European Vacation, Montalcino

Our day trip to Montalcino was probably our favorite day in Tuscany.  We went based on the recommendation of our landlord, who was a bit horrified that we had never heard of the famous wine from that region, Brunello.  Our GPS took us on a bit of a detour, which we didn't mind too much due to the lovely scenery.

Once we arrived at the fortified city at the top of the hill, we were enchanted.  

After exploring the cute town, we settled in to have lunch.  The view wasn't bad, and someone was in the mood to make funny faces.

We had a wonderful pizza and pasta lunch (Liam refused the pizza, but we were thrilled that he ate the pasta), and Geoff and I did a Brunello tasting...sampling four different varietals.  One really impressed us, so we asked where that particular vineyard was.  Our server drew us a crude map, and after a bit more exploring of the "castle", we headed out to find Fanti.

We were a bit surprised when we arrived at Fanti.  Our experiences with the vineyards in Virginia were very different--most have HUGE signs and lots of people.  We missed Fanti's demure little sign and had to turn around, and we were the ONLY people at this facility!  We made our way to the tasting room, set Liam up with his cars on the floor, and discovered how truly lucky we are.  A very special lunch had just ended--Fanti caters to some very wealthy clients and treats them to special lunches and tastings, including wines that have not yet been made available to the public.  So, in addition to the normal tastings, we also got to taste the special reserves that are only brought out for these wealthy clients!  We picked out several we liked, and decided to make a few purchases, including one very special bottle that we hope to save for our 10 year anniversary in 2015.

Upon the recommendation of our hostess, after we made our purchases, we hopped across the road to see a monastery, the Abbazia di Sant'Antimo.  Liam loves churches, so we stepped inside and were a bit disappointed at the loud elementary school group touring alongside us.  We didn't stay long but enjoyed the ethereal chanting (when we could hear it over the kids).

Leaving Montalcino, Geoff and I stopped to get a picture with these lovely cyprus trees.  Very Tuscan, yes?  We LOVED this day so very much.  If you are lucky enough to visit Tuscany, Montalcino is not to be missed.

European Vacation, Siena

My goal is to finish our vacation posts before Liam and I head back to the States this weekend.  The more time that passes, the fewer details I remember, so I REALLY need to get back to writing!

Our next day trip while in Tuscany was to Siena, a large, old city that at times rivaled Florence for importance.  The drive was quick, but we ran into a bit of a traffic jam outside the city as it was market day!  More on that in a bit.  First we had to park, which was troublesome due to all the locals needing to get to said market.  We finally timed it right in that someone was pulling out right in front of us, but then an older Italian gentleman tried to save the spot.  I got out to stand our ground, and eventually other Italians came to our aid to convince the man that saving the spot would do no good and to tell him he was just creating more traffic.  Victory was ours!

After we parked, we walked through the market--it was at least a mile long conglomerate of food trucks and stands, selling everything from fresh produce to cheese to flash-fried calamari.  It was an amazing sight!

Once we made it through the market, we entered the city and walked through the narrow streets.  Old churches stood alongside fancy, modern stores, and Liam got to hear a street musician and see a local fire station.

After a bit more meandering, we stopped for lunch in the Piazza del Campo--the shell-shaped heart of the city.  There is a huge open, bricked courtyard of sorts, surrounded by restaurants, the Palazzo Pubblico, and the Torre del Mangia.  It was nice to people watch and learn about the town while eating our lunch.  Apparently, the Piazza is home to an annual festival, called the Palio.  Twice a year, Siena fills the huge Piazza with dirt, folks get dressed up to represent their Contrade, and watch a horse race!

After lunch, we headed to Siena's famous cathedral, the Duomo di Siena.  Built in stages in Gothic and Romanesque styles, it is an impressive church indeed.  It is very ornate, inside and out, and although we opted NOT to pay the entrance fee and stand in the long line, we were quite in awe of it.

Siena was a lovely city, and we enjoyed our day there.  Liam wore himself out enough to nap a bit while Geoff and I enjoyed the warm Tuscan sun and some delicious Tuscan wine and treats on our little patio.  It was truly a great day!

Baby Howard, the sequel

I interrupt (who am I kidding--I haven't posted in over a month...I'm not interrupting anything!) our European vacation posts to bring you tidings of great joy!  Baby Howard #2 is on his/her way.  I am a little over 12 weeks' pregnant now, which means Baby Howard the 2nd is due mid-late December.  The first due date we were given was December 24th.  A Christmas Eve baby!  My latest check-up has me measuring at a due date of December 20th, and remembering that Liam came 2 weeks early, my guess would be an arrival date of sometime even before that.

This pregnancy has been quite a bit rougher than mine with Liam.  I have been very sick and tired, and Geoff and Liam have suffered as a result.  Cooking smells send me running to the restroom or upstairs to our room to shut the door, turn on the air purifier, and put Vick's VapoRub under my nose.  So breakfasts and dinners have been lackluster around here.  Hopefully the sick feelings will end very soon as I am approaching my second trimester.  Then maybe I will feel up to finishing our vacation posts!

Despite my unending illness and drop in standard of living, Geoff, Liam, and I are very excited about this baby.  Liam says that he wants a sister, but the thought of a female makes Geoff a tad nervous.  Since I was pregnant with Liam, I have felt I am meant as a mother of boys, but I would certainly be happy with whatever Baby Howard turns out to be.  We will be finding out the sex this time (it makes more sense with our living situation), and once we know we will share the news with you.

Here are ultrasound pics at 8 weeks and then at 12 weeks.  He/she is about the size of a lime right now!