On our last full day in Barga, we went to tour and have lunch at a classic Tuscan vineyard and visited the small hilltop town of Montecarlo.  We went to the same vineyard last year and I was eagerly looking forward to the delicious lunch and the beautiful scenery.  Just walking up to the vineyard is a treat.  The gravel path is covered by a canopy of trees and dappled with shade and a smattering of sunbeams. The tables are beautifully set under open-air structures.  It’s a dream setting and it was a perfect day to visit this venue.  It was warm and sunny, but not too hot. Fattoria Il Poggio, the vineyard revisited, was the perfect balance between being high-end and having a comfortable family feel. Since I already toured the vineyard last year, I decided to sit on a bench in the shade to write in my journal

Well, when we were in Barga this year, we were asked by Dana (our host & guide of The Inspired Tourist) if we’d like to attend a cooking class.  Of course, my mom and I signed up for that!  When you have a chance to interact with locals through an experience like learning to cook local dishes from them, you take it. So, one afternoon, we headed over to La Mezza Luna, a bed & breakfast and cooking school, for Tuscan style cooking and dining with Rita.  It also happens to have a beautiful view. Rita was one of the most delightful people I met on our trip.  She is warm and boisterous; an Italian woman born and raised in Scotland.  Because of her Scottish upbringing. She still speaks English with a thick accent.  So much so, that you almost forget she’s Italian. Rita assessed group, which was the largest