So, day 14. Can't quite believe we have been married for a full 2 weeks. Still feels like our wedding day was a wonderful dream!

After a second strange breakfast on our terrace we packed up and departed from the hotel in Manorola. Fortunately we were allowed to bring the car down to the hotel so as to avoid lugging our bags back up the massive hill!

Less distance to cover today so decided to give the autoroute a miss and take the coastal road down to Pisa. It being a Saturday, and also baking hot, most of Italy seemed to have headed here too and the road was littered with abandoned fiats and mopeds.

Quick stop at Pisa for the required cheesy shot of Jen propping up the leaning tower (see photo) accompanied by disapproving looks from me (ben). Back on the road to find our way to our next stop in the Tuscan countryside.

Unfortunately, our trusty companion on the trip, tom-tom, decided this would be the perfect moment to stop working. Disaster. Especially since I was driving which meant Jen was in charge of directions! Anyway, one slightly illegal u turn at the toll booth later, we finally managed to get on to the right road.

Arriving at the fattoria reception, we were greeted by Mary (the slightly mad, but lovely, German housekeeper) who checked us in then showed us the way to our villa via the medium of fiat panda as we followed her along the dusty bumpy farm track.

Eventually we come to the villa, situated amongst apple, fig and olive trees and perched atop a hill crest with magnificent views from the pool down in to the valley below. Thanks to Mummy K & Graham, and Marie for our weeks accommodation in this gorgeous & tranquil oasis!

After dumping the bags we headed off again to find our way to the local town (well sort of local, it takes about 20mins just to get off the farm!) for supplies. Jen got another opportunity to use her Italian, ordering from the butcher and from the deli.

Back to the villa, I got a barbecue lit and we demolished a bottle of cold, dry rosé as the sun set. We then took our charred and salty steaks (galician style!) inside to avoid the unwanted attention from the mosquitoes.

Anyway we're pretty remote here; no phone reception of wifi, so prob won't be able to do the daily updates. Still it's so quiet and peaceful that I doubt we'll be doing too much of interest aside from lazing by the pool and going for walks to the lake. We will of course update you when we can

Ciao,
B&J xxx