Volterra and onward to Austria

Roman theater in Volterra

July 4th was spent in Volterra. We had a nice time walking around the streets and admiring the old buildings and castle. Matter of fact the castle was so interesting looking that I ventured inside only to be told to leave immediately! Seems it is still being used as a prison – oops!

haunting bronze statue from
200 BC or so

We also went into the local museum and learned about Etruscan and Roman culture. They have a famous bronze statue there that mesmerized us with its curves and shapes.

checking internet in Italy has been a challenge - here we
are camped outside a supermarket trying to get a wifi signal

model of the pulley system used
to build a cathedral dome 

July 5th we bid arrivederci to Italia and hit the road for Austria but not before one quick last stop in Vinci to see the Leonardo da Vinci museum. The models and exhibits were quite intricate and did a nice job of showcasing Leonardo's genius. 

Leonardo' flying machine

After driving for most of the rest of the day we arrived in Obsteig, Austria (about 40 minutes west of Innsbuck). We'll be here for a week, exploring the Alps.

we are staying on a farm right outside of the village of
Obsteig, nothing like a good bounce
in a trampoline to get over six + hours in the car.