Hello Monsummano Terme!! ...with update

Talk about another adventure with a capital "A"!!   woooooooo-weeeeeeeee!  A bit sceery but so worth it in the end. Suffice it to say that my butt is on the very tip-top of a mountain in a castle that has only 5 rooms in it!!  Had to get Franco to bring me here because the taxi-drivers don't know where it is and there sure ain't a bus that comes up here!!  Even Franco had a hard time finding it and I was a leetle concerned most of the time.  Kept repeating to myself the mantra from my boyfriend....."The difference between and adventure and an ordeal is the attitude"!!  I may have said that to myself 20 times on the way up here!  http://www.villasanbastiano.it/  check out that site because their pics are from the air.
So, when we finally got here yesterday, it was cloudy and drizzling and COLD! big time cold.  It hasn't been cold the whole time I've been here.  Get checked in and wowza.....paradise. And when they give you not one, but two, bottles of prosecco as a welcome gift....one for welcome and one for appertivo........well, hello!! 

Franco...one of my new best friends!  Lisa....he said to tell you HI!!

yep folks...that's my B&B!

view from my room!

This castle looks out over 6 provinces of Italy!

Look at the shower! It's folding glass doors that when folded out maked into a square! right on the floor with a drain in the middle.  works like a charm!

the bell tower on my walk from room to restaurant last night.  oh. the food? Well, thats a whole nuther post in and of itself!!

And the only shot of sunset last night because of rain....

Have to run now to catch the dusk time here at this magical place!  Will update with more pics later!

 Wanted to show you just how magical this place was....the owners are a mom, pop, son and daughter. And they do EVERYTHING. Mom and daughter are the chefs....never see them unless they come to pick fresh herbs by the rooms. Dad runs business side of all. Son is the reservations man, the checker in guy, the waiter...and he brought me 1hr 40 to my next destination because they were all so upset when a taxi driver tried to charge me 190 euros to do it!!  Dad and son shook their heads and said they were very ashamed that Italy tried to snake me.  He took me for nuthin...with a complete tour of every city, road and vineyard we drove past.  So so nice.

entrance into the b&b.  church and bell tower

beautiful shrine right inside

saw this lil walk out of corner of my eye driving in

as I walked up to it, look what I found on the edge of the mountain...

a beautiful cemetery!

front of the church and bell tower

where the 5 b&b bedrooms are .... used to be the monestery

the view on the other side. my room was first 2 windows on left bottom

sitting areas like this all over the property

Little unassuming door to the restaurant...

that looked like THIS on the inside!! First night I was only guest and they served me like it was a full night. I had the same table both days....for the breakfast part of B&B and for dinner..right by the window!

they also have an outside terrace for pretty days and wedding receptions....this is that view

looking at the restaurant from my room

the tower by the gates leaving San Bastione....I think I left a leetle piece of my heart at this place. It was definitely a photographer's dream!

 

So wait............guess what else I did?

http://www.grottagiustispa.com/eng/i_thermal_grotto.htm

their pics are copyrighted and I wasn't allowed to take my camera in but this is grotta giustispa, underground caves, that you are led to in a heavy tunic where you sit in comfy chairs for 30 min to sweat..then you make a rest stop for 10 1/3 of the way up and another 10 min rest almost back to the top.  crazy, eh?

It was delightful!  Little weird at first because you feel slightly claustrophobic but after you acclimate, you sweat your guts out.  Then you have a mineral water shower and swim....SO MUCH FUN!!  check out the link up there....it's fun to read about!

And next?? THE FOOD!