Safer than Volterra

Hey, want to know a hill town in Tuscany that's close to Volterra but not infested with Twilight tweens? That would be San Gimignano. I went two weekends ago (yes, I know I am rather behind in my postings!) with practically everyone I know in Florence. It took a train ride and a bus ride to get there, but no one really minded because it was finally WARM.

All that boasting I did before I went about Florence being so much warmer than Buffalo? Yeah, well, it's warmer outside maybe, but the fact that by law the heat can't be on for more than twelve hours a day, and the fact that that heat can't be warmer than 70 degrees, and the fact that Italian houses just aren't made for holding in heat made for some bleak indoor experiences. Like, the sort where I slept in woolen sweaters with the feather down comforter pulled over my head.

February got steadier warmer, and then that first weekend of March spring burst forth in a triumphant ray of sun and 60 degree weather. It seemed like the perfect time to see the Tuscan countryside. Which it was.

A few words on the town. San Gimignano is a medieval city like Bologna, and it was powerful until the late middle ages when the plague came and killed almost everyone. The town never recalled its former glory, but the surroundings vineyards and beautiful landscape have made it a hot spot for tourists in more recent days.


The town entrance.


Quintessential Italian yard. Or that's what it looked like to me.


Gelato eating. There's this really famous gelato shop in the city, but was it open when we were there? of course not! So we had to settle for second string. The city had a ton of this little viewing piazzas in it. This one in particular had this woman playing a harp in it. Now, there was like, ten girls who went on this trip, so we were all chatting and whatnot, and then she says to us "this is a public place! I can't play when you're being so loud, this place is for everyone!". That was a new one for me, being told by a STREET MUSICIAN that I was making too much noise. But we tried to be a little quieter. She started playing again, and it was all well and good until she started to sing.

This woman was a good harpist. Not a good singer.

I particularity wet myself silently laughing, and had to leave before she noticed. But not being getting a picture of her.



Remember, this is a space for everyone!




Medieval fountain. I wanted to drink the water (in Florence and Rome, the water in the fountains is clean enough to drink) but then I realized that it was a medieval fountain, and people had probably been doing their wash in there for hundreds of years. And there were goldfish.



Random wine bottles. I thought it was cute.

And that, my friends, is San Gimignano in a nutshell. Check out the facebook album for more pictures, if you'd like http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=160559&id=561287236.