Today we had an all day bus tour into the hills of Tuscany, to visit three UNESCO World Heritage Sites! Our first stop was Siena, which is listed for its city center and famous for its medieval architecture. We had cappuccino and croissants at a city center cafe, then walked through the historic streets to the Siena Cathedral. As we walked down the narrow cobblestone streets, I felt like we had been thrown back to medieval times, which is my favorite period to fantasize about, as through the years I read many novels set in that time period.
Fountain over the Siena Aqueduct
Breakfast
Siena City Center
Siena Cathedral
Raphael's Painting and Self Portrait
Choir Loft behind Courtney
Our second stop was Pattaro family winery, where we had wine and a three-course lunch with meats and cheese, pasta, and bruschetta. Our dessert was a very strong wine into which we dipped almond biscotti. Everything we consumed was prepared on site. Courtney got to have a lunch conversation with a lovely Welsh girl her age, while I talked with a couple from California about the trials and tribulations of their train exploits. Courtney and I had originally considered trains instead of planes, and I think we made the right choice! We didn't get photos of lunch because we were so busy tasting wine! Delicious!
Our third stop and UNESCO site was the hilltop town of San Gimignano, also listed for its medieval architecture and towers. It was absolutely breathtaking! We walked the steep cobblestone streets and stopped in city center for gelato that was literally named "Best in the World!" I think it was!
On the bus ride through the Tuscan hillside we caught a rainbow!
Our final UNESCO site was Pisa, listed for its Piazza del Duomo. We admired the beautiful Pisa Cathedral and took photos of ourselves "holding up" the Leaning Tower! We had so much fun trying to get the perfect shot. It's harder than you think. It was an amazing trip worthy of five stars!
