We started the day in the beautiful medieval town of San Gimignano, stopping first in a small church and then heading UPHILL for a commanding view of the surrounding area.
The town itself (the old walled portion) is so picturesque that I could have wandered for hours taking pictures.
But after a quick latte in a shop on the main square, we headed out to the countryside, following the route of the Pilgrims to Rome. the Via Francigena (fran CHEE gen ah).
It was a perfect fall day, unlike yesterday's grayer skies, Anne picked out a couple of small villas she is interested in buying, and as usual, we saw lots of olives and vineyards.
Looking back toward San Gimignano, you can see how far we walked. I actually got a ride for the last chink of the route (the uphill part :-) since I was reluctant to get my feet wet,
So Anne and I were waiting at this beautiful organic vegetable farm, Sant' Ulivieri, having a glass of wine and playing with the dogs when the rest arrived.
Not only did we have the most incredible home-grownand home-made foods and wines, but we were graced with a wonderful accordian recital afterwards by the family son and chef, Alessandro.
About 3:30, we headed out and tackled some significant hills again on the way to this mountain town on the river Elsa, hence the name--Colle di Cal D'Elsa.
It was known for paper and crystal (RCR) production and we got to see a demonstration by a master craftsman who has even created pieces for the Pope.
By the time we left, the evening light turned everything golden.
Then back to Siena to run a few errands, grab some cheese (Taleggio) and fruit for a light dinner, and get packed for early departure Wednesday.
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