The Road To Lago di Como

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

After breakfast this morning we bid a fond fairwell to our Agriturismo.  This place is beyond beautiful.  My only complaints are that A) It is much more spread out than I was aware of in the description.  B) The narrow and winding roads make it challenging to get to and from there.  C) We were not able to have quiet time during the day due to the construction of a pergola next to our room. D) It was not set up to encourage a communal experience and communication between guests.  Interacting with other people is one of the things I enjoyed most about our stay at Agriturismo Marciano in 2010.  

We drove to Lecco and dropped off our car.  None too soon as far as I'm concerned.  I'm tired of the stress of driving, and I'm looking forward to being car free until we pick one up in Austria on May 28.  Driving there should be a dream compared to Italy.  We took a taxi to the train station and caught the next train to Varenna.  As we were on the train, Marie realized that she had left her nice jacket in the rental car.  When we arrived at our hotel the person at the desk called Europcar for us.  They had found the jacket and would keep it until we could retrieve it this afternoon or in the morning.  We decided morning would be better.

We walked around Varenna a bit and happened across a restaurant/hotel with a bar that had stunning views.  We had a drink there.  After that we walked along the lake front, admiring the views.  We had dinner at the restaurant that is attached to our hotel.  It was very good.  It's been a long day.  Time to call it a night.

Lucca

Tuesday, May 17,2016

It's our last day in Tuscany, so we decided to drive to Lucca.  Jim and I were there in 2010 and loved it.  It's supposed to take about 1 1/2 hours to get there from where we are staying.  We made it in one piece to the flatlands and onto the autostrada.  When we got close to Lucca, Marie mentioned that she would be interested in seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa since we are so close.  I was driving, so I told her she needed to change the information on the GPS.  Apparently it didn't work, because we were directed to get off the autostrada in Lucca.  We stopped to pay our toll.  That's when the trouble began.  We went to a line that takes cash.  So far, so good.  I put 20€ in for the 6€ toll and it spit back 14€ in coins.  Great, my short arms couldn't reach the coins.  I opened the door to be able to reach further.  Success.  I got them.  Holy crap, the car shut off and wouldn't start back up.  I tried everything.  I put the car in park.  It wouldn't start.  I took the key out and reinserted it.  It wouldn't start.  Cars were lining up behind me.  I tried to get them to get in another line.  They backed up and Marie turned the hazard lights on.  More cars got behind us.  Don't they know what those flashing lights mean?  Someone was talking to me through a speaker.  In Italian of course.  I didn't have a clue what they were saying.  I told them in Italian that I didn't understand and don't speak Italian.  A guy came out.  I tried to explain.  He disappeared.  Time went on.  I was stressing out.  What do I do?  AAA wasn't going to be of any help.  A guy pulled behind us on his motorcycle.  He came over, thinking I didn't know how to pay the toll.  As I tried to show him that the car wouldn't start, it started.  What?  The guy who works there walked up with the phone to his ear.  I suspect he was calling a tow truck.  He seemed a little pissed off when I drove away.  The entire incident lasted about 10 minutes but it seemed like an hour.  Needless to say, we didn't get to Pisa.  Sorry Marie.

We parked just inside the walls in Lucca and followed the GPS directions to the address I had from my guidebook for the tourist office.  We wanted to get a map and verify the 2:00 p.m. walking tour.  We arrived to the address.  No TI there.  I googled tourist office and got another address.  We walked another 20 minutes to get to it.  It was by the train station.  We paid 1€ for a map and he marked down which TI the tour leaves from. We walked on the wall until we got to the area where it was.  Wouldn't you know it was less than 5 minutes from where we parked.  This day was not off to a great start.  They did give us a free map, so now we had two.  We walked around and saw some things, then went back to the TI for the two hour walk.  We received our third map.  I enjoyed the walk because  I like to learn more about the history of the places I go.  After the tour we had an early dinner, then headed back.  There's no way I want to drive the narrow windy roads in the dark.

Tomorrow we drive to Lake Como and get rid of the car.  The sooner the better!!

