Thursday, May 31st -- Today we went to the Avignonesi Winery for a tour and lunch. On the way there we stopped at a local outlet mall to purchase an extra bag for our trip to Paris. I mistakenly believed that by paying an extra $20 for an additional bag allowance, we would be able to add an additional 20 kg (44 pounds) of weight between the Fellers and ourselves.  Wrong!! I paid the extra $20 only to find that we could check an extra bag, but not an ounce more of weight. We have a total of 80 kg between the four of us, and it matters not a hoot if that is spread between four or now five bags. So we bought an extra bag for $50 and gained not an iota. Who says flying within Europe is inexpensive?

Well, our lunch at Avignonesi made up for the screw up with the luggage. The weather was perfect, sunny but not too hot, an incredibly gorgeous landscape, an interesting tour, and a fabulous lunch served in a magnificent outdoor patio. We were served a total of seven different wines starting with a lovely proseco before the tour, a chardonnay aged in stainless steel, three reds, a late harvest dessert wine, and grappa. Our waiter never allowed any wine glass to remain without wine until the next was served. We chose a three course lunch beginning with zucchini flan that was indescribly delicious, a fried, a garden salad from their own gardens, a fried lamb dish that was good (not great), and a coffee parfait - fantastic!

We arrived for the tour and lunch at noon and didn't leave until after 3:00 pm.  As I was in no condition to drive, Daniel took the keys (he had as much wine as I, but somehow believed he was in better condition to drive).  We drove to the hill town of Cortona where we parked and walked through the old city inside the walls.  The town traces its roots to the sixth century, but most of the buildings are from the sixteenth and seventeeth centuries. Another jewel of a town and one we were glad we had a chance to visit.

For dinner we chose to have a light snack at the local pizzaria in town.  After the lunch and wine this afternoon, we had no appetite for a full dinner.  Tomorrow we leave for Pisa.