Saturday, 17 November 2012
We decided to just kick around on Saturday and look into a bit more of the back roads surrounding Montepulciano. I left early in the morning and headed east into the rising sun trying to find a good vantage point to photograph the morning sunlight on the eastern exposure of Montepulciano high on its cliff setting. Short of some serious trespassing this was not going to happen. So I settled for some back road cruising and vineyard sightseeing. The morning reminded me of many fall mornings as a child when I heard the sound of hunting in the fields and tree lines. Hounds were singing and the whistles of their handlers echoed across the landscape. Occasionally the sound of shotgun could be heard and I thought of the times I spent with my dad, grandfather, and uncles. I would have loved to accompany these men in the field and take in the experience from the Italian point of view just for comparison.
We went int town and Laura had a manicure while I poked into the main church and discovered a few wine shops with deep cellars cut into the rock below the town. The time schedule is marked for a serious return trip with our wine glasses in hand! The afternoon was running late and since sunset is just a few minute before 5 here we decide to take an exploratory walk to the west to check the feasibility of a cross valley hike to the next hill town for the next day.
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There are many abandoned old farm houses in the country side.
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Some of the locals take in the early afternoon sun.
Roses at the main altar in the the cathedral in Montepulciano.
A courtyard well.
There is no end to the scenery.
In case you need directions just follow the signs.
The road back to the apartment after the exploratory walk.