Tuscany Pienza Wednesday
Trip Start
Aug 22, 2008
1
6
Trip End
Aug 30, 2008
Pienza, Italy
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Another long day with another underestimated mileage. They must be taking the straight line distance between towns. Ignoring the zig-zags of the gravel tracks and more importantly the up-downs. Since these medieval Sienese people were so agressive, all the Tuscan towns are located on hilltops making the last 4km of every day very intimidating but then the views from the hotel rooms which eagerly await our weary bodies are magnificient -overlooking the connecting valleys.
"I didn't know a beer could taste so good" were Jen's appreciative words as she reached for a glass of "Biere Moratino" soon after we entered Pieza. It was good we were rather dehydrated - I omitted to tell her that it cost R45. Generally the price of beers range from Eur 2 to Eur 6 (R20 to R60) depending on the size of the public square on which the cafe is located. In our heads we are just calling Euros Rands and ignoring the exchange rate
Pienza
.The logistics have been faultless. Every day our bags are dutifully carried to the next hotel and it greatly minimizes the stress at the end of each day not having worry about finding a hotel. A combination of the contour map and an accurate guide book has meant that only once (on the first day) did we make a wrong turning.
The days can get hot in the sun (30C) but the evenings are cool and perfect for al fresco dining.
All the furniture woodwork is unpainted. The unpainted buildings somehow manage to look beautiful and elegant. Doorways are not embarrased to display the various modifications that have been made over the years - leaving the 2 or 3 arch structures from previous centuries exposed - just honest.
