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The next day, the last of our trip, we visited the Mercato Centrale, a fantastic marketplace where you could find most anything you wanted. . .
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The next day, the last of our trip, we visited the Mercato Centrale, a fantastic marketplace where you could find most anything you wanted. . .

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  • with groups of Montalcinesi meeting for morning conversation on the street outside the tobacco shop.
  • One of the famous Brunellos --- note the price, 34 Euros, or about $44.
  • We explored the streets and neighborhoods of the city, had our second espresso of the day, and then ventured outside the walls to walk the path around the city . . .
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  • . . . where there are breathtaking views of the Val d'Orcia below.
  • Later we came back to San Quirico for a picnic outside our apartment.
  • The olives in the grove next to the inn were just beginning to ripen for the late November harvest.
  • It was a short drive to Bagno Vignoni, a thermal bath and spa that has been famous since Roman times for the warm waters that come bubbling up into this pool. Next door is a more modern facility where you can pay a day rate to soak in the therapeutic waters and relax poolside -- which we did!
  • The light was beautiful as we drove back to San Quirico. The Val d'Orcia landscape changes seasonally, from the lush greens of spring, to the brown hues of fall when the summer wheat has been harvested and the heavy clay soils have been plowed in preparation for planting the winter wheat crop. The area has a special designation as the "Parco artistico, naturale e culturale della Val d'Orcia," with the goal of preserving the extraordinary artistic and natural heritage of the five municipalities which constitute it: Castiglione d'Orcia, Montalcino, San Quirico d'Orcia, Radicofani and Pienza.
  • Untitled photo
  • Groups of cypress trees "dance up the hillsides."
  • . . . and made a last visit to the Bar Centrale on the main square of San Quirico for an espresso.
  • The day was beginning for the residents of the town.
  • We said goodbye to the village cat and were on our way, vowing to come back to this beautiful area.
  • We drove north to Florence and into the city to drop off our car -- quite an experience driving in the center of the city -- checked into the Hotel Casci and walked to the Uffizi Gallery to pick up our reserved tickets.
  • After spending several hours at the Uffizi, along with many, many other tourists (a somewhat overwhelming experience) we walked along the Arno.
  • Dinner that night was at the Fonticine, a restaurant recommended by the staff at the hotel, . . .
  • . . . where we had an excellent meal, including Kathy's artichokes in butter.
  • The next day, the last of our trip, we visited the Mercato Centrale, a fantastic marketplace where you could find most anything you wanted. . .
  • from fruits and vegetables . . .
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