Dave, Footy Playing Lions, Three Minute Sketch and Port Town.

Wednesday April 4th

Today we had to say goodbye to Piergiorgio, Dante and the beautiful Tuscan Farm house.  When I opened up the shutters this morning there was this amazing sunrise.

Bronwyn and Fintan say goodbye to their new friend, Dante.

Dante strikes a pose.

Our host in Tuscany, Piergiorgio.

After saying our goodbyes, we pulled away and headed north destined for Florence.  Now, if Pienza was cool because it became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996, then Florence must be super cool because it was declared in 1982!  We only spent the the day in Florence, and that really doesn't do justice to one of the most important cities of the Middle Ages.  We all know that Florence is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and with a handle like that you just know that there is a ton to see and do.  I think that this is one of those towns that you could literally spend weeks in and still not see everything.  If you are into art and architecture, I think you would love Florence.  I wish we had more time to explore the city then we did, I guess that just means that we will have to come back.

The stunning Florence skyline is dominated by the Duomo of Santa Maria Del Fiore.

The Arno river was perfectly still for the next few photos.

One of the most famous bridges in the world, Ponte Vecchio.

Ponte Vecchio has survived 7 centuries of floods and wars.  Shops have been on the bridge since the 13th century.  Since 1593 the shops have been exclusively goldsmiths and jewellers. The upper level was added in 1565 by Grand Duke Cosimo 1, it provided a private passage way for the royals to cross the river to get to a newly built palace without having to interact with any common folk.

This is a copy of Donatello's "Marzocco" (1418-1420) the traditional symbol of Florence.  Florentine lions were playing footy waaay before everyone else.

A copy of Michelangelo's "David".  The original stood in this same spot in Piazza della Signoria for over 350 years until 1873.

Dave has a commanding view of the Piazza.

All you "Percy Jackson" fans will remember when Perseus chopped the head off of the snaky haired Medusa.   This "Perseus" sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini (1545-1553) is considered one of Europe's prized bronze works.  Amazingly the original stands in public in the same Piazza that the copy of Dave and the Footy playing lion live.

This piece is incredible.  Giambologna's "Rape of the Sabine Women" (1583).  It was carved from one solid block of marble.  Apparently the block was flawed and was the largest single block of marble ever brought to Florence.

We were only spending the day in Florence so we opted to take a horse drawn carriage tour so we could see more of the city.

The kids loved the ride.

The Battistero Di San Giovanni is believed to be Florence's oldest building.  Florentine babies were baptized here for centuries.

The East Doors of the Baptistery are famous for the bronze reliefs done by Ghiberti in 1425.  How long did he work on them you ask?  27 years.... Holy apple core!

Our buggy driver was an absolute madman.  He wouldn't slow down for pedestrians at all, instead he would honk the horn you see by his right hand and just keep moving forward.  People would scatter and make all sort of comments, he would mimic them and start laughing as we rumbled down the narrow cobblestone streets.

Horsey gets some well earned food.  Either that or they're are trying to hide his big ugly teeth.

Palazzo Vecchio, which is still home to City Council began construction in 1299.  You can see "Dave" on the right hand side near the entrance

Fin taking the Florence rain like a champ.

The Duomo of Santa Maria Del Fiore.

As impressive as the outside of the Duomo is, the inside is very modest.

The dome of the Duomo is super impressive.  It was designed by Brunelleschi.   It is an engineering marvel.

Fin getting sketched by one of the several artists outside the Duomo.

Fin sees the finished product.

Super Fin graces the Florence skyline.

Bronwyn gets sketched in a dancer like soccer pose.

Bronwyn sees her sketch for the first time.

The "Lion King" with Ponte Vecchio in the background, and the other half of Florence blocked by her massive wind blown hair.

Stacey and the kids after a long climb back up to where we parked our car.

Awe.....

Absolutely beautiful.

We staggered back to the car and got ready for the last leg of our journey, the infamous Cinque Terre!  

Around 7:30 we pulled into our home for the next three nights.  It's in a quaint little village named Porte Venere, and it is the last village on coast south of the Cinque Terre.

How's that for an impressive looking little village?

Tuscany Traffic Jam, Hill Town and Fat Ass Antonio.

Ok, so ya we are home.....thanks for the great internet service Italy!  I still have 5 days to cover, so let's get at it!

Tuesday April 3rd
We started the day off like we did every other day in Tuscany, with a glance at our beautiful Tuscan landscape!

