To Firenze (Florence): Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015

We left Pienza shortly after breakfast and took a shuttle to the train station at Chiusi. Then about an hour and a half ride to Firenze. Caught a cab out to our room which is in a fairly modern building a bit north of town. 

Checked on plane reservations and found we could not check in online, so headed out, walked along the river and eventually caught a bus to take us up the hill to the Piazzale Michelangelo, from where we had a nice overview of the city. There is also a replica of Michelangelo's "David" there.

Wandered down the hill and along the Arno River and I was able to get some decent reflection shots of the Ponte Vecchio and one end of the Uffizi Gallery.

This is the mob scene that is the Ponte Vecchio--I cannot imagine what this place must be like in high season!

Stopped for a very late lunch/ early dinner at a self-service cafeteria that turned out to be one of our most expensive meals--guess they charge what the tourist traffic will bear.

Stopped to take a few pics of what I think is the Medici Palace.

Then on to admire the Duomo. It is such intricate architecture and art that it's hard to know what to try and capture.

These are replicas of the baptistry doors created by Berleschi (need to check the spelling on that).

Anne and I did not really have time to do any of the museums or galleries justice, but it was still nice to soak up the exteriors. Caught a bus back to Giottino Residence and calling it an early night as we have a 7 am taxi to the airport tomorrow.

Pienza and Surrounds: Oct 24, Saturday

'This was our last day of the walking tour and I credit myself with something--maybe stubornness--to have walked every day even though I have been sick for the last several days. We took a stroll through the medieval part of Pienza and again encountered the filming crew.

We went inside the church dedicated to St. Francis and were treated to some beautiful flute music from Gianni. The cloisters have been bought by a hotel.

Couldn't resist this shot of someone's artful front entrance.

Again we were surrounded by beautiful countryside on our walk.

This shows the road we walked from Pienza.

We stopped for a group photo with Pienza in the background on a hilltop.

A short while later we stopped for our "sweet treats" ritual--custard filled bombolini--and folks took the opportunity for a little lounging in the sun

We got to hear another piece from our talented group leader... this time a little jazz.

Our destination was this lovely organic farm that makes its own sheep and goat cheeses.

The owner gave us a walking tour and, as with other people we have met running their own businesses, her passion shone through. She had such an animated face when describing the history of cheese making, the quality of their products, and the varieties they produce.

They wash their cheeses only in salt water in the aging process and store them in everything from hay to wine must to add flavors.

Then we had this fabulous totally vegetarian meal of salads (mixed greens and vegetables, and spelt salad with diced carrots, etc), farm made bread drizzled with fresh pressed olive oil, and then this amazing cheese course embellished with two kinds of honey (also produced on the farm) and their own quince jam.

After lunch, a few of us hitched a ride back to town, while others made the return "a piedi" as the Italians say. Here is Anne in front of our hotel,

Tomorrow we have a morning shuttle to the train station in Chiusi and head to Florence.

Friday, Oct. 23, From Pienza to San Quirico d'Orcia

We moved to our final base of operations on Thursday night, the town of Pienza. Another walled town with a medieval core of buildings, it was originally called Corsignano before Pope Pious II renamed it in his honor.  Our walk was to the town of San Quirico d'Orcia, which you can see in the distance about 6.25 miles away.

Just as we left town we passed a small old church built around 1,000 AD with an unusual round bell tower not at all typical of later Tuscan architecture. Gianni is explaining the imagery found in the carvings around the door, some pagan and some Christian.

This pic is taken looking back towards Pienza.

We walked through several miles of rolling fields all plowed and being readied for planting. The play of light was so lovely and my pictures do not begin to do it justice.

Gianni always gives us a break mid-morning with sweet treats he has brought along, and today a nice hillside invited the group to eat in a more leisurely fashion.

From L to R are Susan, Christine, Tony. Adrienne, Peter and Fran (apologies for misspelled names--I will correct at a future point in time).  

The really special treat Gianni arranged today was a visit to a working olive pressing facility, called a frantoio. This one has been the family business for 300 years and is currently run by Hilaria. 

We did a tasting and got a real surprise to find out what truly fresh olive oil tastes like,,,pepper! We learned a lot about the proper ways to press oil with only mechanical processes (what we call "cold-pressed") and I bought a liter of fresh pressed oi to bring home. Adrienne is here displaying pleasure with her purchase.

Had a nice soup of ribollita followed by decadent tiramisu and got a few more pictures of the town before being picked up for the return drive to Pienza. This cute little pace in the first pic is available to rent for vacations!

We again had the opportunity for a yoga class when we returned to the hotel, led by Rudy, and this time with a final rest accompanied by flute music, played by none other than Gianni! What a delightful treat. Anne and I went out for a short wander through town just as the sun was going down and I got some shots in the beautiful pink light.

 Twice today, this morning and this evening, we have run into a film company working on a movie about the Medici family.

It is after 3 am and obviously I am not sleeping well. Still struggling with a bad cough and cold :-(