Day 27- 22nd May Siena

Day 27 – 22nd May

Hi all - thanks for all the comments - everyone keep up the posting, even if there isnt much to say at home we really enjoy logging on to see who has left us a note.

I hope the posts are loading up ok- they look fine from this end but the pages are all in Italian now after being in French for the past 2 weeks- makes it harder to navigate when I am posting as I have to remember where the icons are to click on!!!

Woke after a good nights sleep at 7.30am, although last night I had my 2nd time where I wake up in the dark and cant work out where I am. Always think I am on the bus in the pitch black and feel very claustrophic as I cant see anything at all. I have experienced this before when away on travels, but still leaves me feeling like I am suffocating – ick.

Anyhow, was fine when we got up and we decided to try out Siena today. First though we drove up to Buccine to get our train tickets from Arezzo where we are dropping the rental car, to Roma, about 2 ½ hours south. Here it is done through the travel agents for the high speed train and at only €50 in total, cant complain!

It only took us about half an hour to reach Siena then another 45 mins or so to find the correct carpark – which was full! Italian signage is non existent compared to NZ. Then, when we had almost given up Graeme says “where’s our usual goodluck with parking Wee’s? and gave me a high 5 – next minute round the corner, was the ONLY carpark space left in Siena I think!!! Yay, we were off!

We wandered along in the midday heat- check out the temperature of the included photo today!! The difference is it is dry heat, so you just sweat non stop but don’t get sticky.

Wandered down long narrow alleyways then up a steep hill and voila ! there was the Piazza. Our first Italian square.
It was great and we wandered around buying a few bits and pieces in it till the heat saw us in a gelato shop.
Funny thing was we chose tubs for our ice creams and Graeme said “Tre”(3 meaning 3 tubs). Then we gave her the flavour each of us wanted and she proceeded to put the 3 flavours into 1 tub. Alright! That was a good mis-communication that saw us all trying 3 flavours of gelato each!!!

Pinnochio must also come from here I think as there are many shops with the wooden toy- must check that out as I think the story did come from Italy.

We wandered back to the car and drove home- since we had driven around the town 3 times when we were lost! it was now nice and easy to work out the way home!!

Stopped at a shoe outlet on the way, where we bought Graeme a pair of hand made leather slip ons, that are so soft and light. Also saw a perculiar sight. Along one short strip of highway were 5 negro girls in different lay-bys, obviously hookers waiting for the truckies!! They were pretty trashy looking and should probably have come with a health warning! What a weird place for a pick up joint – on a short stretch of country highway??!!

Came home and had baguettes with cheese tomato and ham- all of which are so much stronger in flavour than at home – puts us to shame really. The foods here are very simple but so flavoursome.

We both think Italy is a beautiful landscape with gentle rolling hills, open spaces and lots of terracotta. More beautiful than France it seemed, although to be fair, we were always in the bus in France and perhaps don’t see it from the same point of view?? Food seems much cheaper here although we will have to wait until our Italy/Greece tour to know for sure, as in France you were always taken to the tourist places- so pay tourist prices I’d say.

I would most definitely highly recommend Lupinari as a central place to stay in between Siena and Firenze (Florence) and it is such a beautiful setting here at the hamlet. Another great spot is Camponella I think it is called, where the camping ground is I have mentioned. With those 3 huge swimming pools I would go and stay there two if we were on a tighter budget- it has a lovely feel about it, almost like NZ camping grounds when we were kids!

Another afternoon around the pool I think then a quiet night – tomorrow its off to Cortona where Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed. Another gorgeous hot sunny, clear skied day today!