Our last day on this amazing vacation. On our way to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport we stopped back at Orvieto to finish viewing the town and viewing the interior of the Duomo. From Rome we flew to Paris, spent the night -then flew to Atlanta on the 26th and completed our travels driving the 6 hours to Plantation Bay.
Pienza is a town in Tuscany, Italy. The central Piazza Pio II is framed by 15th-century buildings like the Pienza Cathedral and Piccolomini Palace. The latter was Pope Pius II’s summer residence and features a roof garden with valley views.
Montepulciano – The king of Italian wines reside here. So we bought a case hopefully the shipping works.
Montalcino is dominated by an imposing fortress and blessed with a impressive history. But this Medieval hill-top town is arguably these days best known for its wines, being home to Bruello di Montalcino , one of the world’s most famous reds.
Our first real rainy day in 25 but it didn’t stop us from driving around the area stopping for tastings and checking out the city centers. Our stops included:
– Castellina – Radda – Gaiole – Greve – home of Verrazano – Panzano
Volterra is a walled town southwest of Florence, in Italy. The central Palazzo dei Priori has medieval frescoes and a bell tower with expansive views. Volterra Cathedral has a marble entrance and a gilded coffered ceiling. Nearby are the remains of the Etruscan Acropolis. The Guarnacci Etrurian Museum has a rich collection of archaeological artifacts. The Roman Theater complex includes the ruins of 3rd-century baths. Check out Alabaster Carver – wonder what his lungs look like.
San Gimignano is an Italian hill town in Tuscany, southwest of Florence. Encircled by 13th-century walls, its old town centers on Piazza della Cisterna, a triangular square lined with medieval houses. It has a skyline of medieval towers, including the stone Torre Grossa. The Duomo di San Gimignano is a 12th-century church with frescoes by Ghirlandaio in its Santa Fina Chapel.
Certaldo in Tuscany Italy is famous for being the birthplace of the poet Giovanni Boccaccio. The name comes from the Latin ‘cerrus altus‘ which translated literally means ‘hill covered with oaks’. This medieval town is currently divided into two parts, Certaldo Basso (Borgo) and Certaldo Alto (Castle), connected by funicular for those who cannot or do not want to do the ‘pettata’ (steep uphill) walk! Certaldo Alto is the old part of the citadel that is rich in monuments, churches and scenic spots that are very striking.
Our first full day in Italy covered Siena – Siena is distinguished by its medieval brick buildings. The fan-shaped central square, Piazza del Campo, is the site of the Palazzo Pubblico, the Gothic town hall, and Torre del Mangia, a slender 14th-century tower with sweeping views from its distinctive white crown. The city’s 17 historic “contrade” (districts) extend outward from the piazza. Siena Cathedral is a medieval church dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.
From Siena we headed to Montariggioni – Monteriggioni is a walled town in Tuscany, Italy, known for its medieval fortifications and watchtowers. The castle walls offer views of the surrounding Chianti region.
After log overnight flights from Johannesburg to Rome we headed by car to our B&B in the little town of Gavignano near Siena. Along the way we stopped for lunch in Orvieto (a town we visited over 30 years ago).
We finally did it – got the last of the big five — the LEOPARD was finally found. Fitting end to our African Safari – off to the airport – we fly Botswana to Johannesburg to Paris then to Rome – long afternoon, night and morning.
6:00 am into Chobe National Park – bouncing and sliding along rutted dusty sandy roads but we finally found the Lions.
Then in the evening more of our friends.
Early wake-up and bus to Victoria Falls for a Sunrise hike to see the suns magic on the falls along with the possibility to see rainbows. Back to our lodge for the 1:00 vulture feeding (these birds are near extinction because of limited natural food). Then on to Botswana and an evening game cruise. A 2 hour + cruise along the Chobe River watching the wild animals return to the river for their evening drink.
Travelling Photographer 