After Wednesday's respite, Il Dolce Far Niente, the expedition is back on the road today heading over to San Gimignano - The Tuscan City of Towers! This is one of Italy's most famous & most visited hilltowns!
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| As you walk thru the gate in the medieval wall and down this famous flag-lined cobblestone street into the village, you can't help but feel you're in The Land of OZ... |
This morning we will leave for for another incredible excursion… We’ll be going to one of Italy’s most famous villages, San Gimignano! We’ll meet our Tour Guide Stella just outside Porta San Giovanni the historic gate to the city, for an amazing 2 hour walking Tour of this magical medieval village, with it’s fortified walls and breath-taking towers. While the architecture of so many of these Tuscan Villages is just phenomenal, San Gimmy will definitely take your breath away! Stella will bring the colorful history of this incredible hilltown to life for you as we walk thru the streets of this amazing city of Towers!
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| If this is truly The Land of Oz, then Sergio Dondoli is The Wizard! Whatever you do with your free time, don't leave this village without trying Dondoli's Gelato! It is truly amazing! |
And as you walk thru the gates of the majestic stone walls that encircle the village and stroll down flower-lined cobblestone streets into one of these amazing Tuscan villages, staring at old cathedrals and bell towers, you can't help but ponder the incredible timeline of a village that's been inhabited since before the birth of Christ... This, is truly The Old World...This isn't Disneyworld, this is the real deal...
First settled 300 years before the birth of Christ, this stone-built medieval fortress hilltown surrounded by huge walls with large wooden gates that open to flag-lined cobblestone lanes never fails to take your breath away... As you stand at its massive gates and stare down the narrow cobblestone streets lined with ancient towers, flags & flowers, you can't help but imagine knights on horseback returning victorious from battle, galloping through the massive wooden gates to applause from grateful villagers...
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| The famous medieval Towers of San Gimignano... You'll see them from miles away and they truly add Magic to this amazing Village! |
After our Tour this morning, you’ll have the afternoon as free time to enjoy either a long leisurely lunch, perhaps climb one it’s famous medieval towers, or go shopping in San Gimmy’s incredible shops. San Gimmy is a shopper’s paradise! Purses, Shoes, Leathers, Pottery, Jewelry, Perfumes, etc... Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it in San Gimignano! Guests always ask us; where is the best places to go shopping... So while we're probably not qualified to say what's the best, we can tell you that San Gimignano & Siena are the two villages we'll be taking you two with the most shops! In Tuscany, even the smaller villages have nice little shops, but San Gimmy & Siena have hundreds if not thousands of shops... If there's something special you're looking for, these two villages are sure to have it!
By the way, we'll be in San Gimmy on Thursday... which is "Market Day" here... and it adds an amazingly festive vibe to the Village! Market Days in Tuscan Villages are fun, and more for locals than for tourists... but for those of us that like to find a bargain, you can definitely find them on Market Days! If you've been eyeing up all the beautiful Tuscan tablecloths & leather purses all week long, you'll find tons of them here at bargain prices! (don't forget to measure your table before you leave home)
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| In Tuscany The Famous Bistecca Fiorentia is served family style... And they cook it two ways; rare and very rare! |
This is the big one; The oh so famous Bistecca Fiorentina, Tuscany's #1, Top of The Menu speciality that they sell by the gram in restaurants! And we'll also be having Giuseppe's outrageous Tuscan Grilled Ribs that he flavors with Salé Magico; his own homemade herbed & perfumed Tuscan Salt! This ends up being a great Happy Hours and we’re sure there will be lots of fun stories to tell over tonight’s incredible dinner! This party starts when we get back from San Gimmy and goes on all thru the evening! Get excited guys! We'll be meeting up with the first of you in exactly 2 weeks from today!
(ps; just a reminder, if you're driving and didn't get your International Driver's Permit yet, the clock is ticking! Also, we suggest you let your bank/credit card folks know that you'll be traveling and using your credit/debit cards in Italy!)
Follow The Yellow Brick Road... to San Gimignano ~ The land of Oz!
