We needed a quieter day today so stayed locally. We are on top of a hill looking down on vines and farmland. We can see the many towers of San Gimignano on the top of the next hill in the distance.

We really like Tuscany with its hills and valleys … so picturesque.

After doing our washing( an essential task for today! ) We drove along down and up to the walled old city. 

It seems building towers was a sign of how wealthy you were. The higher the tower the richer you were. 

Here we have a tower attached to the main house and we are in apartments close by.

It is quite a tourist attraction in San Gimignano and we could see why. Americans were bussed in and escorted by guides with flags so you understand what it’s like. The small shops were in plenty and the restaurants were very popular.

We escaped the crowds by following the walls around and away from the main centre. The views were spectacular and the buildings were very architectural.

There was not much sign of Roman but mostly medieval in age. 

We could smell  the smells of leather shops and again the jasmine and the roses. 

There were artists painting here and there and a priest dressed in a dark red and white gown ranting in Italian. 

Now we are back in our rented house and just in time as it started raining and now we have a thunderstorm.