March 12, 2012

Cortona and More

The town of Cortona is where we headed next. From Andrea's correspondence I had become very envious of her time spent living and studying there the past couple of months. Once I laid my eyes on the town that envy reached a breaking point. Situated on a hill overlooking the Valdi Chiana valley the views from the town are fantastic. Some of the highlights include: the quiet cobblestone streets where locals would great you in Italian, tiny cars flying through narrow gaps, the Lions Well filled with hundreds of people for Carnevale, and delicious eateries speckled throughout, including Bar Sport where you can get a cappuccino and a pastry for 2 euros. In addition to soaking in the vibe of Cortona we also visited a few other towns in Tuscany on day-trips while Andrea was in class. 
Following a road out of town
Pizza, salad and wine. A pretty standard meal during the trip.
Inside the bed and breakfast that we stayed at.
The main square, Pizza della Republica
Snowy path
Santa Margherita
Florentine steak for one
One of the towns we visited was Assisi. The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a world heritage site.
Desert boots were my footwear of choice this trip
Street in Assisi. Just like in Japan, following the small side streets to see where they lead is activity that I cannot pass up
Another town with a view, Perugia
Inside the Cathedral in Pienza.
Street in Pienza. The town is another world heritage site as it's a "touchstone of Renaissance urbanism"
Most of the towns we visited had incredible views.
The difference in price for a bottle of wine at a restaurant in Italy versus Canada is staggering.
As soon as you stepped out the door of the B&B you strolled down this corridor
A photo I took during my last morning in Cortona

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