| TUSCANY
Part Two -- Volterra, San
Gimignano, Siena |
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Sleep was rough. But since Uli leant me his sleeping bag mat, not as rough as the ground he was on. It was cold enough in the tent to justify wearing the thermal underwear and fleece I've been lugging around, which makes me happy. My voice is rough, and morning phlegm is in full swing. Since the cold I caught in Florence never made me feel all that bad, it's annoying that the aftermath is lingering. Megan called while I was driving,
and we pulled over at a beautiful meadow. But it's all gorgeous.
Now we're in Volterra, in the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum. I was hesitant to enter for 8 euros but then we got included in a German tour group thanks to Uli, which was quite comical. 5 is a better price. And after this, I assume I'll be done with Etruscan artifacts, ar at least me need to see them. I'm writing while standing next to the book shop counter. They have a 2004 calendar with Italian film posters, with many of the films being ones I've never seen.
Wed May 14 So after Volterra we drove through some more gorgeous countryside. I drove to Volterra in the morning through some fun, windy curves. Since it was fairly early, there weren't many other cars coming at me, so it wasn't that scary. Uli was bitching later that I got to do all the fun driving, since the other highways looked bigger on the map. But he got some curves in later, and I think he felt satisfied. Next was San Gimignano, which was nice, but absolutely clogged with tour groups. We lost each other for about 20 minutes and then somehow we saw each other as we were both walking up towards the one stoplight in town. We had been looking for a free place to pee, and he tipped me to a parking lot with a great view for pissing.
Wed May 14 We made it to Siena after a quick
jaunt on the autostrada, a free one, and parked just outside the city
wall. Going up the stairs I heard martial drumming and found a procession
of boys with snare drums slung around their necks, being rehearsed by
a pear of a man. A grand welcoming.
More of Siena, from memory For some reason I didn't write anything about our stay in Siena in my journal, so I'll try and recount what I can. Walking up from the southern entrance, we walked up a road, not knowing where we'd be staying that night. We stumbled upon the place where the most well-known Panforte di Siena is made -- a round, hard pastry that's akin to Christmas cake. There was an old man sitting in a kitchen, quickly inspecting almonds before throwing them into a metal bowl. We could see him through a window while we stood outside. I bought a small panforte in the shop. We found the famous gothic cathedral, admiring the way the waning sunlight played off the stone and gilded facade.
Eventually we came upon the main entrance to the town, where all of the tour buses park, and there was a booth that gave out tourist information. I asked about hostels, and was told we'd have to get on a bus and travel a half hour outside of Siena, and that didn't sound very good. I asked about pensiones or conventos, and was told that there were no hotels in Siena for under 70 euros a night. Finally she gave me a directory of hotels, and sent me on my way. I found a group of men and tried to ask them about cheap places to stay, but I wasn't being very successful communicating. They pointed to a lady traffic cop and she spoke English. She suggested an inexpensive hotel called Albergo Le Tre Donzelle, and I gave her my map for her to point out where it was. We found it, and
the price was very much to our liking. I don't remember how much it
was, but it was well under 70 euros, and only a 100 feet or so from
the Piazza del Campo. Meaning the tourist booth is there to steer you
in the wrong direction if you're looking to save money.
Siena is famous for the twice annual horse race that pits neighborhoods against each other. The sense of competition in Siena is palpable. The boys we heard playing were were practicing for the race. On some streets colorful light fixtures marked the different neighborhoods with the color scheme that they raced under. One such light fixture had a turtle on it. I'm not sure if that was the animal mascot of that particular neighborhood, but if so, the slow moving turtle is a curious mascot for people trying to win a horse race. We happened to be in town on the night that a high school or college class was graduating. Groups of guys that reminded me of frat boys were driving colorfully decorated cars around the streets, yelling on megaphones. There was a truck that had a large castle wall built on top of it, and then there was the penis mobile -- a car with phalluses painted on the sides, with spurting liquid and word bubbles coming off of them. We didn't go looking for a restaurant until 10 or so, and the only one we found open -- Osteria Del Ficomezzo -- was fairly upscale. (This part I have written down). Here's what we had: Zuppa di farro servita con gamberi di fiume
-- €7.50 Uli had an incredible pasta primi: Later that night, a huge group of students gathered in the campo, drinking and smoking and having a great old time. Uli had met some of the castle car guys while playing didge in the campo, and they invited us to their party. Unfortunately, Uli couldn't remember the name of the guy we were supposed to ask for, and the guys at the door dressed in goofy medieval guard costumes wouldn't let us in. But we were tired. It turned out that their party was located in a bar directly next to our hotel, which meant that it was pretty noisy. But I fell asleep easily, never waking during the night.
Thur May 15 The next morning Uli and I split up for a bit. I found a nice church with some very cool steps that had weeds growing up from between the stones.
Then we got in the car and moved on.
email:
ryan[at]monkeyduck[dot]com
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CLASSIC ITALIAN MOVIES I'D LIKE TO SEE Carosello Napoletano (Neapolitan Carousel) Riso
Amaro Viaggio
in Italia Ieri,
Oggi, Domani Il
Sorpasso Divorzio All'Italiana (Divorce - Italian Style) Rocco
Ei Suoi Fratelli
Accommodations: Albergo
Le Tre Donzelle Located in the center of the city, close (but not too close) to the Piazzo del Campo. Inexpensive, clean, comfortable enough. No meal service, but a great place for discount travelers, considering the local hostel is a half hour outside of Siena.
Eating
Out: (Via
dei Termini 71
+39 0577 222 384 Closed Sundays) Upscale, not too pricey, nice service, close to the Campo. I'm not sure how authentic the food was, but it was all very good.
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