6/8/12: A Glimpse of Heaven

I woke with a burst of adrenaline. My first adventure beyond Florence was set to begin within the hour. Brittney, Allie, and I were headed to Chianti, a small town in Tuscany, for a day filled with horseback riding and wine tasting. We had booked the excursion through a student travel agency called Florence for Fun, an organization that we would utilize frequently during our stay in Florence. I could hardly wait to see with my own eyes a glimpse of the Italian countryside. 

We met our tour leader near the train station. The first group had already departed, leaving our trio with two Australian students, a young couple, and another woman. We boarded the van and headed out into the unknown. Our guide was extremely friendly and one of the most outgoing people I have ever met. He was funny, spontaneous, an erratic driver, and in love with American pop music. Having her IPOD handy, he deemed my roommate DJ Allie, "one nation one station," placing her officially in charge of tunes for the trip. Speeding and weaving down the Tuscan highways, he decided that we were going to stop at San Giminiano just for fun. After seeing the view from the hilltop city, we were grateful for the suggestion.

San Giminiano 

The town was surrounded by a thick stone wall, reminding me of Medieval fortress cities. The interior, also covered in stone from ceiling to floor, was beautifully decorated with flags and flowers at each turn. The group wandered throughout the town, exploring small family owned shops. Many sold wine, others promoting pasta or handmade goods. Our guide, sensing our love for food, brought us to the Pluripremiata Gelataria, winner of the world's best gelato in 2006 and 2008. My mouth watered; my first taste of gelato would literally be famous. For a few euros, we tasted a scoop of heaven. While we walked around, our guide borrowed our cameras to capture some eating action shots. On our way out, he showed us the structure that had been the original inspiration for the Twin Towers in NYC. It was a little sad seeing those towers still erected while the buildings in New York had been destroyed over a decade ago.

Ready for horseback riding!

Our next stop was the horseback riding farm in the countryside. With one look at Allie's Chuck Taylor's and my flats, the owner, a worldly Italian man, shook his head. We were going to be forced to change shoes. He lead us to a room filled with helmets, boots, etc. where he selected short boots for us to put on instead. He fitted us with helmets, next, completing our stylish looks to mount the horses. Particular in every way, the owner matched us each with certain horses, then revealing that the each horse held a certain spot in the line. Mine would be directly behind the owner's, with Allie behind me. Brittney would be further back in the line, but we would all be riding the same path together. 
After a short dose of rain, it was time to mount the horses, my least favorite part of the general horseback riding experience. My biggest fear of life is falling, making getting on a horse a bit of an insecurity. When it was my turn, I noticed that the saddle was missing the horn in the center. How was I going to hoist myself up or hold on during the ride? Somehow I managed to get on the horse, clutching the edge of the saddle as much as possible. In order to stay there, however, I was forced to cling tightly for the entire journey. 
We began trotting along a path through the farm, viewing the rolling pastures and the unending views of fields. I was a bit disappointed at first, wanting to see the spectacular views that I had only heard about or seen in films. Finally, after riding up a hill and around a bend, the skyline opened to the perfect vision of Tuscany that I had always hoped to see. Miles and miles of perfect flower rows grounded the scene to reality. Blue skies, rolling hills, and stone homes spread before me as far as the eye could see. It was unbelievable. Heaven has to look like Tuscany.
On the journey back to the stables, we descended the steep hill. I felt my horse struggle a bit to keep balance. All of a sudden, my horse stumbled. I caught myself precariously, a bit startled. Within seconds I heard Allie's horse trip in the same spot. I whipped around to see her tumble head first over the head of the horse. For a moment I could not breathe, not knowing what to do. I watched her sit up, a little shaken, but okay. The owner dismounted and came over to her, helping her up. He then inspected the horse, paying her much more attention than he had Allie. He finally turned to her again and gestured for her to get back on the horse. I was a little surprised that he would not just allow her to walk the rest of the way after falling. Nonetheless, she bravely got back on the horse and finished the ride. 

Wine Tasting

When we returned to the stables, 
it was easier for me to see that Allie was truly not injured. With that snag behind us, we were taken to Monteriggioni for lunch and wine tasting. We entered a larger restaurant, spacious for Italian standards, and sat down with the group. Lunch was included within the price of the day, so we were a bit unsure what to expect. After a while, the waiters brought out many small dishes, containing bread and meats. Ravenous, we demolished the plates within minutes, hoping that we would be served a second course. At last, we were each given a plate containing two types of pasta. The sauce was immensely flavorful and unique, satisfying my hungry stomach. Upon the end of our luncheon, we migrated to the basement of the winery next door. The woman who administered the wine tasting knew quite a bit about the origins of each wine, telling us precisely where each had been created. Unfortunately, all of them were much to dry and bitter for my taste, leaving Brittney to swallow most of my glasses. However, the experience was rather enjoyable, nonetheless. 


MAKE IT COUNT - R.M.S.