Our first stop upon reaching Florence was to spend a couple of days in a farm stay at Podere Jana in Vinci. Podere Jana in Italian means Jana Farm
Unlike what we are used to see in a farm stay, there was no animal, no vegetable patch or garden and no wheat field in Podere Jana. The only sign of rural farm setting is the huge expanse of olive tree orchards that extend as far as the eyes could see.
Olives growing is an important agricultural activity in Italy. It ranks second after grain and followed by vineyards in third place. Italy is the second largest olive oil producer in EU generating 0.2 million metric tons in 2017. Nearly 60% of olive oil is extra virgin. Italy is also the largest olive oil consumer with a consumption of approx. 11 litres per capita per year. More than 80% of the consumption is extra virgin
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On 18 May, the day before we left the farm stay, we had a simple lunch at a nearby road side store. The views of the surrounding landscape is simply awesome and breathtaking.
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The dinner we had at the farm stay restaurant on 16 May was on record the heaviest I ever had in my life. By the time the second dish was brought in, I was almost done with by the massive starter! That was a meal I could never forget.
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The final night at the farm stay, Sam and Rachel donned the chef's hats and prepared a sumptuous meal for the whole gang.
It was around that time the ice between Livvie and her Sabahan grandparents finally melted!
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In recent years, Italy has become a popular destination for bike trips or cycling challenge. Cyclists are common sight practically in all parts of Italy. We were therefore not surprised to see cyclists doing steep climbs and charging downhill around Vinci.
Italy riders are said to have taken over the roads in such numbers that drivers have become accustomed to sharing roads with them. At weekends, it is not uncommon to see droves of cyclists crowding both sides of the roads or even the entire road itself!
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