoria means farm, and this farm made wine, cheese from their sheep's milk, salami from their pigs and grew crops to feed the animals. We had a tour of the cellars and heard about the Croatian oak barrles which give Brunello di Montalcino it's distinctive 'leathery' aroma - enticing huh! We tasted three different wines, they were very good, but not so good that we wanted to buy them.
This is the outside of the Cantina where we were waiting for those who were buying wine.
Okay, okay here are some more pictures, bear with me though because I have to convert them all to web size before posting, so can't go too quickly. So here we are in Montalcino, a medieval hill town with more great views of the Tuscan countryside.
I did say 'hill town' didn't I? 
There were some beautiful flowers, more than usual because they were preparing for a saints day festival.
You can see that the weather was still a bit dodgy here there was a brief thunder shower after we returned to the hotel, but it soon cleared up and the weather started to improve, no idea what the church is, we didn't visit.
This display was part of the harvest festival, big baskets of cherries, loaves of bread, bales of straw and sheaves of wheat. 
Every house had a beautiful display, Brian particularly like these cacti.
There was glorious scented jasmine growing up the walls in all the towns we visited and also at our hotel.
A little shop selling pasta and snacks, the pasta looked so colourful.
This sign shows the area where Brunello di Montalcino can be grown. No more vines can be planted and claim this name, by limiting the supply they also control the price!
Fattoria dei Barbi - Fattoria means farm, and this farm made wine, cheese from their sheep's milk, salami from their pigs and grew crops to feed the animals. We had a tour of the cellars and heard about the Croatian oak barrles which give Brunello di Montalcino it's distinctive 'leathery' aroma - enticing huh! We tasted three different wines, they were very good, but not so good that we wanted to buy them. 
This is the outside of the Cantina where we were waiting for those who were buying wine.
it looks really georgous there janice :) great piccies,keep them coming :)
ReplyDeleteLovely photos Janice and what a beautiful place too. My work colleague went there last week too! Also love your card that you made for your MIL, very pretty indeed. XX
ReplyDeleteDid you see any hummingbird moths on the jasmine anywhere? Incredible things! You certainly get a good leg stretch when you visit the Tuscan hill towns don't you?! Glad the wine was good but probably wise not to buy - it's a pain to transport it home!
ReplyDeleteAAww Janice it looks fabulous there. The views are stunning. Glad you took it easy on the wine tasting!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the photo of the harvest festival items. How lovely to have those things just displayed in the street like that.
ReplyDeleteWow, the cacti caught my eye. Pretty impressive. Fancy being able to keep them outside.
ReplyDelete