San Gimignano

 As with Siena, I had visited San Gimignano before, over 20 years ago. I was very keen to visit again, both because of what an interesting place it is, but also because normally its narrow streets are heaving with coach tourists. I thought if ever one was going to see the place with some degree of normality this was the time. As you will note below, we were hardly alone, but when I last came a view down the main road was just series of crowds as each coach disgorged its contents and they all proceeded along in bunches with their guides.

If you can only visit one Tuscan hill town, San Gim is probably the one to choose. Unfortunately, it is the one most people do choose, and it just gets overwhelmed with daytrippers, as it is so small. The population is well under 10,000. What makes it remarkable is its collection of medieval towers. This was the ultimate in 13th century one-upmanship. "My tower is taller than your tower". They were once in other Tuscan towns too, but only here did they survive in such numbers, partly because the town became such a backwater. As you can imagine, centuries old towers can easily fall into dangerous ruins, and furthermore they are totally useless. They are not like a block of flats. They are essentially just a staircase with a view from the top. So most failed to last the test of time. But here more than a dozen remain, giving the town a skyline like no other.

Aside from the towers, you do get wonderful views from the edge of the town across the Tuscan plains.

But inevitably the towers are what one is drawn to.

There is a small museum of religious art. Not the most exciting thing. Although I quite like the works below - flamboyantly gay Christ in the background, very poorly endowed Christ in the foreground. Honestly, if you are so genitally challenged might one not think twice about posing naked for a statue? (Or maybe that isn't how it works?)

Anyway, there is only one tower open to the public, Torre Grossa, so you really just have to climb up it.

The views from the top are spectacular

We (Thibault) found an excellent spot for lunch. Soup was nice but the lamb chops were to die for. 

By this time the weather was starting to draw in, so we just had a quick scoot around the ruins of the castle before the rains hit. This is a particularly nice spot which the tour groups don't seem to reach (thankfully).

And then we hastened back to the car, with just a glance back at the towers....