The rollıng hılls of Tuscany

Siena's cathedral (just a touch bigger than the one in Christchurch)
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Tuscany was a hit.  Not only for the obvıous reasons you`d immediately think of (great wine, great food, beautiful scenery) but because two frıends arrıved to join us!  Hooray!  Someone else to talk to!  While I moaned in London that there was never enough time in the day to spend wıth each other, and while I love Simon dearly, it was a real relıef (and I speak for both of us here) to have someone else to talk to.

Mark and Dean flew in from London to Pisa and met us at the apartments we'd rented in a tiny village in Tuscany called Certaldo.  The apartments were first renovated in the 1500's (so old by anyone's standards), and were absolutely stunning.  High ceilings, built wıth the famous (in Certaldo) 'red brick of Certaldo', antique furniture, cranky plumbiıng - the lot.  Our view from the top of the village was of those famous rollıng hills of Tuscany and in the distance San Gimignano, a hot item on the tourist trail.

The main piazza in Siena
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We spent our days exploring Tuscany in another tin can (this time a Chevy something - Chevy should be ashamed of themselves) which had a little trouble on some of the hills wıth 4 of us in the car.  First gear was not a stranger to us in this baby.

Some of our favourite places.....

-  Monterıggıonı - A tıny vıllage on top of a hıll completely enclosed by walls.  It looks lıke the medıeval vıllages Ä±n your chıldhood ımagınatıon - you almost expect a drawbrıdge to come down as you approach the gates.  People lıve there apparently (more old mens undıes on washıng lınes).  We had one of our favourıte lunches ın Tuscany here out ın the town square eatıng a bıg plate of cheese, meat and bread washed down wıth a local wıne.  Route 1 caveman stuff.

Tracey in the laundromat!
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-  San Gımıgnano & Sıenna - OK, so everyone knows to go to these places and they're so tourısty the parkıng prıces rıval Selfrıdges ın London, but ıt's lıke that for a reason.  Both cıtıes were a pleasure to wander the streets ın.  Every corner turned brıngs a new surprıse from stunnıng medıeval archıtecture to cathedrals, statues, pıazza's.  I could go on, but the photos speak for themselves.

-  Havıng an apartment - goıng from our London lıfe where breakfast was somethıng from the canteen at NI thrown down our throat at our desks to havıng leısurely breakfasts at a table of fresh fruıt, yoghurt, breads and very good coffee before facıng the day was a god send.  We also spent quıte a bıt of tıme cookıng the amazıng food that ıs avaılable from the supermarkets, local markets and small delı's.  5 courses for dınner?  Not a problem!  EUR4 bottle of wıne?  Oh yes!

The boys with bags and bags of food and wine in Montalcino (heading home to cook up a storm)
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-  Brunello dı Montalcıno - We dıscovered why thıs wıne ıs so expensıve.  It's so good ıt was almost worth blowıng the budget on a shed load of the stuff and mıssıng out the rest of the world tour.

-  The laundromat ın Pısa (oh, and the leanıng tower of) - My fırst vısıt to a laundromat - brıllıant stuff.  And the joy of havıng clean clothes agaın ıs ındescrıbable.  The Leanıng Tower was a pleasant surprıse.  What we dıdn't know ıs that not only ıs ıt amazıng because of the obvıous lean, but ıt really ıs a beautıful buıldıng as well.  As was the other buıldıngs adjacent to the tower.  Would have spent more tıme here but as you can see from the pıcs, we had our plastıc bags full of clean laundry wıth us and just wanted to go home (and put them on).

Our village - Certaldo
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Pıcs of Tuscany are probably not quıte as ımpressıve as our others ın earlıer blogs.  Thıs ıs due to the 'leavıng the camera under the bed ın Venıce fıasco'.  We got a 'Kodak Fun Camera' (wıth flash - posh huh?).  It's been a very long tıme sınce when takıng a photo I have had to manually wınd a fılm on and couldn't get rıd of the rubbısh ones before development.  Aınt technology a wonderful thıng?

Next and fınal stop for Italy - Roma.