Tuscany: Certaldo Alto and San Gimignano

During one of the days of our first week of vacation, I somehow got it in my head that it would be a great idea to go to not one, but two little towns in one day - with Lola.  I'm happy to report that we managed it, but then the next day we were exhausted and did absolutely nothing, so you could say that my clever plans to pack in all the activities were neither clever nor efficient.

First, a picture of Lola and her auntie Amanda sharing cuddles, awwww:

In the morning we made it to Certaldo Alto, a beautiful and impeccably preserved little town on top of a hill, generally closed off to vehicles and only accessible by funicular (unless you walk it).  Here, Lola and I were in the town square getting ready to board the funicular, and she was already super excited for the adventurous day ahead:

 

Lola, caught in the midst of a starfish squeal

Unfortunately we were backlit, but you get a sense of Certaldo, the new town

 We walked around Certaldo Alto and generally admired the streets and views.  Nothing was open except for a few coffee shops.  Apparently Italians aren't early birds!

 

 

 

 Apparently Lola loves flowers as much as I do!  She also loves fruit. 

Hmmm... maybe she is my daughter after all!

 We finally found a cafe that was open and we sat outside in their lovely garden next to a centuries-old well (now boarded up and just a showpiece).  Lola clutched a packet of artificial sweetener in one hand and couldn't have been happier.  She was whooping and shrieking like a little crane, much to the amusement of our waitress and the other patrons in the cafe.

 

Then as if that weren't enough excitement, after a stop at a market in Certaldo (where we bought grapes, bread, olive oil and salami), we headed out to San Gimignano after we had lunch and Lola had her nap.

San Gimignano is one of the more famous towns in Tuscany, because it has such a distinctive look on the Tuscan skyline.  Back in the day, apparently THE sign of wealth was not a big house or ostentatious jewelry, but rather... a tower.  Yes, and, not to be too predictable here, but the taller and bigger your tower, the wealthier you were understood to be.  So the good folk of San G built many towers, and at the height of this craze the town had over 72 of them.  The town is tiny, and I can only imagine how funny but also amazing it looked packed to the gills with(useless?) towers.  Unlike other cities, San Gimignano have managed to preserve 14 towers to present day, despite war, decay, and urban renewal, which is actually an amazing accomplishment if you think about it.

The drive up to San Gimignano was beautiful, and it was stunning when we caught glimpses of the town jutting dramatically from the rolling, bucolic vineyards.  However, I was pretty disappointed in the town itself.  It was so commercialized, rife with so many trite and overpriced souvenir shops, that we didn't spend much time there once we finally arrived.

We went to a famous gelato shop, Gelateria Dondoli, where we agonized over what flavors to pick (always the hardest part), and then headed home after enjoying our cones.

 Amanda let Lola try a lick of her peach sorbet (and surprisingly Lola didn't go crazy for it as I expected she would), and I let Lola try a bite of (an empty) waffle cone.  The latter move was a huge mistake on my part, as Lola loved the sweet crispy treat and would not let go.  I had to pry it out of her grasp and fend off an epic meltdown - those little fingers are shockingly strong!

Developing a taste for the good stuff... uh oh!