Zippin' Through the Countryside... Rain or Shine

We enjoyed a nice breakfast at the restaurant from the night before and sipped on some coffee that finally tasted like it does back home. Before heading off for our last full day on the motorcycle, we did a little research on where we were headed on our final leg.

Our first stop was a small town called Montone located on a nearby mountaintop. We walked around town admiring how it made us feel as though we had stepped back in time. Our itinerary for the day included covering quite a few kilometers, so we kept our visit in Montone pretty brief.

We were excited to have beautiful warm weather for our long day through the Italian countryside.  Sam was really getting comfortable weaving through the narrow and curvy roads (but he still kept in mind Jennifer’s request not to go too speedy). We stopped for lunch at a town called Anghiari and enjoyed paninis and beer while relaxing under the sun.

Our goal was to make it clear across Tuscany to the “Medieval Manhattan” town of San Gimignano (dubbed this name because of the 11th century towers scattered throughout the city).  Driving over the mountains and through wine country was exhilarating, but we became a little concerned when we saw dark clouds in the distance.  We were fortunate to miss the daunting clouds for most the ride but of course the moment we arrive behind a tour bus going 10-15 kilometers per hour, the clouds decided to let loose.  All we could do was laugh as we road in the pouring rain quickly becoming soaked from head to toe. 

We were thankful when we finally found a quaint Bed & Breakfast in San Gimgnano after about 20 minutes driving in the rain. Getting out of our wet clothes and warming up in a hot shower was just what the doctor had ordered. What ever happened to the perfect weather that this regions is known for?

After drying off and warming up, we walked to town to get a bite to eat. We found a lovely restaurant with panoramic views of the surrounding valley. Our appetizer was a delicious Tuscan soup made from vegetables and bread that was amazingly tasty. For our main courses Sam ordered pasta with wild boar sauce and Jennifer enjoyed penne with gorgonzola and walnuts.  Both meals were quite delightful and were paired with a local chianti.  We grabbed a gelato for our stroll home and called it a night.