3 different, but equally nice days of tours with clients.

It has been a few days, but I am in the middle of a stretch of 10 days of work in a row, with some of the days being relatively long.  So, I will post when I have a chance to catch up.  Today, I did a meet and greet, then guide a family, the Sheltons, to Impruneta.  From Impruneta, they are on their own for three days on a self guided tour.  I help Dominick with the self guided tour package and guide them out of the city to Impruneta.  It is a nice service and usually a nice guide 1/2 day.  Today's group was a family from Denver, which was fun, as I lived the majority of my life in Denver.  They brought a bit too much gear to take with, and Charlene, the mom, was really loaded down.  Good spirits and attitude will get them happily to Radda tonight.

Yesterday, I did a Florence by Bike Chianti tour for a nice young couple from France.  They both grew up in the south of France, but are now living in Paris.  This was only their second get away after having a baby 9 months ago.  Fun day, and with the forecast calling for rain most of the day, we were lucky to only get around 30 minutes of rain.  We went to Villa Monteoriolo, where our hostess, Eleonora, does a fantastic job of making everyone feel welcome.  She is also an excellent cook, so we have a very nice lunch.  Some of the best olive oil I have had comes from the property, and she does a tasting with us.

Thursday, I did a van supported tour day for Dominick with a group of 4.  Two were sisters and the other two their husbands.  Really nice group and a fun day.  It is nice to have the van to make things easy.  We started above the switchbacks from Galluzzo, then climbed over to Chiesanuova, and rode the ridge over to Villa Corti, just past San Casciano.  They had asked about a tasting, and I had taken a couple of groups here before, so we just dropped in and it was great.  Three of the four were pretty tired when we got there, so it was a good time to regroup and gain energy.  All four rode over to Mercatale, then down through Luiano to the main road.  Soon the ladies got in the van, and they guys rode to Greve, where all the bikes were back on the van and we had a nice, relaxed lunch.  Great day.

After a wine tasting, ready to get back on the road.  My Thursday

van supported tour with Michelle, Susan, Fred, and Ron.  Great 

day, group!  This is at Villa le Corti a vineyard and winery 

just outside San Casciano in Chianti.

Michelle still happily riding, although the end was near here.

Gilliaume and Sara at Villa Monteoriolo on Friday's Florence

by Bike Chianti tour.  Nice couple from France and a fun 

day.  Rain forecast, but only 30 minutes of rain encountered.

On my way back from today's meet and greet, I stopped just 

below Luiano to take these two pictures.   Yes, I did hit a little

rain on my return to Florence.

The Chianti ridge from Luiano.