The major difference between the bus tour and the rest of our trip (the cruise and the stay in Rome) was the almost complete lack of adventure. While we focused on avoiding the tour groups and going our own way during those phases, here, while away from Rome, we concentrated on all the tours. That's the advantage of bus tours: risk is minimized, value (touristically speaking) maximized. Remember, adventures can be both good and bad.
In keeping with the theory that we would never be coming this way again, we decided to take the San Gimignano tour rather than wander around Firenza. Ah Tuscany!
"Hill town" means climbing, even after the bus parks. At the height of the town, facing the main square, Piazza Duomo, was the main tower and the Duomo. I climbed the tower and admired the People's Palace,
while Momma visited the Church.
We then climbed to the height of the town and admired the surrounding Tuscan countryside. One last view of the Tuscan hills from San Gimignano.
Some Gelati and a couple of bottles of wine (purchased , not drank) later, we climbed back down the hill.
So we board the bus, return to Firenza to pick up the adventurers and go to Rome. Tomorrow we say good-bye to our guide, driver, and travel-mates. Tonight we skip the Farewell Dinner and walk with some fellow tourists to the Italian equivalent of a small strip-mall. (We were still on the outskirts of Roma where things North American are being tenuously introduced.) We ate at a a pizza joint called That's Amore. Given we spoke almost no Italian and they spoke no English, it was fun. Unfortunately, the multiplex theatre didn't have any English-subtitled versions of Star Wars 3. You have to go downtown for English-language movies. We returned for our last night in a First Class Hotel, eager and anxious about the our nine-day Roman expedition.
"Tomorrow" the adventure resumes.
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