Tuscany, Italy
After the craziness of Rome it was nice to relax in the slow paced countryside of Tuscany. The family owned hotel was beautiful and we were lucky to have it almost all to ourselves. We also had a lovely cooking demonstration where the chef showed us how to make homemade pesto pasta. Tuscany was also the place where our group really bonded! We had two dinners in Tuscany where we sat with everyone at two large tables. This gave us the chance to get to know the other families as we listened and sang along to the live music! Everyone was laughing their way back to their rooms after fun-filled days!
Live music by Alessandro Bianchi @alebmusician on Instagram
Megan with our unique room key. Caroline had a very difficult time opening the door, so Megan kept the key. Caroline tried to open the door for about 5 minutes straight before she gave up.
Group dinners in Tuscany were a highlight of the trip. It was nice to talk to the other families in the group. We talked a lot with the Wests from Florida. They also loved Disney and Michelle had done the DCP which I was very interested in! I also shared our plans for Disneyland Paris with them, since we would be making a stop after the tour ended.
florence american cemetery
On our way to Venice, we stopped at the Florence American Cemetery. This was an open time slot for Bea to choose where to take us based on group interests. Our dad served in the Army for 32 years, so this was particularly special to him. We got a quick tour, and she shared lots of meaningful stories about the soldiers and their families. Megan and our Dad even went to her office to ask more questions after the tour.
This place was hauntingly beautiful, and while deeply sad, it's important for the fallen soldiers to be remembered and memorialized.