We awoke this morning with a misty view of the hills of Tuscany. Our room at the Best Western – Executive, near the hospital and not far from Siena Centre, afforded us a good night’s sleep, and a substantial breakfast.  At the hotel cafe, we also enjoyed a long and enjoyable chat with Ruth and Terry of Fort Myers, Florida.  We love making new acquaintances as we see the world!  It's so funny how quickly we bond with those whose speech we recognize instantly.  We hear someone speaking English (not Brit-English) and we are like flies to the flame!  We can't help saying hello and striking up conversation!

We realized today that we’re running out of time, and we have many miles yet to cover, so we had to make some decisions about what areas to cut out of our itinerary. Our first exclusion was San Gimignano, a small village we’d passed last night, which a man Dave had met in Malta had encouraged us to visit. It’s a hilltop city, which is marked with many high towers, built in the medieval times by the wealthy to protect them in times of internal and external strife. The town has 13 towers, but once had 70 structures of distinction. Most of the towers are from the 12^th and 13^th century. We nixed it from our plan because we were wearied by the idea of traveling back up that highway, and the day was rainy and cool, so it wouldn't have been enjoyable hiking outdoors with a baby.

Yesterday, as we wound down that highway, we’d see signs that said, Sienna – 25 km. Then we’d travel for five or ten minutes, come around a curve and see another sign that said, "Sienna – 25 km." We didn’t want to go back to that time-warp again! And we decided we’d be traveling through the rest of Tuscany, where we’d surely see some other villages that offer the same kind of history.

Indeed, we pulled off the interstate at Sinalunga, as we noted a remarkable cluster of buildings up on a hill. We drove up a narrow, gravel road, through vineyards and past a mix of ancient and modern villas, then climbed a steep hill to the old town. It was centered around a tall tower and castle. The other buildings seemed to just extend out around it, as they rested on the top of this mountain. The streets were all single track, cobblestone pathways, where you’d hope not to come face-to-face with another car. We decided to stop driving when the road seemed to narrow to the extent that one car might even be a questionable fit.  Dave sat with Bobby, while I jogged up the hill and circumvented the city by foot.

I stepped into a church near the top of the hill, and it was as brightly lit with natural lighting as any I'd ever seen.  There were candles lit on a table near the door, as well. I snapped a few photos, and then was compelled to take video as the sounds were as peaceful as the chapel. The birds were chirping so sweetly, and other than that, there was no noise. This village was an incredibly peaceful place. An old man met me coming out of the church, smiled and went on his way down the hill.

We continued on toward Rome, and we planned to stop somewhere on the outskirts and decide whether to venture in at all. Unfortunately, we just don’t have time to cover all the historical spots we’d like to, as we have only so much time left in Malta as well, before we have to fly home. We want to show Nichole around the island a bit, before we all have to leave.

As we approached Rome, the rain started coming down hard, and that was enough to push our decision to bypass it altogether. We stopped in Frezzinone, off the autostrada, and we hunted down a pharmacy, as we needed formula for Bobby, and we don’t dare wait until Easter Sunday. We imagine most businesses will be closed Sunday and possibly Monday, too.

As Dave ran into a pharmacy, I searched for an internet connection, on the laptop, as our next goal was to find a place to stay around Naples this evening. We got connected right in the parking lot of the pharmacy! We found a hotel in Amalfi, a coastal village between Salerno and Sorrento. Dave called the desk, using Skype, and spoke to a sweet Italian, who spoke adequate English. We made our reservation, and she suggested we call when we’re near the hotel, for directions to the parking lot.

The rain continues to fall, and we’re hoping it will pass tonight, as we have so many more sights we hope to see. Our view of Tuscany was greatly dampened, but we feel like this is at least allowing us to make time, and cover ground, so we trust it’s the Good Lord, guiding our schedule.

We are now driving over the mountain that is on the peninsula south of Naples, and Bobby just woke up. It’s a winding, uphill route and I’m feeling a bit carsick myself, as I try to type. We just said good bye to the dim view of Vesuvius and Pompeii. The rain has stopped, but night has fallen, and we only had a glimpse of the mountain at dusk.