Today we set off in "donkey" as we have nicknamed the car, visiting Pienza, Montichiello, Vignoni Bagno Vignoni, Montalcino. They are all hilltop towns with great views across their valleys. Generally there are very few tourists out in Tuscany at the moment so it is very quiet. We also found traffic quiet, toilets are free and clean unlike the city options, but there is a lack of bakeries (this maybe a good thing!) Pienza was a former papal palace, and the first Italian town to be designed in the Renaissance style. We spent a few hours happily pottering around this small town. Next stop Montichiello, a very small hilltop town, where the commander of the castle in the 1800's did not take kindly to being sacked, so he blew up the castle as he left. Today its main fame for us was Michelle spending a while trying on some lovely linen clothes in a wonderful (and the only) boutique shop. We sense we were the best prospect the owner had all day, so he was not all that happy when we left empty handed (we bumped into him later in the day and he attempted to avoid us). Montichiello did have only one restaurant open for lunch, which happened to be Michelin mentioned (poor us). The day was very hot and sunny by this time so we quietly soaked up the sun on their balcony enjoying brushetta and water for lunch. When we paid the bill the lady said we did indeed have a 'very light lunch' as we warned her we would when we first sat down. Next stop the hot pools of Vignoni Bagno Vignoni (don't ask us why), or as we liked to think of them - the (very underdeveloped) Hanmer Springs of Italy. Initially we were interested but slightly underwhelmed by the large Roman pool that was created around the source of the thermal water. There was initially nowhere to touch the water, but we found by chance just before we left, the real surprise of the day, being the water flowing through the hillside village and out over a cliff face, where it steamed and flowed down into a creek bed far below. Over the centuries the calcium build up had created a peninsula effect on the cliff face. On top of the cliff face were the remains of water courses and a mill dating back to 1300's. At the bottom of the cliff is a man made swimming hole where the water was very temperate by the time it made it down to this point. Some keen elderly soul was in his speedos attempting to swim in this water or somewhere near it! Next stop Montalcino. This had a small castle at the top of the town, still intact and with some shell damage. The town was built in a very steep slope so we almost missed the Main Street as it was low down the side of the hill. We found it after navigating a street with cobbles that would rival Baldwin street in Dunedin, a street that lead straight upto the cathedral, so we could imagine the older folk struggling up here each Sunday. A gelato shared, we were on the road back to our accommodation (only making one wrong turn). Finally we finished the day by visiting our local town Montepulciano, which we think is the best of all the towns we have visited today. It is very high from the front gate to the square at the very top, but this is what gives it such commanding views of the Tuscany landscape. Another tasty Tuscan meal (could have had rabbit or wild pork...) and we are back for a good nights sleep, not sure about tomorrow's plans. The shower head was fixed, but still no internet, and we now have neighbours and the soundproofing is not so good!