Tuscany

Our guide shows up at 9a. Today we will drive through the Tuscan countryside to Siena and San Gimignano.

Siena is a hour and a half ride. The two lane highway is narrow, with barely enough room for the big trucks. Our guide is Massimo, and he points out various historical sites on the way to Siena.

Siena is full of narrow alleys, which reminds me of villages in India. Some tourists forego Florence and instead spend time in Siena, preferring to take day trips to Florence and Rome. Now that I am in Siena, I think I know why. It has a nice small town atmosphere that is extremely attractive.

We buy wine and pasta at a local store. Wife picks up more hand sketches elsewhere. We wander down to the Piazza Il' Campo. It is a huge square with City Hall on one side; on other sides are shops and restaurants. It is 12 in the afternoon, with the sun beating down on us. The guide book says that the square in the evening is teeming with people and takes on an entirely different character.

This has been a short visit to Siena. We have barely an hour or two to spend. It is on to San Gimignano..

The ride to SG is beautiful and takes us through rolling hillsides and vineyards. The Tuscan countryside reminds me of the ride on Highway one through Paso Rables in California. SG is a village inside a fort that sits right on top of a hill. There are shops galore, and plenty of wine shops. The local grape is called Vernaccia and we buy some more wine.

After lunch, I sense that I am catching a cold. My throat's begun to scratch. Around 2, we head back to Firenze.