Explore Tuscany

The first stop was San Gimignano- found it to be very beautiful. We walked up to the main square. Kids got pizza which was really good (Ricca Pizza). I got Porchetta panini which was very good too. And bought a nice leather duffle bag.

Next stop was Siena- walked to Piazza del Campo. It was the start of Palio di Provenzano, a horse race dating back to the 14th century. Horses from the 10 city wards race bareback. There was a lot activity. When we reached they were clearing off the Piazza to put bleachers for the race. About 40,000 watch the race. We enjoyed some wine and snacks while enjoying all the hustle and bustle. Big groups of people drinking and singing...I guess cheering for their horse.

After that, we headed to Montepulciano where we stayed in an old castle. The place was right in the middle of the ZTL zone. We were allowed to drop our luggage and then had to park the car in an assigned parking lot. Driving through some of the narrow streets was quite an experience. The hotel room at Palazzo Carletti was our best on our entire trip. It was a huge room with 20 ft high ceilings. The kid's room was accessed through a spiral metal staircase. All amenities were very modern. Only 5 rooms. Would love to come back to this hotel.

This place is a small quaint town with pretty shops and restaurants. And we could walk from one end to the other in 10 minutes. We had dinner at Osteria de Conde. Food was good but the service very slow.Read more