Under the Tuscan Sun


Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Last night was an enormous, multi-course delicious festive New Year’s dinner, starting at 8:00 PM.  We were awakened by the alarm this morning in time to have breakfast before leaving at 9:00 AM, as we had a day trip out of Florence into the hill country of the Province of Siena.  The weather is beautiful, with a brilliant sky and wall to wall sunshine.  Temperatures started in the high 20s but rapidly rose into the high 40s; it was quite comfortable, especially in the sun.

We drove through gorgeous landscapes:



Our destination was San Gimingano, a 13th century medieval hill town about a 45 minute drive from Florence.  The walls of the city are formidable:



We entered through the gate to the city:



There is one long main street which wanders slowly up and up to the piazza:



On the ancient walls can be found the medallions of guilds.  This one is from the wool guild:



There are side streets:




At the top of the walk is the triangular Piazza della Cisterna, which is bordered with 13th century homes:



After walking up, and reuniting after being separated, we had a gelato in the piazza, and wound our way back to the bottom, window shopping the many touristy shops (lots of leather and ceramics).  We then set off to a local farm, Fattoria Poggio Alioro (Bay Leaf Hill Farm), for a four-course lunch which was much too much food.  The farm has beautiful views:



We arrived back in Florence in the late afternoon, and after a short rest, we set out for dinner!  We were not very hungry, but were served another very good four course meal. After dinner we went to a small church where a wonderful concert of opera arias and Mozart and Bach concertos lasted for two hours, with no intermission.  Here’s the end of the concert, the Brindisi from Verdi’s La Traviata.  Click on the arrow.


Tomorrow, the Uffizi.  More then.


Comments

  1. Rwa442January 1, 2020 at 6:46 PM

    It'd be interesting to know what the typical lives were like for people who lived in a place like San Gimingano. We had visited there once - I remember a nice latte along the walkway up the hill, and I believe a church just off the hilltop piazza. Great views of the Tuscan countryside.

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