From Siena, we ventured forth to two adorable towns and an organic Tuscan cheese farm.

Bagno Vignoni is known for its hot springs though I didn’t see anyone swimming. We wandered about, drooling over the Tuscan countryside, enjoying the small lanes and attractive homes. One of our (married) group members announced that she wants to get married (again?) in Bagno Vignoni. I agree, it is a romantic site but doesn’t make me think about marrying!   😋

If we thought Bagno Vignoni was lovely, we were wowed by Pienza. Here it is from a distance, located, as many Tuscan towns are, on a hill top.

We had lots of time to explore this wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Site considered the ideal city of the Renaissance. I couldn’t stop takiing photos as around every corner was another photogenic site.

From Pienza we headed out to Caseificio Cugusi in Montepulciano, a family-owned farm that produces 16 varieties of sheep’s cheese. We sampled six of the cheeses noted in the banner photo above, and in back of my plate below. We started with the very soft cheese in the middle, then the one at 12 o’clock and then clockwise around the plate. Each cheese had been aged longer than the previous one.

Did you know whenever pecorino is used in the name of a cheese, it means the cheese is made from sheep’s milk?

Back in Siena, Gillian and I dined at Osteria Le Logge which was superb. A first for us was a menu in Italian only. The many staff – one for wine, one for takiing our order, one for delivering our plates – were very helpful with descriptions of the food in English and the brunello was, as usual, divine!

Ci vediamo domani a Firenze. Ciao!