The weather was sensational as the bus headed into regional Italy and the area called Tuscany. It is a pretty part of Italy with rolling hills, vineyards and lovely green countryside. From time to time you pass an Italian village or vineyard, picture postcard perfect. We were heading for the tourist town of San Gimignano. San Gimignano was all but deserted at one time owing to disease when most of the inhabitants died or just moved away to escape death. The town has been reborn and is now a tourist attraction about 50k's from Florence. It is a listed UNESCO heritage town.
Because we had had an early start, we were given several hours to explore San Gimignano. A designated tourist town usually means high prices and plenty of souvenir stores to entice 'Euros' away from tourists. San Gimignano was not like that at all. Prices seemed as low as we had seen for knick knacks and food. This made the experience very pleasant. Narrow streets, cobblestone laneways and colorful shops ensured the visit to this little town was thoroughly enjoyable. Being situated atop a small mountain provided exquisite views over the surrounding countryside. It is a town dotted with towers which dominate the skyline.The Towers of San Gimignano:
The View From the Hilltop:
Waiting for Tourist Shoppers to Finish:
After a light lunch we again boarded the bus to continue our day's exploring. The next stop was Pisa and the Leaning Tower. The glorious weather ensured we saw incredible views across the Tuscan landscape as we made our way to Pisa.
After walking by a myriad of souvenir stalls we found ourselves in the Field of Miracles and there before us was the famous Leaning Tower Of Pisa. There were tourists everywhere and again we had some time to explore on our own. Later we were to be joined by a tourist guide for an informative tour and explanation of the three buildings which make up The Leaning Tower of Pisa. In the foreground is the Baptistry in which people would be baptized as you had to be baptized to enter the middle building, the Cathedral! And in the background is the famous Leaning Tower Of Pisa.
When viewed closely, all three buildings have a lean one way or the other as the ground in Pisa is formerly marshland and is quite soft. This photo (left) gives a better idea of how far the tower is actually leaning. The leaning tower has been straightened and is now quite safe. It appears all movement has been stopped thanks to many many tons of concrete. The Cathedral has been built using stones from previous Roman buildings.When Roman buildings had been demolished the stones were recycled in the construction of the Cathedral. Every now and again some of the stones would have Roman characters on them or would contrast enormously in colors to the stones beside them. Inside the cathedral was again quite beautiful .
Later in the afternoon we were again on the bus heading for an Italian Vineyard for our meal and try some Italian wines. Our meal was served under an outdoor shelter (see below) but the glorious weather ensured the setting was perfect. The meal was one of the better meals for our trip and everyone enjoyed their food. After travelling overseas I now understand how spoilt we are for fine wines here in Australia. These 'better' Italian wines though quite drinkable, were not as good as our AUD$8 bottle we readily buy here!
Another two bus groups joined us and ensured there was much frivolity and enjoyment during the meal. However, needing a reasonably long trip back to Florence and and early start the next day for Switzerland, we had to head back to our hotel early to ensure the driver had his required break. This meant leaving sooner rather than later which was disappointing!After another day of highlights visiting Tuscany and Pisa, tomorrow were were heading to Switzerland where we would once again be in awe of the tremendous scenery this part of the world has to offer!
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