And here is the olive grove that is behind the villa. You can't see it in this picture, but there is also a vineyard.
The fortress at Certaldo.
At the Certaldo fortress, a Japanese exhibit was going on. Calligraphy demonstrations in the old dungeons, a lecture on Japanese history in the courtyard, and so forth. It really amused me. I mean, who expects to be looking at Japanese art in a small Italian city?
This is the view of the Elsa Valley from the city of San Gimingano. This city was cool in that it is the perfect example of a walled city built for defensive purposes on a hill.
Here's the view from Castle Monsano, a private winery owned by the Monsano family.
This is the spectacular cathedral I saw in Siena.
And finally, this is a picture of the chapel of the Unicorn neighborhood in Siena. Cool pigeon, huh?