Tuscany

WOW...all i can say is wow and sigh with a content and unexplainably perfect love for the experiences i have been blessed with the past few days. first of all, spending time with this group has been amazing and seeing kayleigh leave was heart breaking. she is just as loved by each and everyone of us as she explains loving us. I think we all shed some tears over her leaving and her incredibly kind words. The point is is that i know there is a reason she came on this trip and i feel so greatful for being able to spend so much time with her and watching her make instant friends.
as for siena...we got here two days ago and have all fallen in love with this city and tuscany in general.
the first day: when we arrived we stepped off the bus into a refreshingly breezy and cool place...at least cool compared to florence where we just about melted completely. on our bus ride here we drove into rolling vinyards and fields of flowers and became more and more giddy. we immediatly threw our stuff down at the hostel and went to see about riding vespas. it didnt work out because 1. the guy didnt speak any english. 2. there werent enough for us to all ride and 3. it was just plain complicated. ... after we left sneaky little meggie and kyle went back and rented kevin and i vespas for the next day as a suprise and a way for us to celebrate our anniversary! it was such a rediculious and fantastic suprise. later we all went in search of some wine and a sunset to watch and wandered looking for a hill and we ended up walking to the top of an old stone fort and say a panaramic that honestly left me speechless. i wish i could explain how beautiful. rolling hills of vinyards, old midevil cities, sunflower fields and an orange gelato sun set over the hills. it was truely perfect. we played mafia on top of this fort and then went to birthday dinner for brent at this family owned italian restraunt where the pasta was handmade and the sauce was fresh. we drank wine and talked and laughed and brents friend sarah and i bonded over studying creative writing and i drooled over the book she is writing. it made me want to write. after dinner we wandered into the plaza in the center of siena where a choire from london was singing in the big church at the bottom. we sat and listened and the choire sang brent happy birthday!!!!! we finished up mafia in the plaza and walked our tired legs to bed knowing that the next day was going to be a big one.
the second day: kev and i woke up early and picked up our vespa and decided to head toward san gignano. kevin was such a pro and was so natural at riding. it was so much fun! we just started following the signs that lead us through twisty turny old italian roads that wound through fields of sunflowers and past vinyards that stretched for miles. it was so romantice i am not going to lie. i heald on tight as we putted up hills and sped down turns on the country roads. we traveled to sanrimigiori where a castle sits on the hill and we went inside and ate croisants and drank espresso together and breathed in the beautiful view of vast tuscan hillls below. we continued on to san gignano and went wine tasting and looked in adorable stores and traveled to vinyards where the views were just perfect. today we are headed back to florence and have truely fallen in love with tuscany. love, krissy