We started our day early again, with a quick breakfast, and short ride to the train station. It was there that we boarded a bus for an all day tour of some of the best Tuscany had to offer. Our first stop was the Medieval walled town of Monteriggioni. It was built in the 13th Century by the republic of Siena, and surrounded by a wall (which still surrounds the city today) to protect it from Siena's former (and technically current) rival city-state, Firenze. Many of you may know Monteriggioni as the stronghold of Ezio Auditore di Firenze, protagonist of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th installments of the Assassin's Creed videogame series. I happen to be a huge fan of the series, so naturally, getting to visit the actual town in real life was a serious highlight for my day (and the sole reason I booked this particular tour). From Monteriggioni, we drove to the Large Medieval city of Siena. Once the full on rival of Firenze, it was conquered by the Medici in the 1551 in the Battle of Scannagallo; thus losing it's independence to the Florentine city-state. Siena is known throughout Tuscany for the horse races held twice a year in its Piazza il Campo, a clam-shell shaped town square in the heart of the city. We ventured on to the spectacular Cathedral at the top of the hill the city is settled on. The dome was very ornate, much resembling the Duomo of Florence, with the colored marble on the outside. From Siena, we drove to the picturesque medieval hilltop town of San Gimigano, known for its various towers (originally there were 72! Of that number, only 14 remain). Lastly, we ventured to the Chianti region, to a winery where participants were invited for a wine and snack tasting. The rolling hills sang in the evening sun on the hour long drive back to Florence. It was a wonderful tour and exciting day that I'll not soon forget.