We left Pisa and were heading southwest towards the medieval town of San Gimignano. It was an hour drive and we were napping along the way. One thing about road trips – we were trying to stay awake to soak in all the sights but everything was starting to blur together. All the sights were were looking very similar.

The arched entrance of San Gimignano was leading us to cobbled streets and medieval buildings. The tower houses, prominent tall structures that were standing tall from a distance, were clustered in the middle of the walled town. Medieval buildings of romanesque and gothic design were surrounding the tower houses. There were piazzas and churches in the different parts of the walled town.

We were bypassing the main streets and walking the side streets. Exploring the less exposed part of the town, we thought, was a better way see it. The arched doorways was what caught my eye. They looked unique to me.

The sight of the distant mountains, the rolling hills, the green crops, the autumn/winter color of the trees, and the medieval houses turned out to be more appealing. We have a canvas portrait of a Tuscan countryside in our house. We always wondered how it would actually look. Now , we were seeing it and it was amazing!