Monday & Tuesday / 19 & 20 November 2012

Both of these days were a little short for touring as we had Italian language classes on both mornings from 9 until 11.  We went back to Pienza on Monday and did some cheese shopping for the various Pecorino cheeses that are the local specialty.  The variation in flavor and texture due to differences in aging and packing is quite remarkable.  We have gotten quite fond of cheese with honey or various marmalades.  Either go quite well with a glass of wine.  But then, almost anything goes well with a glass of wine.  Pienze  is a beautiful and spotless town that is overflowing with terracotta flower pots.  Without exaggeration there are thousands of pots lining the streets, hanging from walls, spilling over balconies, and nestled around door openings.  Let’s not forget the ones on the tops of walls either.

Tuesday was Brunello wine day in the town of Montalcino off to the southwest.  We first stopped at the Abbey of Sant’Antimo just to the south of town.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_of_Sant’Antimo  This beautiful building sits in a valley surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.  The visit was made all the more special as we happened to be there during an afternoon, Gregorian chant, prayer service.  As the kids like to say “It was pretty legit!!”  We made it up to Montalcino late in the afternoon had “lunch” and stopped in a few wine shops trying to make heads or tails out of the hundreds of Brunello wines we found.  Darn if we didn’t find some to purchase and bring home!  There is a grand terrace on the west side of town which was the perfect setting to watch and photograph another spectacular Tuscan sunset.

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You really need to have a little drool cloth in your pocket as you shop around here.  The sights and smells make you hungry.

Flower power all over Pienza.

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The skies just will not let you down.

The clouds that made the sunset so nice had left some rain behind but that just made the streets glow with lamp light. I’ll take it.

I love details.

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The Abbey Sant’Antimo.

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You know you are some place special when scenes like this do not even make the guide book pages!

While “one of everything” is tempting. It just isn’t practical is it? Maybe?

The only thing missing was a nice fire and a comfy chair.

Time to pull out the iPhone and AutoStitch a panorama. The file is pretty good size so click it and enjoy the view.