Tantalising Tuscany........

After a hair-raising exit through the narrow, busy streets of Florence, driving on the right side (clearly the wrong side)of the road in our brand-new, rented Mercedes, we enjoyed a wonderful cruise through the Tuscan countryside, arriving at the gorgeous lttle town of Volterra and our home for the next week, a charming little medieval villa called Casa Selci. Volterra is enclosed by a high stone wall built about 2,500 years ago. Our villa is high on a hill adjacent to the wall, so we enjoy spectacular views of the countryside beyond the town. We have a large private garden and swimming pool and are enjoying the peace and quiet, with the opportunity to simply sit in the garden and read and not have to re-pack every day. Each day we walk down to the local shops and purchase our fresh pasta, meats and vegies, to enable John to try his hand at cooking with local produce. The Italian wines are incredibly cheap and delicious, and we have found a delightful panettiere for mouth-watering pastries. Yesterday we drove to Siena and only became lost twice - once on the way there and once on the way back. Siena is regarded as one of the finest examples of a 14th century Tuscan town. We visited the Duomo, its Battistero and Crypt, the adjacent Museo dell O'pera del Duomo, the Santa Maria della Scala (medieval hospital) where we saw magnificent 15th century frescoes by De Bortoli. Spent a bit of time in the main town square, which is shaped like a scallop shell, and climbed a tight spiral staircase for a spectacular view over Siena. Eventually found our way out of Siena and 'home' for another quiet evening ......not. The local flag-twirling team, with their drums/brass band accompaniment spent the evening practising in an adjacent field until 11pm. But it was fun to watch and listen. Next - more of the same.