Huge day.

Woke to drizzle and an overcast sky.

What?

I'm going horse riding in the rain ...
But it is in Tuscany.
So probably OK.

And I have ridden in the rain before.

Caught a taxi to our meeting point outside McDonalds opposite Florence's main Railway Station.
Arrived early.
8.40am.
Tour meeting at 9.15am.
They charge half a Euro to use the facilities at McDonalds here.

Well we got back at 7pm.
And I am now in bed.
It's 8.33pm.

Will have to finish this later.

The old town is San Gimignano.
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Look it up.
Amazing place.

David tomorrow. 9.15am.

Met our guide, Luca at 9.15am outside McDonalds.
Just before then I chatted to Debbie and Mark who were also doing the horse riding.
And Michelle and Michael, who were skipping the horse riding part and just going straight to the drinking.
Turns out both couples were from Texas.
Debbie and Mark from Dallas.
And Michelle and Michael from Fort Worth.
They were travelling separately.

So it was still raining and we loaded into a minivan and headed off into the hills.
It was a lovely drive, about an hour and the scenery just kept getting better.

We stopped at the first winery to drop off Michelle and Mark.
That is where we had the magnificent view of San Gimignano.

We were driving along and I could see the tall buildings on the hill and wondered what city it was.
I thought they were skyscrapers.
Luca explained that it was an ancient city built in the 1100's.
And the towers we could see were made of stone that long ago.
And we were headed there later.
It is sometimes referred to as Tuscany's Manhattan.

Bit of history ...
San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. Known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls form "an unforgettable skyline".

The city is on the ridge of a hill with its main axis being north/south. It is encircled by three walls and has at its highest point, to the west, the ruins of a fortress dismantled in the 16th century. There are eight entrances into the city, set into the second wall, which dates from the 12th and 13th centuries.

While in other cities, such as Florence, most or all of their towers have been brought down due to wars, catastrophes, or urban renewal, San Gimignano has managed to conserve fourteen towers of varying heights, for which it is known internationally.

As you crest the hill coming from the east, the 14 towers of this walled hill town look like a medieval Manhattan. Originally an Etruscan village, the town was named after the bishop of Modena, San Gimignano, who is said to have saved the city from Attila the Hun. It became a comune (local government) in 1199 and was very prosperous due in part to its location on the Via Francigena – building a tower taller than that of one's neighbour (there were originally 72) became a popular way for the town's prominent families to flaunt their power and wealth. In 1348 plague wiped out much of the population and weakened the local economy, leading to the town's submission to Florence in 1353.

Today, people are lured by the town's palpable sense of history, intact medieval streetscapes and enchanting rural setting.

..........

The weather was still looking threatening.
And I didn't have a wet weather coat.
Michelle offered to lend me hers.
After much hesitation, I borrowed it.
I told her that it would get pretty dirty.

( I have never been a 'Teflon' horse rider.
The dirt just jumps straight off the horse and attaches itself to me.)

Anyway, we left them to their drunken ways and headed 5 minutes down the road to the 2nd Winery ...
( Still hadn't partaken...)
And the stables.

The horses were all ready and Debbie, Mark and I headed off with a new guide.
( Luca's not a horseman.)
The horses were lovely and the 2 stable dogs came along for the run.
It was a very relaxing, sedate meander through vineyards, along country roads ...

( A deer ran across in front of us at one point, with the dogs in hot pursuit!)

Looking up into the hills was wonderful.
It did rain now and then.
But it was a very nice way to enjoy the scenery.

We were gone about 2 hours and then back on familiar turf headed back to the stables.

For a fortifying 'red' back at the farmhouse.

Michelle's lovely pink, waterproof jacket was filthy.
Horse hair, dirt from the saddle ... you name it, it was on that coat.
So with a peace offering of a bottle of Red and a large jar of locally produced Honey. We headed back to collect them.

( Michelle said it was an old jacket ... and their hotel had laundry facilities...
...... OK.)

She was lovely.
( I think she had been drinking.)

Into the van and off to San Gimignano.
What a place!
I didn't realise this was part of the tour, so I must have missed that bit entirely when I booked it.
So old and so amazing!
Everything you looked at was ancient.
Luca explained that it had survived so well because the place was deserted after the Black Plague.
So many people died here that everyone else just left.
It was deserted for several hundred years.
And now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We walked everywhere round here.
Up a very steep paved road, that Luca said he used to roll down as a boy.
He loved coming here.

Luca got me to pull a very large ring coming out of a very old stone wall.
So I did.
It rang a bell high up inside.
Then I stood there to have my photo taken and a window was flung open on the third floor and a rather irate Italian lady gave Luca a look of death.
( She probably thought he was annoying rolling down the hill as a little boy too!)
We beat a hasty retreat.

Then to Gelateria Dondoli.
This shop was named Gelato World Champion 2006/2007 and 2008/2009.
And that was it.
They are not allowed to enter again.
They are the best.

So I had a cone with 3 scoops.
Luca seemed to think that was overdoing it.
( There was still lunch to come!)
But I was fine.

Luca was great value.
We had a wonderful time.

Free time here for only about 35 minutes to wander and shop.

Then onto the bus.
"Good," I thought. "Lunch."
It was past 2 o'clock.

Onto Winery Number 3.

We had lessons.

And lunch was really only something to have with the wine.
And it was OK.
And we did have a very funny time.
And the wines very nice.
But they are just not my thing.
I sipped.
Would have been lucky to have one glass.
And I had the most massive headache.
Wine doesn't suit me.

So I didn't buy any.

It was fun though.
( I just didn't think I should ask for a diet coke.)
And, really, I just soldiered on.

Then, Luca asked if we would like to go to Piazza Michelangelo to see Florence from the lookout high on the hill.
Yes!
So, after the drive back to Florence, we stood at this wonderful place looking down on Florence, the terracotta roofs, The Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio.
It was spectacular!
What a view!
Loved it.
That was about 6.30pm.
Just before sunset.
Amazing colours.
Amazing sight!

Luca dropped us back near the railway station and we all said our goodbyes.

I caught a taxi back to the hotel.

Wonderful, wonderful day.
Fun ride, great company, spectacular scenery and an ancient town.
Couldn't have asked for more.

( And, I now know how to hold a wine glass.)

Andrew, I didn't realise that you had been to San Gimignano.
I can see you sitting on the steps by the twin towers to get some shade in all that heat.
Isn't it an amazing place?
Poor George ...
Sorry he is in prison again.
You will start to be known by the company you keep, you know.
But, if he thinks 4 weeks in Italy next July trumps Canada, he can't be all bad.
( Is Callum in prison too?)

Have a wonderful trip to China!!!!!!!
Wish you were writing a blog.
I'd love to come along for the ride.

Thank you for all your comments.
You are a STAR!

Have fun!

PS ....Thanks for the reminder about The Spanish Steps.
I intend to eat a gelati there, despite all the signs that say 'No Eating.'
I figure it's probably like the 'No Drinking' rule in Paris.