Our day yesterday was filled with beautiful scenery as we toured through the hill country outside of Florence. We were in the region of Chianti, made famous for the wine of that same name. Our first stop was San Gimignano, a walled city perched upon a hill which is most famous because of the medieval towers which grace the skyline.
Only 14 of the original 72 have survived. It was a bit of a walk to get from the bus park inside the city walls and a steady incline to get to the main plaza so a few of our folks decided to simply wait near the bus and people watch while others did the walking tour.
Our next stop was Siena, a city founded by the Romans in the first century. In the center of the town is a fan shaped Piazza, where every year they run a famous horse race, with one horse entered from each of the small regions of the city. The city is is decorated with flags that represent each neighborhood, and the winner of the race has bragging rights for the year.
Our final stop was at a vineyard / castle in Chianti where we did an amazing wine tasting and olive oil tasting, followed by a delicious 4 course meal in one of the lovely rooms of the castle.
The views everywhere we looked were simply breathtaking and the pictures cannot do it justice.
This morning we are leaving for Venice with a stop in Pisa. It should be another great day.
Our next stop was Siena, a city founded by the Romans in the first century. In the center of the town is a fan shaped Piazza, where every year they run a famous horse race, with one horse entered from each of the small regions of the city. The city is is decorated with flags that represent each neighborhood, and the winner of the race has bragging rights for the year.
Our final stop was at a vineyard / castle in Chianti where we did an amazing wine tasting and olive oil tasting, followed by a delicious 4 course meal in one of the lovely rooms of the castle.
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