Now that our visitors have departed and life has returned to its usual ambling pace, we can take the opportunity to write some posts about the places we went and things we did through July and August when the kiwi contingent was here.

In late July we drove the 40 minutes it takes to reach the pretty town of San Gimignano and spent the day there with Mike, Charmaine and wee James.  The town is easy to spot as you approach it because San Gimignano is famous for it’s collection of towers.

At the height of it’s power it is said to have had as many as 40 towers but today only 14 remain.

The town has always been a significant place for visitors in central Tuscany and that continues even today.  The difference is that visiting pilgrims on their way to the holy land have been swapped for visiting tourists on tour buses on their way to Florence or Rome.  Through July and August the town is packed as cars and buses disgorge thousands of visitors daily.

Although It is a mecca for tourists it still retains much of it’s original charm and once you get out of the main piazza and off the main street you get a feel for a more traditional way of life.