HEADS UP...!!!!!
About halfway down this long post, there is a big gap between paragraphs and pics...just scroll down to get the whole thing...it's there, you just need to scroll down a bit. Can't figure out how to fix it.
Grazie, Amici!!
Okay, go-
Last week we woke up to a nice day with a good outlook on the weather...
We had talked about going over to Tuscany for the day to do our usual walkabout and visits to special places we like. The weather cooperated, so we got an early start to the day and headed out.
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| Getting up early also means seeing the sunrise! |
Where we live here in Umbria is about a 30 minute drive to the Tuscan border. One of our favorite towns in Tuscany is Montepulciano.
It's very touristy, and we know it...but it's also the first town we spent time in on our very first trip to Italy back in 2004. We have a special connection with this place, and we will always return.
This all being said...I will now fill you with a bunch of pictures I took on the morning we were there.
Because we like to walk, we always park near the church just below town. There's plenty of free parking if you arrive early, and it's a good hike up the hill into town. Perfect for us.
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| The church itself is pretty impressive to see... |
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| Outside the church... |
It's a long walk uphill from where we park, so we just have fun on the way.
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| Mirror Shot!! |
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Part of the long slog uphill to town.
I'm thinking a good 25-30 minutes. |
Once to the top of the hill....which is actually the bottom of this amazing hilltown, we are always in awe of the walls of the town.
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| Seriously....how did they do it??? |
On this day, we took a new way into the village and discovered these impressive arches that help hold up a big chunk of the village above.
Though often very busy with tourists, Montepulciano is well worth a visit. You can almost lose yourself within these walls...
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| I love the colors... |
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| Detail of the bench, below... |
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| I love the old brick "flooring"... |
Johnny had planned to paint, so he set up while I took a walk.
If you want to see more about his painting, check out my other blog
here.
Please come back to this post, though!!
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| Johnny painting in the main square in Montepulciano |
We had a blast just walking around, trying our best to find streets we'd never been down...and also trying to get lost. I have to admit...it's impossible. But beautiful trying!!
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So nice to have the place almost to ourselves. We've been here
many times when these streets are filled with people. |
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I have to say...I loved this label. The few times we've actually seen a porcupine here,
it looked exactly like this one on this bottle. |
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| Really great views, all around! |
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| Nobody around!! |
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A nice color combo.
Thanks, Johnny! |
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| So cool to come across this older part of the historic center of the village... |
If/When you find yourself in Montepulciano, it's a must to go to the outer walls to enjoy amazing views over the countryside. There are several viewpoints, some are well marked while others need to be "found".
No matter where you find an outer wall, you will be glad you took the time.
The fields are starting to turn green again, and at the same time we're getting the start of fall color. It makes for a particular beauty all around.
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A classic "Tuscan" view.
The village in the distance is Montefollonico,
another place worth a visit. |
We had a good walk around town, stopped for Proseco at a favorite spot, and then headed back down the hill towards the church and our car...
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| Dreamy... |
I just snapped some pictures along the walk down. Moments that caught my eye.
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| Autumn. |
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| Strolling down the hill. |
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| We'll get in some good steps today. |
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I like the moss on this roof...
Another shot of Montefallonico in the distance. |
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It's the texture that kills me.
Layer upon layer... |
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| We made it to the bottom...again! |
It was a great first part of the day. How nice to be here off season and on a weekday. Not many cars on the roads and not many people around. Just the local shop owners visiting each other in the streets.
Pretty darn sweet.
Once in the car, we headed onward to Montechiello and Pienza...which I'm going to write about in my next post. Part 2!
