One route on our way from Cinque Terra took us directly by Pisa, so we decided to make a quick stop to take a look at the leaning tower. Little did we know that the tower is part of a large walled complex with actually quite a bit to see, so we spent several hours exploring all of this site and found it to be really interesting! Worth the detour for sure.
Oh look, there she is! An obligatory picture in front of the leaning tower! It really is quite startling to see how far it leans! We did take the trek up the tower (me, most of the way, Gary all the way to the top). It was a little disorienting with the tilt of the building, particularly on the ground level and in climbing the stairs. But quite spectacular views!Looking up before our climb. The center of the tower is hollow, with the bell tower at the very top. The view of the Duomo (Cathedral) from the first vista point. This was far enough for me! Gary made it up to the bell tower…actually there are bells all around the tower. Happy to be descending!
Touring the Cathedral, Baptistery and Camposanto Cemetary is really not to be missed at Pisa…the tower (other than it’s unusual tilt) is really not the crown jewel of this site. Here’s a few pictures from these beautiful structures.
Here’s an unusual (disturbing) tomb housed in the Cathedral; you can see the remains (bones) of Saint Rainieri! One of the more elaborate pulpits I have seen. The Baptistry. Gary and I really wondered if they built these JUST for baptisms? I could have spent a few hours wandering through the (rather large) Camposanto Cemetery. Here’s just a few shots. Haven’t seen this skull and crossbones imagery at graveyards we previously visited, but it was prevalent throughout this particular cemetery. This will give you a sense of how large this cemetery is…this view captures one-half of the length of a four-sided structure that surrounds a central courtyard. There’s a lot of people buried here, and room for plenty more!One final image to entice you to visit! The walls of the cemetery were originally covered with murals that are being restored and preserved (there is a large exhibit we walked through as well). So much to look at here in the central Pisa square!
Our stay at the lovely Salvadonica
Last time we were in Florence, we really didn’t get to spend much time out in the Tuscan countryside, so this trip we decided to stay deep in the heart of the Chianti region just outside the small town of San Casciano in Val di Pesa. Our stay was at the Salvadonica Borgo del Chianta, a really charming restored Borgo (village) that now houses a winery, olive oil production, restaurant and inn. It was a delightful spot to say the least. Here’s just a few of my favorite snaps from the property!
Coming on to the property, the drive is lined with old olive trees. Looking out over the olive orchards…our room is in the stone building at the end of the video. Walking out of our room into a lovely courtyard.A sunset view from our window!Some of the vineyard. A gorgeous spot to relax and look out over the vistas.Looking in another direction. A panoramic view from the pool area. You really can’t find a more idyllic spot to enjoy the Tuscan countryside! The main grounds. Reception to the left, wine and olive oil tasting in the terra cotta colored building and restaurant off the to right. Walking into the restaurant. The food was pretty outstanding as well. Here’s a few of our favorite dishes.Radicchio salad with walnuts and blue cheese.Cappelletti stuffed with tomatoes, with butter and thyme emulsion.Roasted pumpkin with aged Parmesan and greens.We capped off a lovely wine and olive tasting experience with a visit to the ancient cellar underneath the Borgo. Enjoyed this with two other delightful (young) couples; one from Florida on their honeymoon (the groom recently left the PGA tour, which was a lot of fun for Gary to talk about!). The other a delightful young engaged couple from Switzerland who we hope to meet up with when we visit there! Love how travel grows your circles. A rainy afternoon (and it POURED) made for some good time to catch up on my blogging!
A day spent exploring San Gimignano and Volterra
We spent one day exploring these two charming towns west of our location. San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town, also known as the Town of Fine Towers, famous for its medieval architecture. It is also known for truffles, saffron, ham and white wine which makes for some enjoyable sights and smells as you wander. It is unique for its preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses which makes for a beautiful skyline. Just be ready for some crowds and a walk up the steep hill from the furthest parking lot unless you arrive particularly early.
Approaching the town after our long climb.Oh look, another tower!A peek out to the countryside views.Looking out over the town, and the approaching rain! We did get back to our car just in time to stay dry on our drive to Volterra.
Volterra is another walled mountaintop town with a history that dates back to the 8th century BC, with structures from the Etruscan, Roman and Medieval periods. Less crowded, with charming twisted streets and really special shops, we really enjoyed our afternoon here. Fun fact…Volterra is an important location in the Twighlight series of books. In the books, Volterra is home to the Volturi, a clan of rich, regal and powerful ancient vampires. I can definitely see that with the dark and narrow streets being a great place to lurk waiting for a passerby.
Talk about a hilltop view!
Beautiful Siena!
We spent another day re-visiting Siena. On our last trip, we had a couple of hours to explore Sienna and that was definitely not enough, so we devoted a full day to spending time in this very special and historic city. Siena was a major banking center up until the 13th and 14th centuries and is home to the oldest bank in the world which has been operating continuously since 1472! It is also home to many Renaissance painters and houses the oldest university in continuous operation in the world (the University of Sienna was founded in 1240). It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a beautiful place to visit.
Siena is divided into 17 wards, each with its own mascot. Twice a year a traditional medieval horse race is run around the Piazzo del Campo, with large crowds. It’s hard to imagine what that looks like when visiting the plaza!
The Piazzo del CampoWandering the charming streets.Found this delightful courtyard. Used to house a well only accessed by the most wealthy citizens. Now a wonderful little cafe where we had some espresso…And returned later for aperitifs!One thing I really wanted to explore on this return visit was the Siena Cathedral, and boy was it worth it! Spectacular. Decorated in the traditional white Carrara marble and green stone, just stunning. Driving into Tuscany we passed an area and thought there was snow on the faraway mountains…looked up our location and noticed we were passing the town of Carrara and realized those huge white areas were the sides of the mountains where the marble had been cut out!Just gorgeous artistry throughout the Cathedral. The “bibliography“ with a display of choir books.Inside the dome. Even the floors were spectacular. Would love to hear an organ recital here! This was just one of several parts of the organ pipes.We also visited the Cathedral Museum which was several levels of fascinating artifacts from this cathedral as well as others. So much of Italian art relates to the church. Gary wandering amongst the apostles.Okay folks, there really is a skull and bones in here. Took in the view from the top of the museum on the city wall. Here’s a panoramic shot.Gary, of course, went to the highest level (while I stayed behind) for the more spectacular, and dizzying vista!
Finished our perfect day in Siena with a lovely meal at a tiny spot (4 tables!) that specialized in bruschettas.
Pear, honey and cheese and a bacon bruschetta. We split these thinking they’d be bite sized and each ended up with this portion! I had a really rich baked eggplant and blue cheese dish.And Gary enjoyed this homemade gnocchi dish.
Yes…I do admit I do some research while writing the post, and sometimes it’s information we’ve seen or heard! I did NOT know the Twilight fact beforehand…!
Gary and Jillian's New Adventures 
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