San Gimignano

Today was our day to travel. We slept in on Friday and didn't end up going anywhere, so we promised ourselves that we'd get up and get to the train station bright and early the next day. The originally planned destination was Orvieto, but train ticket prices were a little steep so we looked elsewhere. We considered going to Portovenere, a town just south of Cinqueterre, but it required more than just an afternoon. So San Gimignano it was. And in the end, that was a great choice.

It was a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky. John, Matt, Kelly, and I boarded the train at 11 and got to the ancient walled village by 12:30. It was really peaceful and there were hardly any tourists there. We pretty much had the town to ourselves. San Gimignano rests beautifully on a hill overlooking the gentle Tuscan countryside. The old city wall is still in tact along with several large towers. We strolled along the old narrow streets and took in the breathtaking views of Tuscany. Eventually we ended up at a small restaurant in one of the main town squares where we sat outside in the sun and talked over some sandwiches and tea. All in all it was the perfect little day trip and I'm really glad I saw San Gimignano.

Tomorrow I go to the Fiorentina match with my Italian teacher Professor Batterman, his son, and Fabio, the boy in my Italian family. La Fiorentina plays Livorno and it's a pretty important match. It's also only the second one I've been to this year. I'm going to rest up and live it up tomorrow. Forza Viola!