italian ashes: san gimignano

Next stop: San Gimignano, one of the most beautiful and historic of all the Tuscan hill towns. We walked along the ancient city walls, and found a beautiful courtyard surrounded by olive groves and medieval towers. A harpist played and sang under a tree, and we almost felt transported back in time. Walking around Siena, Ravena, and Padua, I never found spots that seemed appropriate for Mom and Dad to rest. But this corner of San Gimignano called to me.

For Mom, a view of Tuscany through a narrow doorway in the old stone walls. She can see rolling green hillsides, blue skies, olive groves, and an old church in the distance. Maybe she'll sit and listen to the harpist. Maybe she'll take a walk down into town and have a gelato or buy herself some silly tea towels and miniature replicas of medieval houses.

For Dad, a view of Tuscany through the ramparts, under some gracious trees with the sun streaming through their leaves into an otherwise shady stretch of the old stone walls. Maybe he'll sit and contemplate the lives of those that have come and gone before him in this historic setting. Maybe he'll have a picnic of boar's meat salami and beer. Regardless, I hope they're happy here. I feel a little happy thinking of them being here.