Today we traveled to Montepulciano and Pienza. Most people on the trip had never been to either town so there was a bit more excitement amongst everyone. We started the day with a bus ride to Montepulciano. We visited a “simple” church that really was anything but simple. It was gorgeous. After visiting the church, we met Roberta at the top of the hill in Montepulciano and had a lovely tour of the town. Montepulciano had, by far, the most spectacular view I have ever seen. I felt like I could stare at that view of Tuscany forever. It was one of those views that you know pictures will never do any justice, so you just try your best to take mental snapshots so you remember it forever. That sight still leaves me speechless. The beauty was so distracting that I honestly don’t remember much from the tour. 
One memorable experience from Montepulciano was the massive steak a group of us shared. We asked Roberta for another restaurant recommendation and it truly did not disappoint. Osteria Acquacheta was a charming little place with long tables and paper placemats. Ordering and enjoying that steak was such a unique experience! It was the largest piece of meat I had ever seen in my life. It was prepared very simply with just salt and pepper and served rare. Our group had a wonderful meal together and then we were off to do some shopping! In addition to steaks, Montepulciano is also known for its leather. So, we obviously had to buy some hand stitched leather sandals to remember this town by. After we all spent our money, we made our way back down the hill to meet the rest of the group for the bus ride to Pienza. 
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Stephanie gets complete photo credit for the group shots. |
After a quick bus ride, we were in Pienza. Again, it was just so gorgeous! We had a lot of free time in Pienza to just roam around, which I loved. It almost makes you feel like your live there. Pienza was filled with cute little boutiques that were a bit pricey. One memorable shop had a leather craftsman making belts, purses, bracelets, notebook covers, etc. right there in front of you! One final memory of our wanderings in Pienza was when we saw an Australian cooking show being filmed. While watching the producer and host talk with a local shop owner about cheese in Italy, I learned that Pienza is known for its Pecorino. After watching the filming of that show for a bit, our little group walked around for a bit longer and then headed back to the bus to make it home to Casa Cares. It was sad to leave these gorgeous towns. It was one of those days that I wish we could have stayed longer to soak it all in.
Ciao,
Emily
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