Montepulciano-what a wonderful place!

Since I have been thinking about going to Tuscany, I have been reading many books on the subject...about five or six, and two of them were written by an American who loved the area so much that he bought a place here. The town he lives in is Montepulciano so I wanted to see it after reading so much about it. The name of the book is "The Hills of Tuscany" and the author's name is Ferenc Mate...it was wonderful. Well, the town was all I thought it would be and more.....it was just about an hour from our timeshare and an incredible scenic drive......it, like the others is VERY old and rustic and set on a very steep hill....all of these Italians must have been trying at one time or another to escape from their enemies......we have really gotten some exercise climbing hills...but that is good! Our lunch was so good...I am showing you some pics of the cafe where we ate.....teeny-tiny to say the least, seated about 30 people and the kitchen was SO small, you will see the picture. If you ordered proscuitto, the owner carved it fresh while you were sitting there.....when it was time to get your check he came to your table and added each thing you ordered up on the paper tablecloth and told you the total.....amazing! It was a real Tuscan meal, to say the least. We had something resembling spaghetti called pici with meat and tomato sauce along with crostini with tomatoes....their tomatoes here are like nowhere else.....Tom ordered an expresso and I had to laugh at his holding such a teeny-tiny cup! But it was good......at least he said so, looks a little like mud to me, but it seems tht everyone here loves it.
It is time to start figuring out how to get back, we are exploring our options now....we have to probably get to Germany and then from Germany to home, we are looking for the least expensive way to travel....trains are cheap if you are traveling in one country, but if you are traveling through 3, it gets pricey...and it is Octoberfest for the next month in Germany....oh boy.
We will be seeing you soon, we hope! Love to all, Tom and Jackie