Tuscany Live!

I'm sitting in the comfortable "living room" of La Bandita - an understated modern retreat with hints of rustic Tuscan charm.  We arrived last night after driving about 1 1/2 hours from the Florence airport. Unfortunately, it was a bit late so we were tired and hungry.  And because we couldn't find a McDonald's, we stopped quickly at a roadside "snack bar" for a sandwich, bag of Pringles and package of Barilla cookies.  Not the best meal, but it kept us from dozing off and mowing down ancient cypress pines alongside the road.

After sleeping in until 8 a.m., we headed to the outlet malls for a day of shopping.  And when I refer to outlet malls, I don't mean strip malls filled with Gap leftovers and Sbarro's.  Instead think Gucci, Fendi and Prada.  Of course, I didn't buy anything as I'm thinking of our looming big purchase back home. But, the other boys found plenty of reasons to pump money into the local economy.

Tomorrow I anticipate a day of visiting the small villages around the hotel.  I've also heard rumblings of wine tastings before lunch.  If that's the case, I'll be along for the ride.  In fact, I suppose that means I'll be the designated driver.  Which, based on how Chris drove our Fiat clown car from Florence, is just fine.