I haven’t had much luck getting Internet access here in Tuscany, so sorry these postings are so sporadic. If I have some solid online time soon, I’m going to post some of the pictures I’ve taken to Flickr. If not, I’ll do that when I get home.
The last couple of days, I’ve been driving around and checking out some of the towns. Siena yesterday, and San Gimignano tomorrow. Each are about 20-30 km from my relais (just a fancy word for country hotel). The drives are incredible. The roads are ridiculously narrow and twisty, up and down the mountains, and each turn gives you a view more breathtaking than the one before. Green fields and vineyards covering the hills, with red-roofed stone houses or churches off in the distance, and yellow, red and puple wildflowers all around.
I could stop a million times and take pictures, except for the fact that there are very few places to pull off onto the side of the road, except for driveways or dirt roads, and I don’t think my gold AAA membership would cover the tow out here! As well, I’m in the land of tiny little cars, and yet what am I driving? A big-ass station wagon that was the only thing available with automatic transmission. Now DID not seem like the appropriate time to learn to drive a stick!
The relais is part of a wine property owned by an evidently well-known winemaking family from Venice. They make sangiovese, chianti and olive oil here, and other wines in Venice. It’s incredibly remote and peaceful.
Last night I curled up in bed with a book, with the French doors open to my little stone patio, just me and the owl in the tree nearby. I’ve barely looked at a clock since I’ve been here (there isn’t even one in my room), and the only TV I’ve seen is CNN international, since that is the only English-language channel on my television.
The pics here are from Siena...
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