Every Hilltop is not the Same

Siena, Montepulciano, Assisi, Orvieto, a different hilltop town was on the agenda each day, actually two to three hilltop towns were scheduled for each day but Mary Kay and I soon discovered that was insane. Although I figured it out first and tried to convince MK that every hilltop town was pretty much the same, she begged to disagree but eventually came around because she was at the mercy of the driver, me.

They are not all the same but they are pretty close and they all dot the landscape like espresso stands in the tulip fields of Washington. They all have several churches, even the towns of 20,000 people, like Cortona and Montepulciano, both of which have 5-10 churches all within walking distance. They all have at least 3 piazzas to hangout in; they all have at least 1 famous artist who was born there, created there, or died there; they all have their signature pottery, wine, cheese, or gelato; and they all have great views of Tuscany (or neighboring Umbria). It's a blog, I need to give a summary not a book.

Siena for the cathedral: dizzying, art everywhere you turned, couldn't even look down at the floor to clear your mind so you would have the energy to look back up and see new things; the floor is covered in the most spectacular marble inlaid stories of warriors and popes.








Montepulcioano, very much like Cortona, but with the special Vino Nobile; a great tasting day! I love that a wine is named Noble. The grape is worshipped in this area.











Assisi was amazing because it was St. Francis Saint's Day to celebrate his death on October 3. MK and I went to Vespers and managed to find a place on the marble stairs to sit and watch the procession of nuns and priests and pilgrims. Quite a magical procession out of the Lower Basilica with the prayer sung response as the followers proceed with flags to the Upper Basilica.











Ovieta was having a wonderful festival for the Slow Food Movement. Tastes from local producers included: truffles, olives, oil, lots of different formaggio, and wonderful sausage, salami and proscuitto. The area where Ovieta is located, Umbria, is known for their truffles.