Today we had three Tuscan towns in our gun sights: San Quirico d'Orcia, Pienza and Montepulciano.  But before we headed off on the days adventure we had to make a stop in Montalcino.  Ok, here's a tip for all of you "would be" travellers.  If you buy something in a little Italian village, and you forget to ask for the tax refund form, forget about it!  Do not try to go back, park your car, walk through hilly, bendy, narrow streets to try and find the shop that you bought your stuff from.  I say this because chances are you will finally find it, and they will tell you that they don't participate in the tax refund program.  SWEET.  Soooo, after that errand was done we started our day.

Once we were out of Montalcino we set our GPS for San Quirky.  Along the way we stumbled upon the elegant Abbey di San Antimo. The origins of the abbey date back to 352 (sounds more like the cost of latte at Starbucks then the date of building), but the church that stands there today was constructed starting in 1118.  So ya, just another old building that you almost drive by.....

Hello Abbey!  894 years old and still looking fresh.

The abbey sits at the base of this cool looking little town.

The crazy thing is, we weren't really looking for this abbey.  The GPS just took us to the abbey... and then just like that, the road ended.  She was telling us to turn left, but all that was there was a fence into someone's yard.  Clearly Carmen, as our GPS is affectionately known, had no clue where the hell San Quirky was!  We re-entered what we thought was San Quirky,  and we seemed to be on our way.  Well at least we were back on a paved road again.  This road was clearly the road less traveled... We were waaay up in the hills and had fantastic panoramic views of the country side, but, we had no idea where we were.  

At one point we came to a fork in the road, and we chose left....nope, doesn't look right.   Amazingly, with a co-pilot as gifted as Carmen, we were lost.  We went back to the fork in the road, parked on the grass in the middle that divides all of the lanes and went old school: Books and Maps.  That didn't work, so we decided to override San Quirky and enter Pienza.  Oh golly did Carmen like that.  She was all chirpy and started firing off instructions.  Our confidence was back and we happily let her lead.

Everything seemed to be great, well it was until we started doing switch backs up to a little village named Belvedere.  The budding metropolis of Tuscany.  Talk about shitty timing!  We hit a major Tuscan Traffic Jam!

Cashmere Corner.

Baaaaaaad timing.

After a brief lesson to the kids about where all of that great lamb comes from that they love so much, we said goodbye to Belvedere.

Always trust Carmen.  Not long after our brush with the woolly mammoths or Belvedere we saw the sign for Pienza!

Pienza - at last.

Cool looking farmland just outside of Pienza.

You know your town is cool when UNESCO declares it a World Heritage Site.  Pienza is cool because it was declared in 1996.

Grateful survivors of the "Running of the Sheep" in Belvedere.

As is the case with most Piazza's, the Duomo in Pienza dominates the square.

2012 marks the 550th birthday of the Duomo.  That's a lot of candles.

There is a great frog searching well in the Piazza.
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Antonio's, home to our best meal in Italy. 




More smelly cheese.

I'm not sure what this was for.  I think it's a medieval Scooby Doo though.


You can walk around a good portion of the city on the wall.




Fin dreaming of lamb chops.


Beautiful land around Pienza.

With Pienza covered, and our bellies full, we made our way to Montepulciano.  Ok, you know your town is hilly when it is listed as "a Medieval and Renaissance Hill Town".  Who lists their town as a hill town?  Besides Saskatoon I mean.  I guess when we read that, we should have reconsidered walking around town.  Holy Apple Core!!! (Fin's new saying).  

Welcome to our Medieval and Renaissance Hill Town!

Hill Town!

 Who brings their kids to a Medieval  and Renaissance Hill Town on vacation?

Hill Town!

At least that's down hill.  Hill Town!

Vista from halfway up the Medieval and Renaissance Hill Town.

The main drag in Montepulciano twists and bends its way for 1.5 KM, at the top of the Medieval  and Renaissance Hill Town is the Piazza Grande.  

Palazzo Tarugi

Weary Hill Town climbers.

For all of you Twilight fans, the scenes in New Moon with the Volturi were filmed in Montepulciano, mostly in the Piazza Grande.

 Fin practicing for next years "Running of the Sheep" in Belvedere.

If the frog is in this well, he is stupid for coming all the way up this Medieval and Renaissance Hill Town and jumping in.

I have to say, the cool thing about walking hill towns is you build muscles and grow at an alarming rate.  Check out how big the kids have gotten.  Lamb and Hill Towns = Monsters.

It was time to head home, and thank goodness it was all down hill from the Piazza Grande to the car!  

Amazingly the morning drive took us at least a few hours, while our return journey only took 35 minutes.  Before we knew it we were at the sign for "Fat Ass Antonio's", which meant that we were only minutes from our house, Podere Cunina.