Thursday night we celebrated the end of the first week of classes with dinner at the boys' apartment. Chris made delicious chicken while the rest of us drank some wine and bonded.
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| Some meat was a nice break from the pasta diet |
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| My roommates and two of the three boys |
After dinner we went out for a little while and then returned home to try to get some sleep. Four hours later we woke up and headed to meet some other girls for a Tuscan wine tour.
When we arrived to the Tuscan countryside, we were given bikes and helmets and headed off to San Gimignano. We were all a little worried about the biking part of the tour; when we saw that these bikes were not cute little beach cruisers but instead intense road bikes, we started to question our choice. About two minutes into the ride, we encountered the first hill and then the doubts really started. Picture thirteen sorority girls running on four hours of sleep biking five miles uphill. Misery loves company and we were feeding off of each other. I am sure the tour guides loved the drama we added. My personal favorite remark was from Mary Kate who asked the group, "Is this what a heart attack feels like?"
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| Part of the group |
The ultimate destination, San Gimignano, is on a hilltop and I'm pretty sure it is an optical illusion. No matter how far we rode, the town never looked closer. Feeling discouraged and out of shape, we finally made it to the town.
When we parked our bikes and looked out over Tuscany, the dramatic complaints fell silent as we took in the stunning views. The picturesque panorama was truly overwhelming. Words cannot describe the feeling I got looking out over God's creation. The vibrant colors seemed to be painted onto the horizon to make what I believe is the most beautiful place in the world. Of course I took pictures, but I am hesitant to put them on here because they do not even begin to depict what we saw.
When we finally recovered from the shock of seeing these landscapes for the first time, we entered the medieval city to explore. San Gimignano is a quaint, sleepy town with a lot of history. We are going back with TCU, so I will learn more about the history then. We rewarded ourselves for making it up the hills (well, more like mountains) with some gelato.
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| The inspiration for the original Twin Towers in NYC |
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| Three of the four roommates |
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| Zeta Love from Tuscany |
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| I had such a great time with these girls! |
The bike ride down from San Gimignano was easier but still had hills. This Texas girl is used to flat terrain! We went to a farm where we had a traditional Tuscan lunch of meats and cheeses. The farm makes their own honey, so we got to try some. New favorite thing: put honey on cheese; all the Italians are doing it. I bought some of the honey and am hoping I can save it to take home, but we'll see.
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| The farm where we had lunch |
Lunch was followed by a wine tasting at a local vineyard. We tried ten wines, olive oil, and truffle oil. Talk about some happy girls! The man who led the wine tasting was so informative and entertaining.
At the end of the day we all agreed that this was the best day of the trip so far and even one of the best days of our lives. The tour guides were funny, smart, and joys to be around. If you ever go to Tuscany, use Fun in Tuscany for tours! You don't have to do the bike tour; they offer horse tours as well as moped tours. We are already planning on going back when it gets warmer.
I still can't believe I am lucky enough to be here. I count my blessings everyday and am excited for this journey to continue.
Love from a very happy girl!
Sarah
p.s. GO FROGS! TCU basketball beat the #5 team in the country, Kansas. Always cheering on my school, even 5,000 miles away!
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