For the first time since Positano we had time with no destination or deadline, and we had no itinerary other than the dozen or so places on our list of locations we wanted to visit.
I had picked up our rental car Tuesday evening after our return from Firenze. On this evening, in two short hours, I received a week's worth of typical Italian experiences. I took a taxi from the hotel to the Hertz office near la Stazione (hoping I could learn how to get back to the hotel by watching the Taxi driver, but he took us directly through the historic center of Siena where normal cars are not allowed to go, so it was no help). When I arrived at Hertz (during published operating hours), the doors were locked, no one was home, and there was a note on the door that they were out making a delivery, and would return shortly. In the 24/7 Kwikymart world of Etatsiuniti, you'd never be left standing for 45 minutes waiting to pick up your car, but there I was. When the proprietors did return, we started the laborious process of renting the car (which turned out to be more effort than signing papers for a marriage, but I didn't know that yet). I had learned through the mistakes of others and by reading my American Express contract that normal rental car coverage did not apply in Italy, so I picked SUPER COVERAGE for the car. When we walked out to get the car, it was covered in grey crud of an unknown origin. The guy pointed and said, "no scratches," which is a statement no sane man could make after seeing the crud, in fact ... I was struggling to identify that there was a car at all under the crud. What makes it even funnier is that there was a shop vac next to the car, so this was the car *after* someone had made an effort to make things better. I circled the car pointing out to the man a scratch on the door and another on the bumper. Neither one significant, but I wasn't going to let this guy pull the crud over my eyes. He refused to write down the scratches. I feared I'd insulted him now, but I persisted. He told me, "it doesn't matter, you have SUPER COVERAGE." Apparently, at that very moment, I could have grabbed the keys from the guy and driven the car directly into the city wall, and it would have been okay, because I have SUPER COVERAGE.
I didn't know it at the time, but when I would return the car six days later to a different Hertz location, the proprietor would point out the scratch on the bumper, and a wad of gum stuck to the side of the car, near enough to the scratch that it distracted him from seeing the scratch on the door. He returned to his desk, and informed me of these blemishes, preparing me for the bill I would receive weeks after my return home. I noted the Siena man's refusal to write down the scratches because I had SUPER COVERAGE! At that, the Chiusi man's demeanor changed completely. "Oh! You have SUPER COVERAGE! OK! No problem. You may go!" And that was it ... I was on my way.
Flash-back to the Tuesday before ... I laid out my map of Siena on the passenger seat, studied the maze of confusing streets and names, started the car, and drove my tiny Fiat with SUPER COVERAGE onto the streets of Siena.
Now, when driving from town to town, traveling in Italy is quite simple: when you get to a roundabout, just scan the dozen or so signs of town names for the town between you and where you want to go, and turn where that sign tells you to do so. It's hard to get completely lost in the Italian countryside because of this. However, upon entering a town, finding a useful street sign is like reading the entire Where's Waldo collection from cover to cover without finding Waldo once. For five or six turns, I seemed to be doing fine, until I found myself on my way to Firenze. A quick turnaround & two more wrong turns later, I started to find my rhythm with Italian driving. I really liked the way these folks drive! It's very fluid and graceful and aware, and it all seems to work well, particularly with these tiny, nimble cars. The 4-lane highway is even better, with cars actually driving on the right and passing on the left. The A-1 Autostrada is even better, feeling not unlike the PA Turnpike, but with most cars driving 130-150 KPH!
Soon enough, I was back to Porta San Marco, driving into the narrow lanes of Siena, and parking in the Parcheggio below Palazzo Ravizza's garden.
On Wednesday, after our meeting with Ben, we hit the road for San Gimignano, the town of towers. Before being conquered by the local bullies in Firenze, the town had more than 30 tall defense towers, with narrow doors (too narrow for a man in full armor to enter) 30 feet above the ground and only accessible by a ladder lowered from above. Today, only 7 of those towers remain. The town square (Piazza Cisterna) had some terrific restaurants, one with delicious small pizzas, which we enjoyed (picture above), and a well to the town cistern into which people toss coins for luck (also in the picture above, on the right ... behind the guy with the big pasta gut). Nancy tossed a handful of "monete" in to the well for a good wedding & good weather on Friday. We relaxed in the town before seeing the Duomo with its story-telling frescoes and taking off for the city of alabaster, Volterra.
In Volterra, we did what all tourists do ... we bought alabaster. We also saw the park with it's ruins of the Etruscan acropolis. We circled a large castle at the top of town, hoping to get in until we realized it had been converted into the state penitentiary.
Next up: We return to Siena to find Tratoria del Torre (recommended by a friend), near Piazza del Campo, and find ourselves frightened into the best food and most memorable dining experience of the trip.
Ciao!
- Brent (& Nancy)
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