The best part of Tuscany is the hillsides blanketed with vineyard after vineyard (I think I'm repeating myself). The region just to the east of Tavernelle is called Chianti where the famous wines originate. We took a number of drives through this area with stops in Montefioralle, Greve, and Panzano. Matthew and I spent one day exploring further east and ended up in the tiny town of Ponte agli Stolli. Five years ago we had found Sting's villa by asking a local. I stopped the car near two young women taking care of a toddler (there was nobody else in this town) because I had forgotten how to find his place. I asked about Sting's villa and one of them said she ran his food store where he sells his farm's wines and honey. They put the baby in their car and asked me to follow them to his place. After taking a few pictures outside the grounds, we went to the Food Store through the woods but it was shut down for part of the afternoon (this happens all over Italy). We went to nearby Figline and then came back to take more pictures at the main gate while we waited for the Food Store to open. A blonde lady was waiting by the gate to be opened so she could drive through. She asked if she could take Matthew and my picture and commented, "Wouldn't it be funny if Sting came to open the gate himself?" I then realized that I was talking to Sting's wife Trudie Styler. After she drove through the gate (a worker came and opened it so I didn't get to have another 'brush with greatness' moment), we went back to the Food Store and bought some of Sting's wine from our original helper before driving back home through the golden vineyards of Chianti. So there are many reasons for remembering our time in this idyllic corner of the world.
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