Tuscany in June San Gimignano

On Friday our destination is San Gimignano, about which I am for some reason sceptical, especially after falling in love with Siena. Our early starts are gradually getting later and it takes us a bit longer to get there although it's an easy drive through beautiful countryside with very little traffic. So by the time we are lucky enough to find a free parking space in a residential area 10 minutes from the centre it's past 9 o'clock and time for my telephone call. So we make slow progress from the car as I'm chatting. On the left splendid views of the medieval village which demand photos, 

on the right a private garden specialised in hydrangeas, all in terracotta pots, a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes.

Nevertheless, it's early enough for there to be nobody around and when we arrive in the main square it's just us and a lazy cat cleaning its paws. 

Ok I eat my words and scepticism all in one gulp. San Gimignano, is well, beautiful, brick palaces, towers and flowers, perfectly conserved, how could it possibly not attract hordes of tourists, except today there's hardly any one. 

We dedicate the morning to wandering around in and outside the walls, the views of the countryside around San Gimignano are part of its charm. 

We also have a look in the church of Sant'Agostino, entry is free, with more fine frescoes, although access to the cloister is closed. Today we are determined on a picnic with a view so we go up to the Rocca of Montestaffoli 

where there's a park and, finally, a bench with a view. 

A long lunch break ensues, it's comfortable, an ideal temperature, a splendid view, time to slow down and savour. Eventually we get back on our feet and decide to invest 4 euros per person to visit the Duomo or Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, unassuming outside but frescoed to the hilt inside. During our long lunch break we had read up about the frescoes but in the end anyway there's an audioguide which mainly concentrates on telling the story of the religious scenes depicted. It's worth a slow visit. The Giudizio universale by Taddeo di Bartolo on the Wall above the entrance is particularly striking and the delicate scenes by Domenico Ghirlandaio, Esequie di Santa Fina,  in the Cappella di Santa Fina particularly beautiful. 

Outside on the steps in front of the Duomo it's warm and light after the gloom and almost cold inside. There are just a few more people around, some eating ice-cream, a few elderly locals watching from the stone benches, relaxing. After a 'tea-time' of coffee and the very last of my cake we stroll slowly back to the car and with a short drive arrive at the Bose Community church, an incredibly peaceful place, with, yes, a beautiful view of san Gimignano. 

We linger a while, looking at the crops and enjoying the warm sunshine and then head for the apartment and food.....