Thunder and Lightning

This blog entry is from Joanne, fellow traveller and Chris's friend, now ours:

Another adventurous day in Tuscany. Moira is reclining on the couch with her feet up (they are now happy feet) so I am taking over the blog for tonight. Please bear with me.

We were picked up this morning by Beppe and headed off for major shopping. The first stop was a leather outlet mall which featured beautiful purses, gloves and belts. The colours and textures were beautiful and many purchases were carted back to the van. The next stop was heaven for Francesca as she found a major outlet mall. No further comments. After that we drove through the Tuscan country side to Sienna. It is a beautiful medieval village that features an annual horse race through the village. First stop was the Duomo (cathedral) which was extremely elaborate with an exquisite marble floor, a Michaelangelo statue, Bernini chapel and Donetello chapel. Well worth the visit. We purchased the 10 euro pass which also gave us access to the museum and the crypt. Highly recommended. The statuary in the museum dates to the 12th Century and there are places in the floor where you can see down to the original floor level several feet down. The frescos are 800 years old and very beautiful. It is quite a contrast from the cathedral next door. As we emerged, we got caught it a major rainstorm where the thunder was rolling right above us. We found a few doorways to hide in as we made our way down the hill to the Piazza del Campo and then Piazza del Mercato. We stopped into a pizzeria for shelter and a slice of artichoke, pomodoro and funghi pizza and then the rain stopped and we could safely go down to the parking lot and meet up with Beppe again. We were absolutely soaked but happy with the experience. Next stop was San Gimignano, another medieval village known for its many towers. This village was quite wealthy and the local families vied for the tallest and most elegant tower, with the result that there were over 70 towers in the town. Unfortunately the building boom came to an end when the town was devasted by the black plague in 1348. The town is largely preserved in time with narrow alleys, shops and brick houses. We had a wonderful dinner of bruschetta and white vernaccia which is unique to this region. These grapes grow in the tuffa rock fields which retain water and do not require irrigation. We drove back to our "villa" in Petrognano and sampled a bottle of the red with much discussion, hilarity and reviewing of the day. Tomorrow is Assisi to see the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Saint Mary of the Angels) which incorporates St. Francis's original church in the newer building, and Perugia. We are enjoying each day's new experiences.

Some travel hints - most days we have a car and driver. This has been a huge advantage over relying on trains/taxis or renting a car. Both options are possible, but with a driver we do not have to stress about routes, parking and we have a completely flexible agenda. Plus the driver provides a lot of insight into the places we are seeing. And the price has been manageable as we are splitting the costs 5 ways.

The restaurants are very good and our meal in San Gimignano tonight cost only 12 euros per person for a large open faced sandwich (Bruschetta) and wine. Find a restaurant that is a block or two off the main drag and serves local food.

Each stop reveals a rich history of the region and people. Do your research before you go and take the time to check the on-site information - guides, audio guides, information panels etc. Otherwise you may miss that Michaelangelo that is right under your nose!