Medieval Towns and the Mountains

About two weeks or so ago, we took a day trip to see two medieval Tuscan towns: Volterra and San Gimignano.

Volterra is a very small Estrucan walled city that is famous for its craftsmen who work with alabaster. It was one of those little towns that you see in movies (or actually, everywhere in Tuscany) with narrow streets paved with stone and beautiful views over the valleys of Tuscany. We stumbled across an elderly man who had an alabaster studio. It wasn't even a store, just a little room full of alabaster pieces and little statues and trinkets. So cool.

Next we went to San Gimignano, a place I was so excited to see. The city was famous for it's 70-some towers that were built by rich families and made into sort of a "medieval Manhattan." Today there are 14 of the towers left, which make is so unique. I took so many great photos of the towers and the shadows they made across the faces of the other buildings. In the middle ages, San Gimignano was an extremely important city along the main trade route, but it was overtaken by Florence in the 1300 or 1400s and lost its significance. However, this means that it is very well-preserved. It was a nice day we spent there, exploring the city and sitting in a cafe for hours. That's one thing I love about Italy: life moves so slow here.

This past weekend, we had a spiritual retreat in the mountains of Tuscany, at the "summer camp" of the Italian Adventists. It was a beautiful little spot with cabins and nice views. It was a short walk from a small hill-town called Poppi, which we went and visited. We had a few meetings with a religion professor from the school, but mainly we just spent time together. One thing that I loved was Saturday night when we made a big bonfire and had the Italian version of S'mores...a little different, but still delicious. Surrounded by beautiful hills colored with trees with orange and red leaves, I almost felt like I was in Tennessee--home. It was a nice feeling.

I really love experiences like that one: to be together as a group, to discuss important things, but also to laugh and have a good time. No stress, just fun and relaxation. I think it is an important thing to have to keep sanity. I feel a lot of appreciation for everyone here, and the new friends I have made.

Now I'm going to have a hot shower and catch up on my sleep!