Wine Country

September 28 - 30, 2005

 

Wednesday -Thursday September 28-29

We flew to Rome via Paris.  After arriving in Rome we spent a couple of hours looking for the suitcase with our clothes.  Apparently, Air Chance [France] left it in Paris.  We picked up a rental car and drove north to Montepulciano.  This ancient town, which is known for its red wines, is built on a hill top.  Many of the streets are one-way, signs are confusing, and it took us a while until we got to the  Piazza Grande.  From there it was just a few steps to our hotel, Meuble Il Riccio (http://www.ilriccio.net/).
Montepulciano
 

Meuble Il Riccio
 

 

Friday September 30

We spent the morning wandering about Montepulciano, a delightful town.  We sampled some of the local wine and olive oil.  After lunch we stopped briefly in Pienza, another old town that was planned and built by Pope Pius II.  Then we visited Montalcino for a tasting of its very famous wines.  Finally we drove on to Siena where we spent the next two nights.


Palazzo Comunale
 

Well and Palazzo Nobili-Tarugi
 
Duomo: built in the 16-17C but without a marble cladding
 

Countryside about Montepulciano
 
View with nearby Chiesa della Madonna di San Biagio
 


 
Wine and olive oil shop; entrance to underground city
 

Wine cellar
 
Etruscan tomb; ~ 4th century BC

Tuscan countryside
 
Grape vines
 

Old wall
 
A typical "everything" shop in Pienza
 

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Last updated: January 15, 2006