Like a movie - Toscana II
And so our stay in Florence came to an end. I clearly didn't see everything I wanted to and have to go back to the city but it was lovely being there with my sister as well. We said our byes or arrividerchi and were set towards San Gimingano. Now getting out of Florence while wanting to take the scenic route can be quite a challenge especially without a tomtom (as they call it everywhere in Italy). After a few detours and re-routing we managed to get back on track and were there in about 2.5 hours.
Another much smaller Italian town atop a hill with walls circling the city centre, Sam Gimingano is definitely the city of towers with 15 of them lining the sky line. The best view we got to see of Tuscany's grape laden hills was from atop the tower in the main piazza. The view was spell binding. Hills and hills of small towns and green plantations growing - honestly you are in a movie when you are in Tuscany. The dream becomes reality and life really is that beautiful here.
We also got to witness an English wedding and scenes of Asian tourists going crazy with photographing a couple they didn't know. This was followed by a medieval performance by the locals about the history of San Gimingano. A pizza slice with some really hot chilli oil sitting by the steps of the piazza we go to experience all if this by sheer coincidence.
And guess what of all the place I find my leather jacket, in this little town in one of its only leather shops at a fair price and with soft leather and good designs. Marri & Rossi (MR) have their own online store for the collection if bags as well www.marrierossi.com if anyone is interested.
Now that this was complete we were well on our way to rest up at our Tuscan retreat. A nice family run resort with loads of activities including horse riding Hotel Refugio Partegiano http://www.hotel-toscana-tuscany.com was the most welcoming break after all the crazy walking around. This place suggested by a friend who worked there for a while, was exactly what we needed. And just our luck we arrive the night they are planning on having the biggest party of the year! It was simply perfect timing and luck we were there that night. Meeting locals and seeing how Italian party was great. The boys put on a dance performance for the girls!? It's perfect :) Also I got to see a moon set. Ever heard of it? Cause I haven't and never seen one but the moon got orange then red like the sun and kept setting behind the hill. Probably just something the people living in the hills get to see, for me always being by the water, this was quite a site.
The next day we simply rested by the pool with a view of the hills. Read, updated my blog, napped, ate and drank. We finally managed to shower and make our way to the small town of Montiere where we ran into almost everyone from the party the previous night. We had a local beer with the local small town folk at their local pub - was perfect.
We had some pretty good pizza at the only restaurant in town and boy was that chilli oil the strongest I had had that far. Making in back to our hotel in time for sunset and to open our Chianti wine. This is when it happened, I've been to New Zealand, Uluru in Australia, to Tasmania - all with the most amazing skies you will find. You can even see the Milky Way. But if all these I see my first ever falling star in the Tuscan sky. It was once again perfect. I'm gonna take it as a sign, a sign of what I'm not sure but it's a sign :)
That was the effect end to the north of Italy. Tomorrow we had a long day of driving she's of us making our way to the south - where the sun and water awaits us.
