Would You Like Some Cheese with that Wine?

Sadly, friday marked the day of our last school trip before we leave to head home, and I must say, that it definitely ended on a good note. Our first stop on the trip with Gaiole, Chianti. When we first arrived there, we were brought to a castle to go on a short tour. But ever since I saw that disney-inspired castle in Munich, nothing compares, so I wasn't very impressed. However, the views that you recieved looking off the terrace could not be described in words.






Once we finished our tour, we headed over to a wine cellar to learn about the infamous Chianti wines. After touring the cellars and seeing the barrels and bottles upon bottles of wine that they produce, we got the opportunity to try them. We walked into this room that was set up for our wine tasting and I felt like I was royalty. The wine glasses shined without a spot on them, there were baskets of crackers, bottles of water to clean the palate. It was the perfect set-up. The first wine we tried was from 2007 and was of course, a Chianti Classic. Despite the fact that I am by far, more of a white wine girl, I actually thoroughly enjoyed this wine. It was a dry, red wine but had a flavor that, for once, I really enjoyed. However, I could not say that for the second. I took one sip of the chianti from 2005 and couldn't swallow it. I think I've just come to the conclusion that I'm more of a beer girl. (I'll just put my pinky up when I drink it to make myself seem more classy) After, they took us for a lunch that was included in our trip and the whole way to the restaurant, I can't tell you how many times I heard the phrase, "If our lunch is another plate of proscuitto, I swear...." For once, I was actually one of those people. I even shocked myself. Thankfully, what we all wanted happened, we didn't get plates upon plates of proscuitto. The meal started off with a plate of cold cuts and bruschetta, however! only one piece of meat was proscuitto so no complaining for the other students (thank god!), then our main course, which believe it or not, I haven't had all of my time in Italy....LASAGNA!!! It was sooo good! Nothing like my mother's lasagna, but this was still reasonable hahaha. Then for dessert was this cake with apple inside of it and some sauce which many people didn't like but I loved it, so I was completely satisfied. After lunch, we got back onto the bus and went to our second stop.
Our last stop before we headed back to Florence was in Montalicino, the birthplace of the famous wine, Brunello. We weren't there for long but what we did was go into a castle looking building that apparently has some of the best views you can recieve there. So we climbed some stairs and ended up on a walkway that went around the whole perimeter of this castle. But the views were to die for:





After, we headed back on the bus and back to Florence for the last time ever being here. I can't believe all my trips are over. It's really sad to think about it, but I know I made friends and memories to last a lifetime.