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| Only 14 of the original 72 towers remain, but this preserved medieval city in Tuscany is still known as San Gimignano of the Fine Towers. | ||
We arrived around 4:00. San Gimignano is a little smaller than Siena. Cars are restricted inside the stone walls. (This is a relief). There is one main road which rises almost vertically through town. There were lots of great shops with beautiful ceramics. I purchased a number of them (ceramics, not shops).. Once we reached Piazza della Cisterna, Dave and I had our 1st spoon full of heaven. Gelato, is like ice-cream, but a less firmly frozen, softer, and far more intensely flavored. It’s made with less air, which makes it more dense. Whether your gelato is served in a cup or cone it comes with a small flat spoon. I bought Dave some cherries to eat later on at a small market at the foot of the hill. I was trying to buy a ½ lb., but apparantly it's all in metric here… ended up with a ½ kilo instead. As a side note, I saw my first Turkish toilet. That was an experience ('nuff said). |
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| While waiting for the group to gather at the foot of the hill, Dave and took in the view of the Elsa Valley countryside. The fields have such beautiful colors. The hillside is covered in vineyards and dotted with the occasional farm. | |||
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We all met at the foot of the hill by the entrance to the city.. Kathy bought a glass of wine for everyone at a little café before we boarded the bus. It gave us a chance to talk and get to know some of the others on the tour. | ||
| We arrived at our hotel at about 6 PM due to traffic (porca miseria), the Sheraton. It was a 60’s style hotel with olive trees growing out front. It was also our group's least favorite hotel. Our room was nice. Plenty of space. It even had a couch and chairs to sit in. We freshened up for dinner and met everyone downstairs in the hotel restaurant. The meal wasn’t bad.We sat with another couple who were on their honeymoon. They’re from Singapore. The waiter was a little strange. He never smiled. Not much to do at the hotel. Since we are outside of Florence, there weren't interesting sites or shopping located within walking distance of the hotel. The hotel had a small gift shop and an outdoor pool, but that’s about it. |  |
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We came back up to the room; Dave enjoyed his cherries while watching some BBC. Shortly after turning in for the night we heard what sounded like fireworks outside. We ran to the window to see a beautiful display of fireworks over the hotel.. I have no idea what the celebration was for, but I like to think it was all just for Dave and me and our honeymoon. |
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Siena | |