San Gimignano and Siena, Italy: Sunday, August 8, 2004
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It is the trademark olive.
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A view of the countryside on the way to San Gimignano.
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Grape vines in front of the outline of San Gimignano, a 14th century town.
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The grapes and leaves look luscious, healthy and bursting.
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An attempt to capture the silver-gray-green olive branches in front of the stately building.
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The first approach to San Gimignano (which incidentally is overrun with tourists in August.)
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This is very hard to see, but in the center of the picture, towards the bottom - there's a well. Possibly.
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A row of houses in San Gimignano.
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The church in San Gimignano. Unfortunately, as it was Sunday, they asked that no tourists come in.
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A study in contrasts, these neighbor buildings.
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Windows stacked onto the world.
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ArtShot (tm). My camera is tilting on me again. Or it may be my angle, from where I'm standing in the street.
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Soft living green awaits on the other end of the hard rock arch.
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Side of the church (?)
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A cafe just on the outskirts of San Gimignano. Looks like a fine place to stop and stay for a bit.
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San Gimignano ...
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The cooperation of the elements.
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Our host for lunch at the Fattoria San Donato, http://www.fattoriasandonato.com, shows us his cellar. They grow olives and grapes, and make olive oil as well as
at least 3 types of wine.
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But it's not all quaint casks. An industrial strength cask.
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Grapevines above the doorway to the cellar.
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These vines, too, are bearing fruit.
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The rustic part of Fattoria San Donato.
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This time it's a dog, not a cat (look closely.)
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The pool at San Donato. They also take in guests!
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A guest cottage at Fattoria San Donato.
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A courtyard in Fattoria San Donato.
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It was seeming to want to maybe start to rain a little bit, so we had lunch in the friendly cellar.
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Let's see who I can identify - from the left: woman from Shanghari, man from Montreal, retired couple, me, oh dear here I a trailing off ... the man at the end is our guide; Florentine.
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I'm not sure what is romantic about a table of antipasti, but the couple from Canada must! Either that, or this is another victim of the "pose mentality" that we are taught. What will look good.
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View from the cellar, looking out.
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After lunch, the reddish brownish buildings take on a new light - Siena beckons.
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Siena's cathedral, by cypress.
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A steep street in Siena.
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A cluster of four buildings, topped by the old tower.
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Another angle turns this into an ArtShot(tm).
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A side street and a happy child.
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The Siena Cathedral from afar.
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The cathedral in the local setting.
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Looking up at the front of the cathedral.
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The doors of the cathedral share a lot with the cathedral in Florence. In fact, there was a competition (apparently) so see which city could build the largest cathedral. Florence won.
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The front of the Siena cathedral.
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The belltower of the Siena cathedral.
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A parting ArtShot(tm).
Marianne Mueller
Last modified: August 30, 2004