The numbers were much down on what was anticipated. The UK contingent had been around a dozen aircraft, but we were now down to three and a total of five UK occupants. The weather was the enemy and it was this that ‘did’ for most of them, being particularly bad to the west of France where most of them were coming from after an earlier meet up. There was an Italian contingent who had flown up from Latina with Riccardo in a couple of planes with about the same number of people. Unfortunately, other than Riccardo, only one of the other Italians spoke English well enough to attempt to converse (of course none of the UK contingent could speak Italian). So conversation tended to be in these two separate groups.
Well I was feeling much better after my ‘gastric episode’ and ready for the day. The weather could not have been better, sunny and warm and little wind. We had a mini-bus and driver for the stay and after breakfast at the converted Convent, we piled in the minibus for a drive to Pienza, the highest town in Tuscany and as it happened the birthplace of Pope Pius the second. Well the Pope was keen to leave his mark by making a few civic improvements to his birthplace so he virtually rebuilt the town in very grand architecture and put an enormous church in the centre. It is a very picturesque town and well worth a visit.
The church in Pienza
Stunning views from Pienza
We didn’t have long, so after an authentic cappuccino we were back on the bus for a drive to the Carpineto vineyard. One of the Italian guys on our tour was very much involved in brand management and the wine business and he apparently talked a contact in to giving us a vineyard tour and lunch. This was a fair sized commercial vineyard and they had three or four more vineyards and production centres around Tuscany, so although it was a family business, it was a very sizeable and professionally run business.
Roses in the vineyard, there for a reason!
We were met by the owner and his son who walked us around the vineyard explaining how things worked as we went. We saw the vines, the roses at the end of each row of vines (apparently they are more susceptible to pests and mildew so they get it two or three days before the vines, allowing the grower to treat the vines). We saw the vast warehouse of ageing barrels and the stainless steel fermentation tanks.
Derek and Tammy figuring they could get a barrel back in the Cherokee 6!
Stainless steel fermentation tanks
After this we wandered around and saw the ancient olive oil trees and back to the main house for a simple but truly excellent lunch, with of course lots of wine sampling! We were joined by the owner wife and his sons wife and had a truly excellent lunch. They bade us farewell with more take home samples – great, that’s two litres less of fuel then (for weight and balance), but in a good cause!
Lunch at the Carpineto vineyard
You can just imagine Russell Crowe as Gladiator walking up the road!
One the way back, Riccardo got the news that another forumites and his lady were on their way from the party in the west of France and had flown through some very interesting weather to get here. We immediately agreed to divert to the airfield to pick him up.
Skydriller with his well deserved Raduno plaque
Back to the hotel for an evening meal as a group at the hotel, which I suppose after what we had experienced so far was always going to suffer in comparison. After the meal, we all wandered the 1k or so up hill into the town of Cortona by night. I think the main group went for an ice cream and grappa, while my wife and I split off to explore the town. It is a lovely and very interesting town with loads of narrow passages and quite hilly and well worth a more detailed explore.
Although I was feeling fine, I wasn’t up for any late night drinking, not with flying the next day, so we both slipped away to bed at a sensible hour.
