April 26 - We'll take "Manhattan"

When I first visited San Gimignano with my dad in 1981, the town was just beginning to become a tourist attraction, with its towers that make it resemble a sort of medieval Manhattan jutting from the Tuscan countryside about 35 miles south of Florence.

Today you can barely move here, with loads of tour buses parked outside, loads of shops inside the main gate and even a shuttle bus that takes less mobile (or lazier) tourists through the tiny town. It's somewhat of a disappointment to see all these people here, although the charm remains undeniable as you gaze up at the "skyscrapers" a couple of hundred feet tall from which warring families and groups did their battles, and found protection, centuries ago.

Thanks to Rick Steves' Italy, we were able to escape the crowds to Locanda San Agostino at Piazza San Agostino and a fine lunch of pizzas, sausage and cheese and tagliatelle. It's amazing how even in the most crowded of Italian tourists sites you can still find some peace --- if you allow yourself to get lost a bit.