Friday 28^th September and Saturday 28^th September

Next morning, the bus takes all of us close to Grossetto to visit Fattoria Le Pupile, belonging to a very clever lady, Elizabetta Geppetti who won the Winemaker of the year in 2006! She’s the only Winery owner we have met on the whole trip, as it is still a small company.  But quite a sexy performance as she showed us around the cellars.

Yes, we enjoy this wine!

That’s a lot of wines to remember?

Elizabetta with her daughter Allessandra, Pepe (our Italian member and Bart Duykers, the Andaman Wine Club organizer).

Look at those flashy eyes, like Mother like Daughter!

Francis placing himself for the dinner after our wine tour,

David gets to sit next to Elizabetta’s daughter

So back to our little apartment at Tenuta di Colle Massari for the night, and sleep off the wine consumption!

Saturday 28^th September

That’s it for the Wine Tasting – just the last night in Rome today to celebrate a successful week. 

Bart decided to get the bus drive to take us along the beautiful coast via Porto Santo Stefano, on the peninsula of ARGENTARIA.  Sue and I take a climb up to the castle for the views and a bit of Etruscan history in the Museum there, before a seafood lunch overlooking the harbour. 

After our arrival at the Empire Palace Hotel in Rome, we all meet up again for our final meal together, and a huge complex called EATALY – a massive supermarket with everything good that is Italian and restaurants on 2 other floors

We have a free day to visit Rome next day – most people take a tour – we visit the nearby Borghese Gardens which give a spectacular view over Rome, and have lunch at a little restaurant ‘Cul de Sac’ just close to the Piazza Navona, one of my very favorite squares.

Sue & Ian decide to join us to take a view over Rome next day from the Borghese gardens nearby – a bit cloudy – but not raining yet!

View from the Borghese Gardens overlooking Rome

Lunch in Rome close to the Piazza Navona, in a recommended restaurant called Cul de Sac –a perfectly placed little trattoria with excellent food and wine at a very reasonable price

Lunch with Ian and Sue Lancaster

Piazza Navona which used to be known as the ‘Circus Argonalis’ (competition arena), changed later from Agone to Navona, now has 3 ancient and famous fountains with statues.

The Fontana del Nettuno (calderari) built in 1576

Castel San Angelo and Ponte Sant’Angelo

We had dinner that evening with Paolo who used to be David’s printing supplier in Rome, and his girl-friend Gaia, a recently widowed lady.  It was good to catch up, it was 16 years since we had seen them!