HELP! I’VE FALLEN IN (love with) TUSCANY AND I CAN’T GET UP

Then What Do My Wondering Eyes Should Appear…

     A week before Christmas, during the rush to get the two school sing-a-longs together, and deal with the Christmas Eve music at church, I got an e-card…from Donatella: Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2010  Donatella     

    I was amazed that she had even remembered who we were.  It wasn’t like I had 

kept up correspondence; I hadn’t emailed in three months.  To be honest, I thought 

she’d have ‘cut bait’ and moved on to more lucrative ‘waters’.  Yes, she was definitely fishing, but she was just so darn cute about it, I got ‘filled’ with the Christmas spirit 

and just wanted to pay a thousand buck just to meet and drink wine with her.  Nothing clandestine, just drink and talk.

BUON NATALE DONATELLA!!
Oh mio Deo! Grazie for the card! Mi Piace... We haven't forgotten
you. We had to get air line tickets...!!!!!!!!!!!!...so that has taken up
our 'tempo'. Would Monday, giugne 21 work for you for a visit to Chianti? I hope so.
We have been 'on' and 'off' two times with our friends who wanted to join
us. Mi dispiace. So it is just Marianne and I.
The best holidays to you and your family.
And Happy New Year!
I don't know how we are going to be able to wait 6 more months...!?
MOLTO GRAZIE!
David and Marianne Jones

Hi David, Hi Marianne,
great news!
Monday, June 21st 2010 is still available and I will plan
something really special for you!
Let me know asap if you want to book, at which point I
require a small deposit for the booking…
Have a great holiday season.
Auguri,
Donatella

     ‘Auguri’--Best wishes.  Wow, she can work it well.  I knew that this was going to set up back ‘big time’, but I didn’t care:

Buon Natale!
Si. Let's do it. Send me the paper work and I'll make a deposit.
If you want to wait until after the holidays, that's fine.
Quite honestly, I can't remember what your last offer was for just the one day.
When you have time, per favore let me know.
Grazie.
Pax,
David and Marianne Jones

   I suddenly realized that I hadn’t even thought of the Scattini’s. Even though we we’re the ones making their 2010 Christmas merry and bright, they were kind enough to ‘take 

us in’ and show us Italy.  I found a fine e-card, it had a video from YouTube with winter/Christmas pictures from Italy’s famous landmarks, and a cute recording of a kids choir singing an Italian Natale folk song.  When Marianne saw it she didn’t think much of it, “You should have done this…” but, oh well, call me a child at heart.

     Then, Rosetta and Fernando replied:

Dear David and Marianne,

thaaank you very much for your special Christmas ecard !!!

Your is a special gift as given us 5 special minutes to realize how we are lucky and that nothing can be nicer than something that can feel our heart of love.

We wish you and your dear ones a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!

Fernando and Rosetta

Equally cute, but at the same time it was heart-felt.  I hoped they would have a “Buone Feste”.

     Then we got an e-card from someone we didn’t think we even knew: BUONE  FESTE  HAPPY HOLIDAYS  Barbara Anselmi  Florence & Tuscany.com

  The only clue was ‘Florence and Tuscany’, which had to be the rental company we dealt with in Florence.  Maybe they owned the company—who knows.  So then I decided that I should send Cristina G. a greeting because of her help.  Then I should send something to Dario for his help, and the list would go on…

Dario …

Dario, Buon Natale!
Grazie for all the help you have given us for traveling in Tuscany in 2010.
If we had the money, we would tour Dievole, but maybe in a different life.
Hope all is well. From your recent pictures, you have been traveling? Buono.
Auguri,
David and Marianne Jones

     I really didn’t expect Dario to respond.  It was the week of Christmas and the man’s got other things going on in his life.  But he did:

David!

20 euros for 5 glasses of wine plus a tour and snacks is too much? What are you going to be drinking in Italy, water?

This guy is every the salesman.  I responded, expecting him to say no:

Dario:
You are great...
Listen...our plan: We are driving from Montalcino and June 30, hopefully before noon. We could swing around through Vagliagli and have a sample, but, we have to have the car back in Empoli by 2:00 PM--reposo? Can we do that--driving like 'little old' people...?
Ciao,
David and Marianne Jones

Dario responded after Christmas:

mmm the 30th is a bad day as I will be in Contrada (palio days) but yes maybe we can work something out

Oh crap, he was talking like he really wanted to do it!

Dario:
We don't want you to go out of your way, or miss any part of Palio preparations. We physically can't 

be in Vagliagli until 10:30 or 11:00 on the 30th. Getting the rental back could be a challenge after sampling 5 glasses of vino....?
We leave it to you.
Grazie.
Bene anno,
David and Marianne Jones

     I figured that Dario would not be able to get out of Contrada obligations and we won’t ever hear from him again.  So we decided we should just forget about that leg of the trip back to Empoli from Montalcino.