Day 7 – IPMM Day 2

Thank goodness I didn’t present this day!!! I woke up still a little woozy…thankfully the feeling subsided by noon. We reviewed all of the regions updates then it was off to have some fun!

This was the day of our team building outing and it was wonderful!!! We started by taking a bus up to a small town overlooking Florence called Fiesole. It was the original “city” during the Roman times and eventually they moved down to the valley where present day Florence is located. Alison, Barry and I walked the city and got some beautiful photos and longed to live in the Italian villas we passed. They were just beautiful homes with the best views you can even imagine.

On our walk, we also saw this smart pup! The owner patted her leg to get the pup to jump on between her legs, then the pup tucked her tail in to drive off! Check out that smile!

After walking the town, we met for our guided tour of the Roman ruins. It was pretty amazing that they would just let you walk all over the grass and stairs. There was no where that was blocked off! I tried to take in as much of the stories as I could, but that darn ADD kicked in! :) Alison did fill me in on neat details (after pinching me for not listening). They talked about the 2 Roman baths and the “hot tub” that was heated by adding hot coals to the water from a nearby fire. The pools were pretty cool and innovative. It was actually a walk in pool instead of a big hole in the ground. They were so smart! This is my wonderful workstation friend Siobhain and me on the tour...
Did I mention I get a little bored on guided tours...Linda and I decided to have a little fun with the signs around the ruins...dorks, I know. :)
After the tour we sat for a little bit at an outdoor café…with another super view. The smell of the wine still wasn’t settling just right still! :)

After chilling and snacking on mini pizzas, chips and nuts, we went up the hill to take a group pic. Can I just ask, WHY OH WHY you can’t get 80 people to focus and look in one direction??? I guess I just was trained well by drill team of the logistics of lining up and smiling for pics! Cheese!

We boarded the bus and drove for about an hour through beautiful Tuscany into Chianti. We arrived at the Castello del Trebbio. We started by taking 1000 pics of the property and surround areas. It seemed unreal. You can even stay on the vineyard in one of the guest houses. Would be an incredible experience!

We were then taken on a walking tour of the area by the husband of one of the decedents that owns the castle. Their family now lives in part of the castle and they grow grapes and olives on the property. He detailed the history of the family, their castle, the groundskeeper and how they make their phenomenal wines and olive oils. Who knew so much went into the process of making these yummy treats?!

This is the awesome groundskeeper, who has been there for a very long time...60 years maybe???!?! Oh, I need to learn to focus! I'm sure Alison can comment and correct me!

From the tour, we had appetizers and dinner in their restaurant family style…trying different wines throughout the various courses. It was delightful. I could have eaten nothing but their bread with plain olive oil all night…it was beyond description!

UPDATE: Thanks to Nikki busting me on the comments, yes, this is when I busted my arse...but held on to my vino and camera!! :)

After dinner, we visited the gift shop and I picked up a 3 pack of olive oils…they are all pure varieties, each from a different olive, used for different dishes like salad, beef or chicken.

When we arrived at the hotel, everyone headed up to get some rest for day 3 of the meetings…and my day to present. EEK! I came down to the lobby to get a power adapter and a few people were in the lobby bar, so spent a little time socializing…but, did get to bed at a decent hour! :)