Now just others - day 10 (Pienza)

Have you ever experienced a place you have long looked forward to visiting not living up to the hype? Well Tuscany is not one of those. It has stunning scenery and any number of beautiful historic towns and villages and fabulous food and wine. Breakfast this morning was a special start go the day - hostess Laura's Mum cooks the most beautiful cakes and breads and also made me an omelette like I've never tasted before. Off then to the town of Pienza where we had happened on the festival yesterday but got there before the crowds and wandered around in amazement at the mediaeval architecture and quaint streets and churches. Their shops are all beautiful with really high quality products beautifully displayed and some even having the production spaces for linen, cheese, cloth and leather goods on view. Elizabeth found a new leather purse and had a lesson in how to clean leather as well! Enjoyed a beautiful tiramisu ice-cream and before that an ok coffee (they still don't make coffee as well as Australia) Left Pienza after midday and headed for Montopulciano which is again perched on a hill but is probably twice the size of Pienza - famous as a wine centre. Thousands of tourists -no Aussies- mostly seem to be Italians actually. The streets are very steep and there is a staircase/lift to access from the lower car parks where we were able to park. Again amazing architecture and streetscape looking through alley ways to the magnificent countryside of Tuscany. Having walked nearly all day decided to head home for a bit if a rest. Had a phone call from Florence airport to say they had our bags and where should they send them. All that information was supplied at Rome airport on Friday and so we are xtill waiting for the bags. "May get to you by Wednesday" she said so we again had serious cross words so now they may be here tomorrow. Well see!! Dinner tonight another piece of Italian culinary mastery - for the first time we went to a Michelin star restaurant - Osteria del Leone in Bagno Vignoni just 5 km down the road. Lamb chops for Elizabeth and steak for me and again some beautiful wine. Better not get too used to this! So sorry, still no photos but we'll make up eventually. This area demands just so many photographs. Cheers