Venice to Tuscany

We picked up our hire car in Venice and travelled on the freeway to near Florence. It was a Sunday so all the trucks that usually travel where not allowed on the freeway. We decided to hop off the freeway so we could see more of the countryside and went via Fiesole which overlooks Florence. We saw the Duomo from a distance and then found our way towards Greve in chianit though the travel was much slower on these small roads.We had good directions to our farmhouse in tuscany and we needed them as it was on a very small dirt road out in thew sticks .We ascended up the mountsin with vineyards and olive groves and vistas all around to a heavenly farmhouse perched high overlooking a grand view. Tuscany did not disappoint us. The lady has converted part of her old stone farmhouse into 3 rooms.We had one an English couple on their honeymoon had one and an American soldier based in Iraq but on 2 months holiday had the other. We sat and talked with them all then cooked our tea of pasta using a share kitchen .It was great to just talk some english with people. Our room was the lower level of a Xl century tower,walls 2 foot thick and very wonderful. The kids played ping pong on the front lawn and carlie and I also sat and painted the vista.