Ultimate Italy--Tuscany – Our Pre-Cruise Extension

Tim and I ordered room service for breakfast and then finished packing for the next phase of our trip, our pre-cruise extension entitled “Ultimate Italy – Tuscany.” 

Leaving Il Tornabuoni after Breakfast

We were so appreciative that Viking’s local tour operator had arranged for a driver to pick us up and take us to our hotel. John arrived promptly at 11:00 am, and we drove the short distance to Villa Olmi Firenze, our hotel for the next three nights.

Villa Olmi was a replacement for our original hotel. Unfortunately, Villa Il Poggiale, where we had been scheduled to stay, had closed for renovations. Since Villa Olmi is so close to Florence, we missed the originally planned day in Tuscany, with a stop for lunch at a farmhouse and a drive through the Chianti region’s scenic countryside on the way to Villa Il Poggiale. Oh well, we just go with the flow.

Villa Olmi, a restored eighteenth-century estate, was quite nice, but it didn’t compare to the photos we had seen of the other hotel. It was, however, tastefully decorated for Christmas. I would also imagine the formal Italian gardens would be beautiful at the right time of year.

Villa Olmi Firenze

We Enjoyed the Christmas Decorations

Our Room

Tim and I were some of the first to arrive, and we ate lunch with two other couples. Bonnie and Dick were lots of fun, and we learned that they live in Cheyenne, Wyoming, so close to us. The other couple seemed odd, and we soon realized that she had dementia, and he wasn’t in much better shape. We would later name them Mr. and Mrs. W. 

Although flights for many of the others were delayed by snow in Frankfort, most everyone arrived in time for dinner at the hotel. There, we met Barbara, our tour director, and learned that there were only 20 in our group, a manageable number. We also saw Mary and Dick, with whom we had cruised last year.

Mr. and Mrs. W were in the room next to us, and she walked the halls all night, knocking on people’s doors. There was also lots of yelling coming from their room, which kept me awake. In the morning, we heard even more stories, which only added to the drama.