Doomed Down Day

Monday, May 16, 2016

We have been on the run since we arrived 2 weeks ago.  We decided that we should take a day and just chill out and enjoy this beautiful Agriturismo.  We had a leisurely breakfast, and each made a sandwich to have later.  Our plan was to hang out in front of our place and enjoy the sunshine.  We could read, relax and chill.  We set our chairs out in the sun to dry off from last nights storm.  We went up to our room to deal with some laundry that didn't want to dry.  Then a worker showed up, then another one...the next thing we knew, there were 3 men and a chainsaw.  Great.  We decided to take a walk up the road to see what was there.  We saw the stainless steel tanks that hold the organic wine the Agriturismo sells, and the house where the owner lives.  

We kept walking.  Then we decided we should walk back, get the car, then drive up the road to see where it goes.  We got back to the house, only to find the couple with a room across from us were outside enjoying the sun in the chairs we had set up.  No....that was OUR plan!  It didn't look like they were going anywhere soon.  We drove up the road and discovered the hard way we couldn't get too far.  It ended and we had to turn around.  But the ground was wet and I couldn't get any traction to get the car back onto the road.  Marie pushed and I gunned it.  It finally worked.  I don't think AAA could help me out there.  

This is how wide the roads are.  This is not a one way street.

Pothole repair

We decided to go back to our room to get our sandwiches, then go hang out by the pool.  I ended up falling asleep on the lounge chair.  I got a little pink.  Those chain saws were going all day, so going up to the pool was a much quieter place to be.

Lunch break for the workers.

Ahhhh....

We were going to go horseback riding.  After we saw how muddy everything was we decided against it.  We each have only one pair of shoes.  If they got messed up we would be screwed.  

We had dinner at the restaurant here again.  We both had the grilled sliced beef tenderloin.  It was delicious. 

Tomorrow we drive to Lucca.  I hope the weather isn't too bad.  

Firenze

Sunday, May 15,2016

Today we took the train from Sieci to Florence.  It's about a 20 minute trip.  I figured it would cost more to park in Florence than it would cost for the train ticket.  And I wouldn't have to drive in Florence!

We decided to take a walking tour that was to start at 11:00 a.m.  According to the website, all we had to do was meet the guide in front of the Santa Marie Novella church.  They had a picture of it.  We got there and waited.  And waited.  There was a couple from Edinburgh waiting too.  No one ever showed up.  What a waste of time!  We walked to the San Lorenzo market and I bought a few things, as did Marie.  Then we went to the Duomo.  Marie couldn't believe how big it is.  We were hoping to go in, but the lines were incredibly long.

We walked past the Uffizzi, where outdoor sculptures can be seen.  There was something new since the last time I was here -

I've been to the Uffizzi and Marie wasn't interested.  I wanted to show her the Ponte Vecchio. 

This was taken from on the bridge.

I've never explored the 'other' side of the river, so we took a look around.  We made a pit stop at a WC.  When we came out the rain began.  We took cover, so we wouldn't get wet.  We had left our rain coats and umbrellas in the car because it was so sunny when we got to the train station.  What a mistake.  Or was it?  We were across the street from a little restaurant.  As we watched the lightening and heard the thunder, it seemed so close.  That little hole in the wall restaurant was looking mighty good.  It was called Vinaino Lo Sprone.  I looked at the reviews and it got 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.  Hmmm...maybe we should have a late lunch or early dinner.  We dashed over, but there were no available tables.  A young woman from Bristol, England was sitting alone at a table right in front by the door.  We had been watching her, and commenting that she had the best seat there for people watching.  Apparently she had been watching us too.  She said she thought they were going to kick her out since she had finished her meal.  She was planning to join us!  Marie sat down with her and I perched on a bar stool until a table opened up. The young woman left and we saw her standing over where we had been, having a smoke and waiting for the rain to subside.  We proceeded to have one of the best meals of our trip.  This hole in the wall restaurant that wouldn't attract anyone besides locals had delicious and reasonably priced food.  It was 10€ each for our food including bread and a glass of wine.

By the time we finished the rain had stopped.  We walked over to Mercado Centrale, only to discover that they were closed for the day.  Upstairs from the market there was the Italian version of a food court.  We saw these kids taking a cooking class -

We were tired, it was starting to rain again, and we were done.  Time to go.

