Under the Tuscan Clouds

Between Christmas and New Year's we had a week off and decided to do our first European road trip with our new, much more reliable non-French car. Looking at the map we realized that we were only six hours from Tuscany, Italy. I hunted all over the internet and found us a reasonably priced farm apartment in the rolling hills of Tuscany. We left the morning after Christmas,poor Jaxon had to leave all of his brand new toys behind. It turned out to be a great time for a visit to the region. Sure, you miss the sun to a certain extent, but you also miss the hordes of tourists and we even were able to get in the Uffizi and the Academia without reservations. No trip to Italy is complete without gelato, no matter what the weather.

Jaxon loved visiting the Leaning Tower. I was a little bummed out because it was closed to potential climbers the last two times I was here and this time there was a possibility to go up to the top, but you have to be over 8. Daniel said I could go up--alone. Not quite the same.

We found a great golden calf the night we got into Lucca. Jonas was a little scared...

I absolutely loved that all the cities were covered in Christmas lights.

We walked the city wall in the morning.

Then we went and explored some Roman ruins that had required digging up the floor of a church to excavate. My little explorers searching for monsters.

This was the farmhouse appartment. It was perfect; totally relaxed and comfortable. Not a bad place to take shelter from some of the nastier whether we experience.

I was a total sucker for these exposed-beam ceilings; I love them!

An upside down map at the Science Museum (which was kind of a let down since most of the exhibits are closed until spring). Jaxon is pointing out Italy.

Climbing the Torre del Mangia in Siena

Jaxon is quite the tower climber. But whenever I would ask him if he wanted to climb a tower, he would say "But we will take the stairs, because it is safer." I guess he thought I was proposing the climb up the outside of it.

Il Campo square. I love this square!

The Siena duomo

Visiting another Tuscan hill town, Monteriggione, on a rainy day.

I love the quaint little streets.

A trip to the armour museum was a surprising blast for the kids.

Jaxon looking very intimidating.

Jonas found this little secret passage the next time we went to Siena.

Wandering the Pitti Palace gardens in Florence.

The view from the top of the duomo in Florence.

A visit to St. Margherite de Ligure just north of Cinque Terra. It was a good place for a pit stop on the way home.

And then we headed back home, 8 days and about a hundred museums later.