FAMILY
WEEK May 2010 Rowing level: expert Week itinerary may vary according to weather and local events |
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18th (Tuesday) - Arrival in time for lunch, and then off to the agriturismo for naps. A little exploring in the evening, Dad goes off to the rowing club for his first row, and then back to HQ where Coach Enzo's mamma cookes up her famous roast beef. 19th (Wednesday) - A late wake-up for jet-lagged kids! Towards late morning we set off to Lucca, and start with a nice lunch at the exquisite little place in Lucca that is able to recreate the most amazing old-world flavours. SOme of us head off afterwards to shop in the adorable Luccan shops, while other rent bikes and go touring on top of the walls of the city. which are wide enough to hold a park with plenty of playsets. Back to the club in time for Dad to row with our local club, and then dinner is minestrone with a selection of cold cuts and cheese. 20th (Thursday) - Off to see dinosaurs! With a budding paleontologist in the group, we go explore the Prehistoric Park where a former circus family had turned their beautiful land into a tasteful display of dinosaur reconstructions. The T-Rex is sufficiently scary to keep little sister far, far away! Afterwards lunch in the little town of Peccioli and then the hot springs at Casciana Terme, where a not-too-deep pool with thermal waters offers a fun way for the kids to burn up some energy, pushing all the poolside buttons that created jets or bubbles or currents to play with. Ice cream to follow and then back for naps, rowing, and what-have-you. Dinner is fried chicken! 21st (Friday) - Today we head off down the Via Francigena, the old pilgrim's route that connected Canterbury to Rome. Many of Tuscany's most beautiful andf historic towns are on this route, places where pilgrims could stop and rest. Montaione is our first stop, where a little street fair captures the attention of the kids (the toy booths!) and Mom (the antiques!). Next up, San Gimignano with its towers and more towers, and interesting shops to explore. Ice cream, of course, after lunch, and then homeward bound to a dinner of frittate... a fancy italian word for delicious omelets! 22nd (Saturday) - The coast calls to us... and we're off to Populonia, an Etruscan hilltop perch complete with Hapsburg look-out castle. Crrepy scary stairs to climb and photo-ops galore, then lunch. We skip the beautiful nearby beach of Baratti since the family will be at the beach the next week, and go to the hot spring (gigantic!) pool at Venturina. Makes the unseasonably cool weather almost desirable since the hot water is so much fun to play in. Enormous car naps for all except the driver follow.... and home to baccala alla livornese and plenty of white wine. Dad, as always, gets dropped off at the lake in the evening and with Coach Enzo, rejoins the group at the dinner table. 23rd (Sunday) - Sundays are sleepy relaxed days in the Bel Paese and so it calls for a morning hanging out at the lake, following Dad in the coach boat. Lunchtime is busy with more rowing friends joining us for the enormous tableful of food, and then after an afternoon at the hotel pool for the kids and a nap for mom, we leave in the early evening to check out a street festival in nearby Castelfiorentino. A light pizza afterwards is all anyone can eat! 24th (Monday) - Florence! Shopping, checking out the sights, getting to know the 110-year-old Florence Rowing Club, where Dad will row the next week when they are staying in Florence for a few nights. Lunch and ice cream, of course, and then back home to rowing and dinner. 25th (Tuesday) - Last day... time for good-byes and a trip up the tower in San Miniato to see where we've been staying for the past week. |
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