Murlo

I thought San Gimignano was small. Ha! It's got nothing on Murlo. But, like the rest of these small Tuscan cities I've visited, the view of the landscape is wonderful. You have to stop and admire, every time, it doesn't really get old, because it's so impressive.

I think we may have been the only tourists there at the time. Seriously, piccolissima!

Sorry Mom, I know you want more explanation with the pictures, but there's not a whole lot to say about 'em. I did find out from one of my teachers that Murlo is apparently a very important city, historically, because of the Etruscans. Can't offer much more info than that though.

Story time: There was an exhibition inside one of the very few buildings here. There were pictures from many different photographers, taken in various places all over the world. National Geographic style almost. It was quite neat to look at, and quite surprising to find it in the teeny center of Murlo, of all places. As we were looking a man came in out of nowhere to tell us that we could vote on a photo. Then he was gone. Alright, so we voted. What did we vote for? There were two pictures of the same place, picturing the same two people in slightly different positions.

The place: this corner, these steps, in Murlo. The people: an old old couple that we actually saw sitting here when we first walked past, and based on their pictures, sit there quite often. I just didn't have the nerve to go all the way over and take their picture, but I had to take at least one, for memory's sake. At least you can see the feet.

Also "in" Murlo is the house that a couple of friends from my language classes are renting while they take courses in Siena for a month. It's a little more isolated than they anticipated, with a nice treacherous 2 km dirt road to even get to it. After hearing about it, I couldn't help but laugh when I actually saw the road.

Anyway, a group of us enjoyed the afternoon there. Dinner was wonderful. The talking enjoyable. The weather cooperative. All in all, a great day.

Yes, my friends drink wine, and yes, they tease me about not drinking at all. Thus, they thought it very entertaining to have me open the wine bottle. Pictured first are our antipasti, our appetizers, and below: secondo piatto e i contorni, second course and side dishes. Mmm, I really do enjoy dinner in courses now. I really like aqua minerale gasato (thank you Jasen!). And I'm very much enjoying different meats and vegetables and ways of fixing them.

I love food. Food and friends? Can't get better than that.

The view from their out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere house. Bellissimo.

Mom, they say that in the mornings, they can see fog sitting on the trees in the little valleys. Remind you of anywhere in particular? ;)