Autumn in Tuscany

When we got back to Italy after our Summer trip, the harvest season was in full swing. I was asked to take some photos of the harvesting and processing at a local vineyard - Ultima Pietra.

2019_09_L1210490.jpg
2019_09_L1210573.jpg
2019_09_DSCF3351.jpg
2019_09_DSCF3382.jpg
2019_09_L1210927.jpg
2019_09_L1220022.jpg
2019_09_L1220024.jpg

The next week Coral and Peter arrived to stay with us for a week.

2019_09_L1220225.jpg

We had a great time with them, and even managed to run into a medieval festival or two.

2019_09_L1220138.jpg
2019_09_L1220163.jpg

As the temperature dropped in Tuscany, we started to get an amazing morning fog.

2019_09_IMG_3016.jpg
2019_09_L1220328.jpg
APC_4753.jpg
2019_09_APC_4643.jpg

We tried to make the most of the weather, knowing that winter was coming fast. We visited more tuscan towns…

2019_09_L1220352.jpg

and vineyards…

2019_09_DJI_0509.jpg
2019_09_DJI_0519.jpg

and outdoor art galleries…

2019_09_L1220395.jpg

and vintage farm equipment exhibitions.

2019_09_L1220316.jpg

The kids also participated in the Global Climate Strike, including a march through the streets of Siena. It was great seeing so many young people coming together.

2019_09_L1220414.jpg
2019_09_DSCF4048.jpg
2019_09_L1220579.jpg

Although some of the signs may have been a bit lost in translation.

2019_09_DSCF4122.jpg

I have a tradition of taking each of the girls away for a weekend before they start high school. There was a pop culture convention in Rome that weekend, so we packed our bags and headed South.

2019_10_L1220762.jpg
2019_10_L1220770.jpg

Polly was adamant that she didn’t want to see any historic sights but I managed to ‘accidentally’ take us past a couple.

2019_10_L1220840.jpg
2019_10_L1220852.jpg

Then it was time to swap one leased red Peugeot for another and head back to Siena.

2019_10_L1220844.jpg
2019_10_L1220846.jpg

When we got back, the harvest had switched from grapes to olives. I headed back to Ultima Pietra to capture the process.

2019_10_DSCF4154.jpg
2019_10_DSCF4364.jpg
2019_10_L1230570.jpg
2019_10_L1230444.jpg
2019_10_L1230613.jpg

Did I mention the fog?

2019_10_DJI_0599.jpg

I had really wanted to do some kind of athletic activity this year, and the Chianti Classico half marathon seemed perfect. 21km of dirt roads and vineyards

APC_4995.jpg

Followed by a (of course) three-course lunch with unlimited wine.

APC_5040.jpg

As Autumn came to an end, we managed a few more days out exploring Tuscany.

2019_10_L1230791.jpg
2019_10_L1230803.jpg

Then it was time to pack the house for our week in Israel and our move to the city.

But that’s another story.