Siena and Chianti

Today (Monday) we got underway at 0900h for a road trip to Siena. Despite spending 10 euros on a detailed map of Tuscany, we still had difficulty navigating to Siena. I have concluded that our problem stems from the inconsistent use or road numbers and the Italian reliance solely on destination directional signs. Luckily the road signs are pretty good and we managed to find the city center where we thought the old city was located.

This city was founded in the first century BC but didn't flourish until the 13th century when all of the significant structures were built. 

Our first stop was the site of the world's oldest bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena. 

Our second stop was the Piazza del Campo, a large clam shaped square which includes the current government offices, and an 88 meter tall tower. They run a horse race in the square every year.

We declined the two hour wait to climb the 500 steps of the tower and explored the streets leading to Il Dumo, the Siena Cathedral.

The tour through the buildings was fantastic considering all of this was constructed in the 13th to 16th centuries. This is the interior of the cathedral...

The library covered in frescos.....

The baptismal....

And here is that nasty Eve...

We were able to climb 140 circular stairs and get these views of the city....

We wandered the streets and saw some more interesting shops and streets.

At mid-afternoon, we returned to the car and started to make our way back to the villa. We took a secondary road that took us through the Chianti wine region. 

We stopped at a small town to do some exploring and ended up visiting a winery. The owner invited us for a tour of the cellar.

We restocked our wine supply and finished our trip back to the villa in time for a swim before going for supper at 2000h.

A lot of the restaurants close on Monday but we were able to find Trattoria Dell'Ignorante which specializes in authentic locally sourced Tuscan food. An excellent meal at a reasonable price.

Check the price of the very palatable house wine!

Sunday - Centraldo Alto

Our first day of exploring the area. We decided not to be too aggressive in our travelling today so we would have some time to relax in the afternoon.

After mastering the stovetop espresso machine, we hopped in the Panda and drove to the nearby village of Barberino Val d'Elsa. We arrived just as the church bells were peeling.

This village dates back to the 13th century and features residences, cafes and shops.

From here we took some more secondary roads and ended up in Certaldo. We hiked up the hill to visit Certaldo Alto, a medieval hilltop town built entirely of brick.

At around 1300h, we stopped for lunch at Ristorante L'Antica Fonte. Looks like most folks don't eat lunch until after 1300 as we were the second guests.

After a somewhat leisurely lunch, we made our way back to Villa Il Pozzo and went for a swim in the pool. We sat by the pool and read while enjoying the 33C late afternoon. We also managed to take advantage of the laundry to refresh some clothes.

We opened a bottle of Chianti and enjoyed looking at our screensaver.

We decided on a light supper and found a Pizzeria nearby in Fiano. Great thin crust pizza for 5 euros for a medium!

We were home by 2200 and spent the rest of the evening planning our next day's trip to Sienna.

Split Croatia to Tuscany Italy

This is the start of our second segment of our trip. We boarded the Blue Line Ferry after saying goodbye to our sailing crew at ACI Marina. 

We got a departing wave from the crew as the ferry left port. 

We had booked a VIP suite which featured two Russian Hospital beds. 

We had a not bad meal, a bottle of wine and a reasonably good sleep although I think they have a balance problem on one of the engines. At least I didn't have to keep feeding the bed quarters. 

We woke at dawn and had breakfast as the Italian coast came into view.

A quick pass through customs and we were out on the street waiting for a taxi. After about 15 minutes we were picked up and transported to the Hertz Car Rental (max "in city" speed I saw was just shy of 100 kph).

Here we got introduced to our shiny new Fiat Panda!

One of the few cars where you can use all of the power, most of the time! Two cylinders and 60 blistering horsepower coupled to a five speed gearbox that you have to row like an Olympic paddler to get up and down the hills and around the corners.

The first part of the journey to our villa was on the Autostrada which was very busy because it was Saturday of a summer weekend. Lots of road construction and slow moving caravans.

After passing through Bologna, we headed south to Tuscany on an Autostrada that had to be 30% tunnels or bridges!

After exiting the Autostrada, the fun began. Should have bought that European card for my GPS. About 25 three point turns later, we arrive at Villa Il Pozzo. 

Things are not looking good when the non English speaking staff are surprised we are there. After they make a couple of calls, we finally discover a somewhat limited ability to communicate in French and are told to come back in thirty minutes. Things are not looking good and I have not seen a Marriott anywhere.

We decide to go into Certaldo and get some Euros which we need to pay for the apartment (if in fact we do have a reservation) and some food, wine and beer from the grocery store. Next problem, my bank card is not accepted at the first two banks I try. We see a supermarket that has a bank machine and it works! Only problem was that it required four withdrawals to get enough cash for the rent but at least it worked. We got some snacks, breakfast food, wine and beer then tried to leave town. We discovered that all roads lead to Certaldo and none leave!

We finally found our way Back to the villa and met Alessandro, the owner. Everything was fine and we moved into our beautiful one bedroom apartment with a private terrace and access to the pool.

We opened a bottle of Chianti and enjoyed the setting sun.

At around 2000h we made our way to a little restaurant just up the hill. We were one of the first to arrive (guess this is the blue hair special time to eat here). 

Had a great light supper and got home at 2200 pretty well exhausted.