Travel period : 01-03.05.2013
DAY 6
we took this day trip organized by Walkabout: The Best of Tuscany Tour €90 and never regret about it. de tour was well organized though we did find ourselves wishing we could spend longer time in each place.
Walkabout office | Vinegia Street (located behind Palazzo Vecchio).
they also offer tours with Italian wheels. pictures were taken with permission.
we prayed for a good weather but unfortunately it started to drizzle in de morning. our first stop was at Siena, a city in Tuscany, central Italy.
why rain (; ;)
Monte dei Paschi, Palazzo Salimbeni.
de oldest bank in de world and also Italy's third largest bank. it is established in year 1472 and is still operating.
Piazza del Campo.
it is regarded as one of de Europe's greatest medieval squares where de popular festival horse race, Palio, is held here twice a year every summer. now, we could only see colourful umbrellas.
Torre del Mangia (Tower of the Eater) adjacent to de Palazzo Pubblico (town hall).
Duomo of Siena.
yes, de weather was not treating us good.
"The She-Wolf of Siena".
this symbol of Siena and its Roman origins has been spotted throughout de city.
stained-glass window depicting "The Last Supper".
de interior mosaic floor.
a treasure chest of artworks.
ii) Tuscan lunch @ Chianti vineyard (lunch inclusive).
moving on to our next visit to an organic family run wine estate which was de highlight of de day. weather graciously welcomed our arrivals!
hello nature.
a stroll on de vineyards.
loving de calm and relaxing atmosphere.
loving de calm and relaxing atmosphere.
farm visit.
making things more lively with de smell of nature.
making things more lively with de smell of nature.
traditional Tuscan lunch.
started with a simple wine tasting lesson, we were then served with fresh organic farm food, including homemade pasta, cured meats (homemade prosciutto and salami), local cheese, garden salad, olive bruschetta, and Tuscan biscotti.
iii) San Gimignano- Town of Fine Towers.
complimentary wine.
Chianti | Vernaccia (white wine) | Cabernet.
Chianti | Vernaccia (white wine) | Cabernet.
Tuscan biscotti in dessert wine.
de tour guide has already pre-warned us. this is not my favourite.
tower view of San Gimignano- our next destinaton.
heart de rolling hills. it reminds me of Bali's Tegalalang but now, in European style =P
truly a little gem, de remain of 14 medieval towers in this hilltop town create a beautiful skyline visible from de surrounding countryside. originally there were 72 towers and these towers were built by patrician families to display wealth and power.
picturesque countryside from de hilltop before entering de city.
we have to disembark from de bus outside de city walls. San Gimignano is best and can only be explored by foot.
some Tuscan handmade to welcome us.
Gelateria Dondoli | Piazza della Cisterna.
tasting de award-winning gelato.
I made Mr. Sergio a star.
it has a variety of creative flavours like saffron or pink grapefruit with sparkling wine but I chose de traditional flavours. you can easily spot de place because there is always a long queue out de door.
wishing well | Piazza della Cisterna.
he haz a sweet tooth.
another round of gelato before leaving.
I wish we could spend longer time here!
iv) final stop : Pisa.
a scenic drive through classic Tuscan countryside took us to de final stop, Pisa. this is my second visit to Pisa. nothing much has changed except they no longer allowed tourists to walk on grass.
Torre pendente di Pisa (Leaning Tower of Pisa).
de iconic Leaning Tower, Baptistery, and Cathedral.
one of de tourist shot to do in life.
everyone was getting into de pushing-de-Leaning-tower-pose. looking insanely hilarious but nobody care.
de finger pose.
I felt Pisa wasn't leaning quite so much these days. perhaps it received countless support from de tourists and has straightened up slowly... haha.
v) Dinner @ Trattoria Nerone, Via Faenza (not included in day tour).
looking bizarre with its wizzard-looking deco, this place actually served delicious food. in general, I guess most restaurants in Florence served yummy food at an affordable price! and best of all, de restaurant is just located nearby to our hotel. everything was just perfect (including friendly service) as we were looking forward to a hearty meal after a long day tour.
(clockwise from left)
bruschetta, spinach, and beef goulash.
bruschetta, spinach, and beef goulash.
I couldn't believe we actually craved for vege and we ordered two plates of spinach. beef goulash was simple yet tasty.
(clockwise from upper left)
Norcia sausages with potatoes and beans, thin crust pizza, and Risotto with porcini mushrooms.
pizza was probably de best out of these.
yummy bacon carbonara spaghetti.
literally unforgettable.
vi) Fontana di Porcellino (also a copy), Mercato Nuovo.
rubbing his snout for good luck.
tradition says good luck will come to those who place a coin on de muzzle of de boar and let it falls beyond de grate where de water runs. besides luck, touching his shinning snout also ensure a return to Florence =)
goodnight, Florence. ciao!
coming next to Travelog: D7 Milan, Italy: 20 hours.
END
I must say that the finger pose is quite original and I am glad you enjoyed your gelato so much.
ReplyDeleteI do hope for a return visit to Florence in de future :)
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