Italy: Under the Tuscan Sun

The title of this post references the book (later made into a movie) written by Frances Mayes.  She moved to Cortona and bought a house just minutes outside of the city walls. Frances lived in a fixer upper, but we stayed in a place fit for a king.

Sebastian and Megan put us in one of the local B&Bs just blocks from the Piazza Repubblica. The B&B, Dolce Maria, rocked.

Ben and I giggled with excitement as the owner, Paola, led us through archways and around century old furniture to reach our room. We tried to act like staying at a place that nice was customary for us, but let's be real. I squealed loudly when Paola threw open the window's five foot wooden shutters to reveal hundreds of clay roofs and the Tuscan hills.

Every morning, Paola and her mother baked enough Italian goodies to cover a table.  Paola's mother, who spoke only Italian, conversed with Ben during every breakfast. I listened and tried to follow along, but my constant chewing on the endless supply of pastries often dampened their voices. So, I didn't learn as much Italian as planned.

Below are some room pics.

Frances Mayes' house post renovation. We drove by to check it out.