This was sunset tonight from our Agriturismo -

The Road Less Traveled

Saturday, May 14, 2016

This morning after breakfast we said goodbye to our home away from home in Siena.  There were many things I enjoyed about staying there.  My only complaint was that the wall between our room and the room next door was paper thin, and we could hear our neighbors talking until very late at night.  Although we were in a separate building, our room was close to the reception/dining/bar area.  There were people talking outside late with no regard to the fact that others might be trying to sleep.  I would definitely ask for a room in another location if I went back.  The owner, Gaia, was charming and full of personality.

Our drive from Siena to our Agriturismo outside Pontessieve took us through the breathtaking Chianti countryside.  Our first stop was Radda in Chianti.  What took me by surprise was that on the way to Radda, even though we were on an official government road, at least 10 miles wasn't paved.  It was gravel and/or dirt, and full of big potholes.  

Dirt road, minus the potholes

We arrived in Radda, only to discover that tomorrow there is a big bike race between there and Greve in Chianti.  Another one of our stops.  In other words, our drive was the same route as the bike race.  It's a good thing that we were making the drive today instead of tomorrow.  Radda was a cute town.  We walked around for awhile, then drove to the next town on our list, Castillina in Chianti.  There were many bike riders on the road.  Maybe practicing for tomorrow?  Anyway, we were behind bikes the entire way.  That was better than the pothole filled dirt road.  We checked out Castillina, then drove to Greve in Chianti.  It seemed to be the largest of the 3 towns.  There were a lot more activities with regards to the bike race, including a track set up for kids to ride.  In all the towns there were signs, pink balloons and other decorative items celebrating the race.  It must bring a lot of money in to their communities.

All the towns were in the spirit of the race.

After some ridiculous instructions from Google maps, we finally found our way to Agriturismo Fattoria Lavacchio.  It is beautiful here, but not exactly what I had expected.  I knew there were separate buildings, but I guess I pictured them closer together.  The property is on 270 acres.  It includes the Agriturismo, a winery and a restaurant.  Olive groves cover 108 acres, 52 acres are vineyards, 14 acres are wheat fields and 22 acres are wooded.  Everything is organic. The main house, Casabella, has the office, rooms, plus that is where they serve breakfast.  The pool is next to Casabella.  We are in Casanova.  Our room is really nice.  It's plenty big and it has a modern bathroom.  It's an old building with wood beams and an old tile floor that is very uneven.  We are upstairs.  So far there is no sign of neighbors.  It's very quiet out here in the country.

We had dinner at the restaurant here, Mulino a Vento, named after the windmill across the street.  It is a working windmill, and the wheat grown on the property is ground there.  Dinner was good.  We both had Potato Stuffed Tortelli with Chianina Beef Sauce.  The Tortelli looked like ravioli.  We had ravioli earlier in the trip, and they looked like tortellini.

We are going into Florence tomorrow.  Time to get some sleep.

Farewell Siena

Friday, May 13, 2016

Today is our last day in Siena.  We decided to spend the entire day here.  When we first arrived on Tuesday the weather forecast was terrible for our days here.  Rain was predicted for every day.  So far we have been lucky.  Let's hope our luck holds out.

We walked up to town via the nine escalators necessary to get there.  It is a very steep hill!  We were going to go to the tourist information office first, but we got distracted by some things.  By the time we got there it was 11:30.  The only walking tour left at 11:00.  Just our luck!  We were next to the duomo, so we picked up tickets to go in there.  We will save them for later.  First we went to Santa Maria della Scala.  It is a former hospital, which ran from the 9th century to the 1990's.  Included in the ticket was an archeology museum.  It was all very interesting.  We then decided to go to the Campo.  It is so much fun to people watch there.

We were practicing taking selfies, because we can.  I photobombed one that Marie took -

After walking around town a bit we went into the duomo.  It is most impressive.  We were in there at just the right time.  First there was thunder.  Then the rain began.  We waited for it to subside before we left.  

We left too soon.  We were trying to find the restaurant where we ate Tuesday night with Darcy and Doug.  I had looked at restaurants online in the morning and determined that it was Ristorante San Dominico.  We set Google maps to take us there.  Right.  Siena is a very confusing place to find your way.  Even with GPS.  We had to take shelter a couple of times from the large pea sized hail.  

