Montalcino

Sometimes I wonder why I shoot during the day. The 'Golden Hour' of sunset is so lovely that you are often rewarded with wonderful shots when the subject around the image is only so-so, but the sunset is fabulous.
I went to Montalcino yesterday to see one of the many mountain villages in Tuscany. I had thought of going to Montepulciano, but when I was purchasing my bus ticket the agent said no, you will like Montalcino so much more. Rick Steves put them both down as places to go, but who can argue with a local at the bus station. Besides, there was a bus to Montalcino sooner. I went to the train station to leave by bus, after going up that escalator from the hotel to the bus station on the city mount, and then down those seven escalators to the train station and got on my bus to Montalcino. The buses act as the local transport for people and stop at various stops along their route. The first such stop was the bus stop across the street from the hotel. Oh well, it was a lovely climb, walk, descent to get my ticket.
The village is a quiet little place with little to recommend it save the beauty of the hills around there and the vino that has made it famous. I didn't know! Let us just say that the money I had not spent on gifts and things for myself is now shot. Two cases of very expensive and wonderful wine is on its way to SoCal.
Time for a wonderful lunch and roaming around and then back to Siena. I asked the bus driver to let me off at the Hotel.
Tomorrow it is off to Florence and the crowds of tourists.

Time for lunch

Ciao