Barberino Val D'Elsa, Italy

This morning we packed up, drove through the South of France, Monaco and followed the coast around to Genova.  We then cut over to Firenze and down 20 minutes to the Hamlet of Barberino Val D'Elsa, in the heart of Tuscany Chianti.  http://www.barberinovaldelsa.info/

The drive was really great.  We drove through the Alpes-Maritimes and saw some spectacular walled towns and cities.  Once we passed into Italy the landscaped changed to a more agrarian culture, gardens, green houses, olive groves and grapes.  The drive into Tuscany was breathtaking.

We arrived at Barberino Val D'Elsa and met Cindy Harding, the owner of the apartment.  Cindy is a published author [http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/tuscan-life---food-tales-recipes/15990424] and has lived in Italy for many years.  She was a delight and invited us to her place in Firenze, which we will visit later this week.

The apartment is the top floor [more stairs] of a building in the walled city.  We are next door to the Cathedral and jump ever hour when the bell tolls.  Here are some pictures:

This is the view from our bedroom window:

The internet service is a mobile broadband, so I am down in the Cafe across the street typing this and drinking cappuccino.  My caffeine addiction is starting to rival my internet addiction.

I am excited to map out a run for tomorrow.  This area is farmland and we are a 1/2 hour from any large populace.  Every hilltop you see has a small village and a church spire.  We instantly felt relaxed here, unlike the hustle and bustle of Paris, Girona and Villefranche-Sur-Mer.