sometimes you just feel lucky: under the tuscan sun.

i just got back from what i would without a doubt say was and will be one of the best days of my life. i spent the most beautiful sunday "under the tuscan sun." no, i haven't seen the movie but i plan on renting it when i return.

within the first minutes of driving in tuscany (i don't remember the name of the town we were in) i had already fallen in love. the hills covered in small villas, grape vines and olive trees. it was beyond gorgeous. we arrived first at an estate owned by a family whose name i cannot recall. hearing the history behind this place was awesome. then we got to get up close and personal with the olive trees, and our guide explained alll about how olive oil is made. especially how it is so much better here.

i'm not sure if you can see, but there are lemon trees next to the front steps of the house. we were encouraged to smell the lemons, and i was shocked. they smelled like a sweet lemon candy. it was amazing. i wanted to eat it right there. in the winter time they move the big pots into a greenhouse type room in order to keep them warm enough. if you couldn't tell they take food very seriously here in italy.

then we had our wine tasting. we got to taste this amazing olive oil with bread, and he was right it is so much better here. the wines we tasted were great too! it was so neat to hear the science behind how everything is made. wine making really is such an art. there are regulations on growing the grapes to keep the quality high. and there's so many differences depending on the amount of sunlight, the type of soil and the location on the hill as well as on the vine (whether closer or further away from the ground). it's just mind boggling.

we left the estate and went to an old house were we took a cooking class. jessie (our guide) was from arizona and moved here with his wife to start the tour group. he was a chef back in america and he was very well knowledged about food. here are our final products. we made ravioli and fettucine like pasta from just flour and an egg. it was so much fun!

this is the house. it is 800 years old and has been in the man's family for over 100 years. a grandmother and grandfather open it up to these tours, she said in the spring/summer she cooks for people almost everyday. i cannot find the words to describe how wonderful this experience was. the house had the most beautiful charm to it. and the woman was so incredibly kind.

this was my view from the table. the door and all the windows were left open so the cool breeze and fresh air was filling the house. the food smelled wonderful and tasted even better. there was 1950 big band, jazzy type music playing in the background. i felt like i was in an old hollywood film. every now and then the nonna would start singing as she walked through the kitchen or onto the porch. we had three courses, two of which were the pasta we made. and strawberries for dessert. we also had unlimited red wine. i could have sat in the chair at that table for days. i was so content. it was so incredibly peaceful and simple and absolutely beautiful. i literally felt like i was living in a dream.