Chianti Ramblings

Didn't post many pix of Chianti during my Italy trip...they loaded slowly into the blog.  Back in Monterey, they're filling in with lightning speed.  This is a typical scene in Chianti.  Rolling countryside, vineyards, olive groves, Tuscany cypresses rising gracefully into a bright sky.

Several days were showery.  The olives are getting nicely watered after the warm, dry summer.

Towering thunderheads enhanced the sunsets.  The countryside around the villa was perfectly quiet at such times, except for birdsong.  Sipping a glass of wine, soaking in the peace and beauty...La Dolce Vita indeed.

As night falls, the grounds of our villa sparkle.

La piscina at dusk.

The villa in the evening.  We spent a lot of time on the patio, which was almost enclosed by brick and glass and stayed warm well into the evening.  Meals were often taken alfresco.

The town hall of Radda in Chianti, an enchanting village in the heart of wine country.  The noon bells were ringing as I shot the photo.

The countryside around Radda features many vineyards on hillsides.  That location subjects them to less frost than if they were located on valley floors.

The wild boar is the marquee critter of Chianti.  They've been hunted here for at least 2500 years, since Etruscan times.  On Sunday mornings shots echo through the hills as the locals continue their porcine quest.  Although in high demand for prosciutto, the boars have continued to thrive...this is a big one, at least 150 kilos, I reckon.  He was nice enough to graze right by the highway.