Bel Paese (Beautiful Country)

After a week of in processing the program organizes a tour of the surrounding areas, making several different stops to let us explore the area that will be our home for the next couple of years. The best part was that it ended with a stop at a winery for wine tasteing!! :) It is called the Benvenuti (welcome) tour, and even though il tempo aveva caldo (the weather was hot) we saw some beautiful places! Starting with our first stop at Le Sorgenti del Gorgazzo (The Springs of Gorgazzo). Hidden among trees this pond is radiant in color changing from turquoise to emerald green in the sun. The bottom has not yet been touched, but divers have reached a depth of 132 meters. Fossils have been discovered dating back to the early Cretaceous Period (from 100 to 65 million years!) This area is dangerous for those attempting to reach the bottom, and a statue of Jesus Christ has been placed at a depth of nine meters to remember those who lost their lives while exploring it.





Our second stop on the tour was a little market in Porcia! Loved the fact that their fruits and veggies were so BIG and FRESH! There was a little of everything being sold at the market. Everything from fresh fish, to undergarments!! LOL

The third stop was the city center of Pordenone....the little town that we were soon going to be calling home for the next couple of years! We walked down the main street, and saw many of their businesses, and tasted some fine chocolate! The building with the clock is their Town Hall, built between 1291 and 1395.



We also got to go into The Saint Mark Cathedral...which was in and of itself amazing! However we didn't ponder to long since we had three kids and there were people in their trying to pray and worship! :)





After visiting the city center of Pordenone we were taken to the train station so we could practice purchasing train tickets and riding the train! The boys thought this was so COOL!



AHHHH yes, the part I have been waiting for! The last stop of the day was a winery to do some wine tasting!! MMMMMMM we did not go home empty handed!!!




A glass of wine before bed.....the perfect way to end the day!!!