We finally found the restaurant.  Thankfully they were opened, because as soon as we were seated the skies opened up again.  We had an early dinner.  I ordered one of their house specialties, Pici senesi cacio e pepe, or Pici senesi pasta, cheese and pepper.  It was very good.  Marie and I split a dessert.  We had Bacio di Siena, a chocolate-shelled, cream filled cooled treat.  A Sienese specialty.  What better to have on our last night?  Well, wine of course.  I had a half bottle of Vernaccia.  Just the right amount.

Because the walk back to the hotel was almost 3 kilometers away and a half hour walk ( if we don't get lost in this crazy place), and because of the uncertainty of the weather, we took a taxi back.  Time to get ready for our move tomorrow.  We are going to stay 4 nights in an Agriturismo east of Florence.  It isn't too far away from here, but it will be very different.  The drive there will take us through Chianti.  I have a lot of small towns I hope to explore on the way.  I hope we have better weather than today!

More Tuscan Hill Towns

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Today we had another nice breakfast, then we were off to do more exploring.  Our first stop was San Gimignano.  One of the most touristed of the hill towns.  It is known for being the most evocative of the Middle Ages of any town in Tuscany.  There were once 70 towers rising up from the town.  Now, only 14 remain.  As it turned out, today was market day in town.  The piazza's were full of vendors selling their wares.  While I always like to experience markets when I can, the one draw back here was that it was impossible to see the towers as they should have been experienced.  I've been here before, but I bought Marie a postcard so she could see how it normally looks.

There was something else I remembered from my previous visit, the best gelato ever.  We have not been adhering to our every other day gelato plan.  We hadn't had any since leaving Verona.  That was about to change.  Gelateria Dondoli has been voted the best gelato in the world in the past.  Lonely Planet says, "Think of it less as ice cream, more as art. Former gelato world champion Sergio Dondoli is a member of Italy’s Ice Cream World Championship team (of course there's such a thing). Among his most famous creations are Crema di Santa Fina (saffron cream) gelato and Vernaccia sorbet."  Of course we had to go.  Jim and I stood in line for it in 2010.  No need for that today.  Marie had pistachio and I had half stracciatella and half strawberry.  Stracciatella is my favorite flavor and this was the best.  So much more chocolate than the others I've had.  The strawberry was so fresh.  Even Marie, who doesn't like sweets and is just humoring me admitted that it was really good.

Another thing we have noticed everywhere we have gone - school kids.  Large groups.  All ages.  Everywhere.  Maybe they are doing end of the school year field trips, but it is noisy with kids.

San Gimignano is known for Vernaccia wine.  This is the only place that makes it.  I love it.  I first had it when Jim and I stayed at Agriturismo Marciano.  They are a winery and theirs is really good.  La Lastra is their brand.  I bought another brand today, since there was no sign of La Lastra.  When I got back to our room I put it in the little fridge.  I doubt that's going to do much.  It doesn't feel cold at all.

The next town on our list was Certaldo.  It's in the same small geographical area as the other towns on our agenda, so we thought we could fit it in.  We got there, but the GPS (Google maps) kept taking us in circles. We took that as a sign that we weren't meant to stop there.

Onward to Colle di Val d'Elsa.  It was a nice little town.  Definitely the quietest place we've been.  There were only a couple of tourists besides us and almost everything was closed.

Our last stop was Monteriggioni.  Per my guidebook (DK Eyewitness Travel, Top 10 Florence & Tuscany) this town is the subject of the most popular aerial-shot postcard in Tuscany.  The tiny hamlet is two streets wide and is entirely enclosed within medieval walls.  It's 14 towers were compared by Dante to the Titans guarding the lowest level of Hell.  I thought the town was charming.

We decided we were done for the day.  Back at the hotel we relaxed a bit, then had dinner there.  This is the second dinner at the hotel, and I think I've decided that the food is good, but nothing special.  We will spend tomorrow in Siena and have a farewell dinner there.  My wine never got cold enough to drink.  Oh well, maybe tomorrow?