Trying on sophistication with a Tuscan wine and cheese tour, the drone man and giving up on it all

The food and wine and Tuscan countryside called to us this morning and we departed, along with 29 sophisticates, a guide and a driver, in the early Florentine morning. Alex's back, day two on steroids, was still creating the leg pain he's now known for in several countries and I decided to bring my week-old cold with me on the adventure, being careful to cough discreetly and with the utmost decorum. Our bus turned out to be quite cramped, with seats tighter than those on a typical airplane, and the twisty hills of Tuscany provided a speck of car sickness to the mix Alex and I already had going on. Very early on in the journey, we began asking ourselves if this trip would be worth it -- "it" being the money, time and discomfort. Alternately throughout the day, we answered both yes and no to that question.

Our first of three wineries was a lovely little place in the countryside. We toured the wine-making facilities, discovering that Alex and I really don't care much about the process of making wine. But there were plenty of opportunities to take photos and to enjoy the beautiful Tuscan day. At the wine tasting, Alex enjoyed several types of cured meat along with wine pairings and I had some excellent cheeses. Worth it! Afterwards, we hopped back on the torture bus, I mean tour bus, and headed to winery number two, where lunch was to be served. It was in a very remote region of the country, accessible only by dirt road, but the estate was beautiful. 

Here's however, where our little tour became a test of patience. One of the men with us decided to bring his drone with him on our adventure. Every time we were outdoors with our guide, he whirred that thing up, filling the air with a high-pitched whizzing noise that drowned out the tour guide. No worth it. He was super proud of his drone, and droned on and on about how he was going to start a new business going on tours and selling the participants his drone footage. That's creepy and irritating and maybe I'm just a grumpy old person, but maybe instead I just wanted some peace and quiet in the countryside. He was American, of course, all braggy, talking about the Segway tour he was going to go on while his wife did the laundry (a joke his wife did not seem to appreciate). Rant over.

Lunch was tasty and the vineyard had the most beautiful views during all of our travels. We dined on pastas and paired wines and had a really interesting talk with a couple from Memphis, TN, folks we would probably never have talked to without the conversation that a shared meal creates. Worth it.

One last stop at a third winery rounded out the tour. Alex and I skipped the talk about wine making but enjoyed the best wines of the day along with cheese, bread and olive oil. So worth it.

We finished the tour in the little town of Greve, where we were treated to the coolest butcher shop I've ever seen (not that I'm a butcher shop regular) that served gelato with flavors like mozzarella, sprinkled with prosciutto (Alex's choice) and Chianti wine with biscuits (mine). We grabbed some meat and cheese, visited the local bakery for bread and goodies and even bought a little tin of olive oil for a feast when we arrived back in Florence.

It wasn't to be, however. The torture bus took ages to get back and we were beat by the time me did. Wise, we headed for the taxi stand instead of making the 20 minute walk, Unfortunately, our driver got the wrong address and we wound up on a 30 minute taxi ride in heavy traffic, getting home past 7:30, all nauseous and tired and not feeling up for a meal. I was asleep by 8:30, coughing myself to sleep with memories of a beautiful Tuscan day that was, yes, worth it, but no, wouldn't go again. I wonder when we'll be done being sick and sore?