D174 -- Leisurely day

Since our friends had never been to Tuscany before, we decided that a nice introduction would be to explore the town of San Gimignano. First, however, we were treated to a great omelet breakfast, compliments of Michael. We walked around town for only a little while before stopping to have some lunch. Elva and I were worried that our friends would not be as obsessed with food as we are, so we were very relieved to see that food is a top priority for them as well! After lunch we all wandered the back streets of San Gimignano, where preparations for the annual medieval festival were taking place. It's hard to top a medieval festival that is staged in an actual medieval town.

We split up about a half hour after lunch, with the girls going to do some shopping and the boys going to find a pub where we could watch England play Sweden in the World Cup. Mayowa is a big fan of England, so we had a good time watching the match. England won, thanks to a fantastic shot by David Beckham, who did indeed "bend it like Beckham" to score the goal. Mayowa, obviously in good spirits over the win, decided to entertain us with a little "slap the booty" dance.

We went back to the villa around 7 to rest up before dinner, then headed back into town later in the evening for yet another great meal. Mayowa and Michael partook of a traditional Tuscan dish, Pappardelle al Cinghiale, which consists of ribbon-like pasta with a wild boar sauce. We got back to the villa quite late, and since everyone was still worn out from the previous day's travels, we all promptly went to bed.

-Tom