Montepulciano as seen from the hiway, and a rather odd clock
tower as seen in the fog and rain.
Pienza as seen from the grounds of the former hunting lodge of the Piccolomini, and the gate into the old town section of Montepulciano.
| Montepulciano as seen from the hiway, and a rather odd clock tower as seen in the fog and rain. |
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Pienza as seen from the grounds of the former hunting lodge of the Piccolomini, and the gate into the old town section of Montepulciano. |
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Even when the weather did not cooperate we could still have a great time. Our last day to travel from the villa to hill towns dawned damp and gray and rainy, so we cancelled our plans for a long trip to San Gimignano and instead visited the nearby towns of Montepulciano and Pienza. At the top of Montepulciano we found a cafe that served Eraclea chocolate, and Bruce had one of their obscenely fantastic desserts. I got a couple of interesting photos, including the lion who reminds me a bit of the Cowardly Lion trying to be scary, but failing. In Pienza we found a truly Great Restaurant, where we had an excellent meal accompanied by a local Vino Nobile wine, one of the most memorable wines I've ever drunk. We stumbled across some very strange and rather spectacular flowers, which a local shopkeeper told us were Cox Combs. And Bruce, Ed and Ken struck a farewell to Hill Towns pose atop the city wall of Pienza. |
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