01 July 2013

Tuscany in a day: Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena, Vineyard visit


This was a tough day, i was so sick all i wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep until i couldn't sleep anymore. I was achy everywhere and felt like id been run over by a bus, a couple of times, just for the fun of it. I wanted bed, sleep and to see nothing more than the inside of my eyelids.
Instead, i got myself a good dose of delicious Italian coffee and let the tour coach do its thing. I was absolutely knackered but it was worth doing and i know, if i was feeling 100%, it would have been a great day.

The tour guide was great, he knew a lot but didn't feel he had to talk the whole time - my headache thanked him heartily for that. My nose and chest however were not happy with the inconsiderate bogan Aussie who smoked like a chimney at every stop and then sat behind me reeking of cigarettes - if i had the strength, nothing would have delighted me more than throwing her off the nearest cliff. Yes being sick makes me cranky and short tempered. Lucky for her though, i had a sample of perfume in my bag which i spritzed everywhere while blessing the cotton socks of the sales person who put it in my hand.

Anyway, sick or not, here is the armchair traveller's, smoke-free version of the tour. Do let me know if you enjoy it!

Pisa


 





Tuscan countryside and vineyard visit









Our lunch stop for the day at the Tenuta Torciano Vineyard

Appetisers at Tenuta Toriano delicious olive oil on fresh bread, cheese and bruschetta followed by a simple tomato pasta drizzled with truffle oil and almond biscuits. The group also got to sample different wines with each dish, many were quite merry by the end of our lunch!

The grounds of Tenuta Toriano
The grounds of Tenuta Toriano
San Gimignano


Piazza della Cisterna - a charming town square in San Gimignano


The view of San Gimignano from the ruined turret of Rocca di Montestaffoli


Piazza della Cisterna
The ruined towers of San Gimignano
View from Rocca di Montestaffoli
Siena


Siena - Piazza del Campo and Town Hall. The Piazza is home to the  Palio di Siena (Il Palio) horse races.

Beautiful inside and out - the Cathedral of Siena.
Its floors are different paintings with different marble used for colours - simply stunning!

The Piccolomini Library inside the Cathedral of Siena,
This is a small library that houses the huge hand written and painted choir books. The detail in the books and the bright, well preserved, colours of the room is worth a visit.
Well, thats all for this photo tour of Tuscany. I hope you enjoyed the photos!

VP

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