Travel Tales

Got up late today, decided to do a little day trip to Volterra, was looking like rain today, it seems to be following us around. Navman saved us again today, we don't know how people get around without it. Volterra is gorgeous, not too damaged by the tourists, although this may only be a matter of time as the Twilight phenomenon takes off...they are offering New Moon tours at the Tourist Information centre, and even have a gelati flavour named New Moon (looked like chocolate with blood cherry swirled over it) Jo couldn't help herself and had to sign the Twilight wall in the office....GO TEAM EDWARD!! Walked around it's cute little cobble stoned streets for a couple of hours. Found some great things to buy, they love their alabaster here, and had some awesome souvenir shops. Found an Alimentary with some wild boar sausage, complete with boars head over the door, you'll have to refer to the photo for this one!. While on the food subject, which we often are, we came across a Pasticceria with a great variety of Italian delicacies and some fabulous gelati. Tried the fig and hazlenut, still not as good as the fig we had in Corniglia, but we will keep searching! Had a littled sticky beak in the Torture Museum, but wasn't really our thing. Found a Werewolf in there (we think more Jacob than hollywood!) but not a vampire in sight...it was overcast too!!!! We loved it, well worth the trip. On the way back we decided to call in to San Gimignano to really wind up the medieval experience. Jo had been here before about 14 years ago and got the sulks because THEY HAVE DESTROYED IT. A fine example of what tourism can do to a place, they have ripped up all the cobble stones and replaced them with hideous pavers, all the interiors of the shops have been modernised, and there are quite a few now....a few too many! The place was absolutely crawling with tourists, was bumper to bumper throughout the entire little, once gorgeous, place. Give it a big miss if you're thinking of going for a visit, no longer an authentic experience, has totally sold out, and is really disappointing. Jo refused to take any photos, will look at her old photos when she gets home and reminisce of how things were. Only highlight was the tasting of 8 year old Balsamic on some tasty italian cheese, but that's all. Oh, the other highlight was leaving. We drove back through the beautiful rolling hills and vineyards that is Tuscany, such a divine part of the world, no wonder so many people fall in love with it.