May 18 and 19 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31 June 1 June 2 June 3	Tuesday 5/28/02 This is our second early day with the van. We got up at 5:25 and left by 6 with Giovanni. Ursula would meet us later. It had rained overnight but stopped by the time we got up. The outlook looked good. We drove to San Gimignamo, an ancient town whose claim to fame is its many towers. Of the close to 100 that existed many centuries ago, seventeen remain. It’s especially impressive from a distance. We drove around looking for a good location. We were also chasing a very bright rainbow! We stopped at one location and got some shots there (left) before the rain started again. We would try a couple of other locations (right), but the clouds were moving too quickly. They were leaving the towers against a dull, white sky. Little did we know that our first location would be the only decent distance shot all day. We gave up after a while (Giovanni kept trying, but the view deteriorated) and drove into the city. We stopped at a coffee shop where most of the group got coffee of some form or other and a pastry to go with it. I was content with the Clif bar I had eaten earlier. While there, another shower passed through. We’d have this weather pattern for most of the day - almost clearing up (blue sky poking through), then cloudburst for about 10 minutes, then repeating. It made for an interesting day. Whenever the rain started, we’d head for the nearest shelter and wait it out. There were lots of interesting nooks and crannies in that town... The three photos above were taken in San Gimignano. The photo on the left shows a garden archway in the upper part of town (the sun was peeking out for this shot). The center photo shows a door knocker. The photo on the right shows one of the many towers in town as they appear from street level. We made arrangements to meet at the main well later in the morning and split up to go our separate ways. I wandered around a lot. I had to change the camera batteries at one point. San Gimignano is also known for its brickwork, as evidenced in the three photos above. The photos on the left and in the center show ceiling details while the photo on the right shows the design worked into the main piazza of town. I wound up at one of the remaining towers that is still easily accessible. Therer's a nice views from the top - in all directions. I shot a bunch from there. Then back to the main square. Upon returning to the main well, I discovered a group of young adults clustered around it, posing for a picture (left). They must have been a chorus from Nebraska, as one had a Nebraska flag that they were using as a rallying point. And, while posed on the well, they treated the crowd to a couple of songs. Nice voices. While it was raining, I picked up a couple of souvenirs - a small ceramic carnival mask, a magnet, and four pins. The photo on the right shows a display of lace umbrellas (normally associated with Burano, in the Venetian archepelago). During another shower, I picked up a couple more - a Tuscan troll and a terra cotta Bacchus face that’s just the right size for the Christmas tree. I try to pick up something for the tree on each trip... Ursula showed up during one shower with umbrellas for everyone. She had also stuffed a bunch of sweaters into a backpack, thinking that we’d all be soaked to the skin. They stayed in the backpack. None of us were that wet! Once Shirley finally rejoined the group (yes, she was late again!!!), we went to lunch at a small place. It’s as close as Italy gets to fast food while still providing table service. The food was delivered quickly and it was quite good. I had insalada del grillo - a house special (la grillo means cricket, which was also part of the name of the place) - which was a salad with walnuts, cheese, oranges, and olives. Of course, there was wine to wash it down with, too. And on the way back to the van (most of us shopping along the way), I topped it off with a tiramasu gelato. Yum! Giovanni and the van were waiting for us at the San Giovanni gate to the city - quite appropriate, I think. The outer walls of the town have rounded turrets. San Gimignano is quite old. According to the plaque next to the gate, there are documented references to it dating from 929. From there, we drove to Barbarino Val d’Esta, another small town. The photo on the left is a statue of the founder, Francisco Barbarino. The photo on the right shows a fountain with a statue of geese. After shooting there for a while, we said arrivederci to Ursula. She lives near there and we were headed different directions. At the Villa, we said arrivederci to Giovanni, who had a kiss for each of us. He’s such a delight! We went upstairs and got a start on packing. I thought about going back up the hill behind the Villa. I kept meaning to get back to it, but, between the rain and the shooting schedule, the opportunity never materialized. The clouds finally broke about half an hour before dinner - not enough time for a climb. Rats. However, dinner was fantastic! There was actually too much wine! Sabina, the owner, had brought out a new bottle with her compliments. Of course we had to finish it! The main course was beef with spinach. The pasta dish was noodles with broccoli (yummy). And there was bread, salad, and a special dessert - an ice cream cake (similar to the thinly layered ones that you can sometimes find in the freezer section of the grocery store) with asti spumanti. Quite a combination! After dinner, we all settled our bills for our stay at the Villa Rosa, then finished most of the packing. Michelle had to bring her suitcase downstairs so that she wouldn’t wake anyone when she left early the next morning. After getting that settled, we hit the sack. Next...