Blogs from Volterra, Tuscany, Italy, Europe

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Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Volterra June 13th 2019

13/6/2019 -Volterra Korte verplaatsing van San Gimignani naar Volterra. Een aangrenzend stadje op 35km door de Toscaanse heuvels. Smal en bochtig, met prachtige uitzichten. Spijtig zonder veel mogelijkheden om ergens te stoppen voor een uitkijk op deze landschappen. Zoals bij de andere stadjes, zie je het silhouet van Volterra al van ver opduiken. Op een hoge heuvel, want oorspronkelijk ook gebouwd door de Etrusken , en later door de Romeinen en de Middeleeuwse 'de Medici's' aangevuld tot deze mooie nagelaten erfenis aan stadswallen, amfitheater en prachtige gebouwen. Mooi bewaard, net en gezellig. Zonder de horden toeristen die we al eerder overal zagen. Misschien geraken die oversize bussen niet zo gemakkelijk tot hier. Het busje waar wij het met deden geraaakte net door de historische toegangspoort en nipt door de smalle straatjes. Kaartjes waren bij de chauffeur ... read more
Volterra
Volterra
Volterra

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Volterra September 16th 2015

Day 11 My Birthday Yea I’m old but I’m still moving. As Kirsten’s dad (Opa) says getting old isn’t for sissies. I’m in the corner crying not another year older. If you haven’t figured it out this trip is my birthday gift from Kirsten. So why is everything on my credit card. Hmmmm….. It’s ok I’m having a good time. Kirsten let me sleep in again ok as usual; I woke up to smelling coffee. I had a wonderful birthday breakfast just like the one I had yesterday. So today we decided to go to Volterra, this is the city where there is lot’s of Etruscan stuff. So off we go winding up & down through the Tuscan hills. Kirsten’s driving skills have improved over the last few days. She is cutting through the “s” curves ... read more
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Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Volterra July 25th 2015

Issy decides to sleep in, so I have breakfast on my own. The eggs were terrible yesterday, so I decide to have toast instead. There's a machine on the buffet that looks like it might be a toaster, but it's nowhere near the bread. That said, the milk's nowhere near the cereal, so maybe the staff just aren't into putting things in helpful places. I wait to see if someone else uses the machine as a toaster, or as anything else for that matter, but no one goes near it. I'm still not sure it really is a toaster, so I give up and have plain bread instead. Issy's still asleep so I decide to go and climb my tower ration for today. We go to Pisa tomorrow, so I'm on a bit of a tower ... read more
View from hilltop, San Gimignano
San Gimignano Tower
San Gimignano Towers

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Volterra October 3rd 2011

Monday, October 3 Volterra Today we drove to Volterra, about 40 min. It is closer to the ocean in a very dry area. The tilled fields were large clumps of very dry clay, or parched grasses. Volterra is up really high in the hills, atop a huge cliff. When we walked part way along the wall, we met an older couple enjoying the view and he told Claude in Italian that on a clear day you can see to infinity and to the ocean. Volterrra has a few less tourists than San Gimignano. Again the medieval streets were narrow and twisty. It is a famous Etruscan town (Etruscans controlled Tuscany before the Romans a couple hundred years BC), so we went to see an Etruscan Acropolis excavation site on the perimeter of the walls, and also ... read more
Neat old church just sandwiched between 2 other buildings on the side street
Side street in Volterra
Etruscan Acropolis excavation

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Volterra April 26th 2011

Nach einer ruhigen Nacht und einem schönen Sonnenaufgang über der Ebene haben wir auf der Terasse unter einem der berühmten Geschlechtertürme gefrühstückt. Etwas frisch war es morgens noch aber ok. Dann sind wir zu unserem Auto außerhalb der Stadtmauern gelaufen und sind mit unserem kleinen Panda aufgebrochen nach Volterra. Wir haben extra den Weg über kleine Landstraßen genommen. Toskana wie aus dem Bilderbuch: Olivenbäume, Zypressenalleen, abgelegene Villen und die lustigen Ape (Kreuzung aus Vespa und Laster). In Viareggio sind wir erstmal frech Richtung Parlkaus gefahren, obwohl es als "belegt" gekennzeichnet war aber wer weiß obwohl das stimmt? Und wirklich öffnete sich die Schranke völlig widerstandslos für uns und wir parkten direkt unter der antiken Stadt. Wir genossen die Stadt mit nur wenigen anderen Touristen, man merkt deutlich, dass Ostern vorbei ist und die Italiener w... read more
Blick vom Hotelfenster
Volterra = Volturi
Pannino

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Volterra April 30th 2010

DAY FIVE Today dawned early again with all of us up and off for a walk by 6.30am - Robyn and Pete to Santa Lucia and Jenny and I off to the outskirts of San Gimi. We all met up again at 7.30 about for brekky and then got ready to go off exploring in the car this time. We are saving lots of money by having breakfast at home and a platter for dinner. Robyn and Jenny think we are saving the money to spend in Florence, Pete and I think we should save it for the next holiday!! Wonder who will win - probably the financial controller!! By the way the financial controller has been given another role, she is now the home keeper too - in charge of dish washing and clothes washing, ... read more
From our morning walk
Taking in the scenery
Setting off to Volterra

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Volterra March 25th 2010

25 March - Thursday Another early start. We discovered that this was market day in San Gimignano. The route from our apartment to the outdoor cafe was lined with stalls selling everything from fresh produce to shoes and clothing. It made for a colorful beginning to the day. After another cappuchino and pastry we walked back to the car and then drove the winding roads to Volterra. Tamara wanted to see where the Twilight - New Moon movie was filmed. I told her that it was filmed in Montipulciano where we had lunch the day before ... apparently the real town of Volterra, although very picturesque, was and not good enough. She did not believe me. We walked all over town looking at each tower to see if she recognized any from the movie. Another Hollywood ... read more
City Hall in Volterra

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Volterra March 8th 2010

(Sunday March 7) On Sunday we headed off to Volterra, another hill town in Tuscany. Like San Gimignano, Volterra is surrounded by a huge stone wall. To get into town, you park outside the wall and walk in. Volterra is famous for its alabaster stone works. The weather is very cold (high in the low 40's) and they are forecasting snow for the region. Seriously...snow. And alot of it apparently. Since we were expecting spring sunshine weather we did not pack for snow. So -- we had to go shopping!! Although many stores in Volterra are closed on Sunday, we managed to find a shoe store (hurray!) where Michelle purchased a fabulous pair of Italian boots to prepare for the snow. It had to be done :-) ... read more
Palazzo Priori
Pizza
Roman Theater

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Volterra September 27th 2009

Europe » Italy » Tuscany » Volterra September 24th 2009

Siena/Volterra 19th Sept We drove three hours north into the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Our first stop was Siena. What a picturesque town, with winding narrow streets and a lovely sloping piazza in the centre. Matt even stopped off for a hair cut at a local Italian hairdresser, who spoke no english at all. We then headed deeper into the countryside, to stay at the small town of Volterra. We didn't spot any vampires, but lots of locals at the pizzeria and bar. Our room at La Forsteria was good value.... read more
Views over Siena
Tuscan countryside
The haircut




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