Tuscany – Day 1&2
Florence is a short ride from Tuscany so after the soccer match, we headed to a castle on the rolling hills of Tuscany, amidst olive trees and grape vines. Nestled on top of a very large hill at the end of a gravel road is where we found our castle, in which we are staying for the last leg of our trip. This castle, Tenuta Lupinari, was built in the 14th century and was recently restored to its current status as a 12-apartment retreat for tourists willing to rent a car and navigate the Tuscan country-side to actually find this hidden gem.
Between the 4 of us we have 2 appartments, each equiped with 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, sitting/living room, dining room and bedroom. Our view of the vineyard is something I can not describe with words. Once I am back in the states, I will post pictures so you can all see just how scenic and lovely it really is.
Today, we took a day trip to Sienna to see some churches, take some pictures and do some shopping. The Duomo was an impressive cathedral with beautiful stained glass windows and designs on the floors. It also housed the remains of Pope Pious II, but most notably works of art by Michelangelo.
We also stopped into another cathedral which did not have much to boast besides the actual head of St. Catherine, which has been in that church since 1383. Her body is in a cathedral in Rome (which we also visited), but after she died, her head fell off and it was then moved to Siena. So now I’ve seen all of her.
We did a bit of shopping and I found some great Euro pants and shoes. Ryan got some more soccer jerseys and scarves. Carolyn got some ceramics. Clark stood outside the stores and watched.
