Ian found an amazingly wiggly road which took us well up into the hills and down the other side again, but luckily there was very little traffic. The views at times were amazing.
Our next stop was Bagno Vignoli, a beautiful spa. The hot springs were used by the Romans and became public baths in medieval times and I took a few too many photos.
We saw these planters in several places but usually singularly.
You can actually see the water bubbling.
We stopped for a beer/Sprite as despite it being such a tiny place, it wasn't busy and not touristy at all.
You're not allowed to swim in the main square but a little way out there is a paddling place. I don't know why I expected the water to be cool, but I couldn't have been more wrong - it was boiling. Looks like Frankie Howerd is with me again!
A couple of countryside views from the town.
We spent the rest of the afternoon driving around the Crete Senesi, so just a series of random, not particularly good shots. Mostly the sky and light was very flat but occasionally I got lucky and it's hard to believe they were taken on the same afternoon.
Many of the fields had been ploughed over (ready for replanting I presume) but the size of the clay clods was amazing.
So I had to include another 'clod' in for scale :)
The patterns in some fields fascinated me.
From looking through the lens I confidently told Ian that this was a pile of bricks from a demolished farmhouse - looks more like timber now though.
I didn't realise at the time of taking this, but it's another classic view. There was a young couple there too having a snog so I asked if I could take their picture, she misunderstood and thrust her phone at me but when I tried to explain - my taking the shot for them and of them - she didn't want her picture taken so I walked away - I expect a quid pro quo!
I tried very hard to look out for lone trees on the horizon (another classic Tuscan image) but most times there was nowhere to stop and by the time I found a lay-by the angle had changed - for once I think it worked though, albeit heavily cropped.
Finally the light was on my side.
Tuscany is beautifully clean, no litter anywhere (oh how I wish Kent was the same), but there are these little buildings all over the place and they seem to attract graffiti (I assumed they were bus shelters but they can't be as they are always shut and also we never saw a bus).
A lovely row of Cupressus sempervirens to end with.
Phew, that certainly was a long day.