Tuscany
Trip Start
Nov 16, 1995
1
6
10
Trip End
Nov 25, 1995
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Siena,
Tuscany,
Italy
Tuesday, November 21, 1995
We stroll through the town, which is most attractive. We note the charm of the small shops, There seems little competition, with no Italian equivalent of Home Depot, KMart or even department stores to take away their trade. There is much to be said for small businesses, they bring life to a city centre. I guess progress will eventually arrive, and local malls will be constructed outside the city periphery, with the resultant slow death of the downtown area.
Umbrian countrytside
There are no sidewalks, and little traffic. The streets are cobblestone and narrow, but the lack of traffic is a relief. Many historic Italian towns allow no vehicular traffic in the centre at all, such as Siena and Florence . Though there are plenty of those wonderful Italian creations, the Vespa. They do not annoy as much as expected. We view the Cathedral again, and though the facade is as glorious as we had seen in the floodlights, the interior was disappointing. There was scaffolding up one side, and from here on, just about every church, cathedral and basilica we were to see had scaffolding on one part or the other.
I suddenly realize that we have been out for two hours. I am 30 minutes overdue in the parking lot and I have visions of a Denver boot, a towed car, or a Lit 1,000,000 fine. I tell Miryam to make her way back to the hotel, get the bags ready, and I will rush to the car park by the quickest route to try to salvage something. I arrive huffing and puffing, to find that I am still the only fool to have put any money in the meter! Only one other person is doing his duty, the Olivetti technician, probably only because "Olivetti" is written all over his van, making it a tempting target for the meter maid (if indeed meter maids actually exist here).
We pick up our bags and leave Orvieto, taking a minor road over the Umbrian hills. The countryside is lovely, and we are rewarded with all the autumn colours of yellows and reds.
Umbrian countryside
Sheep cross the road in front of us, and we motor on past vineyards and ancient farmhouses. Extensive vistas unfold before us, and eventually we espy the hill town of Todi . Just like Orvieto, the town was built right at the top of a steep promontory. It means it can be seen for miles away, and as a result of its natural and man-made defenses, virtually impregnable. Again, parking is very restricted, but we find a car park close to the centre, and walk up a steep street to the main square. First a capuccino and a snack, then we are ready to explore. The historical centre is quite small, but very impressive. Most Italian cities in this area seem to have been built exclusively for defence. The streets are narrow and winding and lower floors of buildings have few windows, looking more like fortresses than homes. All these cities and towns have impressive walls, all virtually intact. How terrible life must have been in days gone by. And we think we live in a violent society today?
We purchase our picnic supplies in a little grocery store, which has the best bread we have tasted yet, then proceed on a free expressway (we know its free because it is much narrower than the toll road, and the surface is atrocious, especially at 100 mph!). Our next stop is Assisi , birthplace of St. Francis and headquarters of the Franciscan Order. We see the city on the mountainside from across the valley, and stop to take a photo. A Japanese family with private chauffeur and Mercedes also stop to enjoy the view (who, me? Jealous?).
Todi, Umbria
Here for the first time we see police in action. They have stopped a car, and are searching it. They stand right between us and Assisi , armed with machine guns at the ready, and we can't get a photo of the town without them. We wonder if it is wise to go ahead. Will they think we are photographing them and promptly arrest us for espionage? We take the snapshot anyway, and are not arrested, and sure enough, there they are in our picture! On entering the town, we go straight to the famous Basilica of St. Francis. This huge church is on two levels, one of which is entirely covered by scaffolding (of course). We enter by the second level, which is more like a crypt, admiring the blue painted vaults, which are quite breathtaking. We ascend to the upper level, the walls of which are almost covered with frescos by Giotto, much in need of restoration. It's quite a spiritual experience for Miryam.
Up Via San Francesco is the University, with a terrace affording lovely views of the valley. As usual, the streets are narrow and cobblestoned, but each town has its individual charm and we never tire of the attractiveness of these celebrated places that seem to reek of history and memorable events. In the main square there is a church with an ancient Roman temple as the facade. Further on is the Church of St. Claire , companion of St. Francis (for those who remember the Zeferilli film "Brother Sun, Sister Moon", the video, in some 987 languages, is still available here in Assisi , and selling like a blockbuster!).
Assisi.
The day has passed so quickly, and we must proceed to our final destination, Siena . Perugia is on our way, but there is no time to visit, and we by-pass the historic centre, viewing only the uninteresting suburbs and industrial areas.
After crossing the main North-South Motorway, we arrive at the gates (literally) of Siena . Instructions offered by the hotel are to enter the city by the San Marco Gate. Vehicular traffic is strictly forbidden in the city centre, except for access. Of course, we arrive at the wrong side, so have to drive all around the city outside the walls. After a few false starts, we find the gate and climb the hill towards the historic centre. Soon we see signs to the hotel, and also others hinting at death and dismemberment if you are caught in a car without a permit, or a bloody good excuse, for being in a non-vehicular zone. Trembling, we continue onwards. We see plenty of other vehicles, but they are mostly delivery vans and official cars. Incredibly, we find The Hotel Duomo, a classy establishment in a converted palazzo near the cathedral. It is one of the only hotels actually within the city. It's a masterful choice. I unload the suitcases and am instructed to immediately take my car to the municipal parking lot, and not to touch it until departure. I am given a map, and sent on my way. After many twists and turns, I exit the historical sector, and there on my left is a discreet sign indicating the entrance to a huge multistory car park.
Assisi
Talk about camouflage! Even a spy satellite would never have noticed this! The park is quite empty as this is low season, but I'm told that in the summer the place is always full. I park, note down the position, and find the cashier. Cost of overnight parking, with a discount from the hotel, is only US$ 3.50. Now I have to walk back to the hotel, which is quite a slog, about 10 blocks. By following the signs, I'm back in no time at all. After a wash and brush up, it's off to see the wizard! Rest is not a word to be found in our dictionary. We have two excellent restaurant recommendations near the hotel, so we check them out. The first serves only lunch during Autumn and Winter. The second is closed for two weeks while the owner is on holiday in...where else... Miami ! We are at a loss, and decide to just hit the streets to see what we come up with.
Siena is a terrific town. It's big enough to have nice shopping streets and lots of people out strolling (mostly natives, few tourists), but small enough not to be overwhelming. That there is virtually no vehicular traffic is a tremendous plus. But we are out of luck again with restaurants. Plenty of cafes, but with their limited seating, they are not the place for a proper dinner. Eventually we find a strange little restaurant down a narrow side street off the main square. It's a wonderful find. We eat and drink very well in a traditional ambience, and the reasonable bill of US$ 40.00 leaves us even more contented. The owner asks us how our dinner was, and we complement him. I think we have found a gem of a restaurant, and I plan to inform Rick Steves, the writer of the guide book we are using. The owner notices the book in my hand, and starts off in effusive praise of Mr. Steves. What, he knows the guy? We look again at our book under "eating in Siena ", lo and behold, our restaurant, the Locanda Garibaldi, was at the top of the list!
