Today is the day - I've turned 39 plus postage and handling, which apparently adds up to 50. It's been a wonderful day. Peter gave me a birthday card from Mum which he had somehow managed to keep secret from me since we left home, and then presented me with a beautiful pair of earrings - made here in Firenze of course!
After phone calls home and breakfast we headed down to reception, and were able to get confirmation that our trip to Maranello and the Ferrari factory tomorrow was happening, so that was great news. From the hotel, we went to see an exhibition of Leonardo Da Vinci's drawings and machines - Pete was very excited to see the engineering drawings, and bought a book which goes into detail about all of Da Vinci's inventions and ideas. From there we did a bit of shopping, and sadly I was out-shopped by Pete again - I think I've created a shopping monster! Now he's checking style and fit, what things are made of, where they are made ....
Tonight we had a "degustazione Toscana wine tasting dinner" in the hotel restaurant. We were the only ones there so had Claudio's undivided attention, and he provided us with lots of information about the regional wines and matching them with different foods. We started off with a champagne cocktail, then two different red wines, a selection of cheeses and fruit (and salami for Pete), then a Tuscan soup. After that it was a dessert wine, accompanied by cheesecake and pear tart, and then of course the obligatory glass of grappa to finish with - way too strong for me, but Pete managed to drink his and most of mine, and still be standing. It was a really lovely evening. Have included a couple of photos - the two of us, and Pete at the table surrounded by plates and wine glasses!
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