9/27 Sat – Montepulciano/Siena
Kind of slow getting started this morning – we don’t get away until about 11 – plug in Maggie for shortest distance to Montepulciano which is in the center of Italy over by Chiusi and Perugia, south of Florence.
She takes us south for about 40 km then N/E through rural rolling hills, very picturesque. My camera is starting to eat batteries for some reason so we start looking for any kind of civilization where we can purchase some, also a bano. Cura Nuova fills the bill and we get a couple of cappucinos – not our favorite as we prefer black but not espresso. Apparently there is a little store about a block up the hill and sure enough they have them. This village can’t be more than 100 in population, hilly and very quaint. Get a few pics and we’re off again.
We wanted to stay off highways and freeways and we got it. We went up one side and down the other of three mountaintops – exactly what we wanted. Lots of vineyards and rolling farmland (already harvested but not the grapes) – you could see for miles.
Stopped for a very good lunch at a Trattoria again in a very small town – we were past the 2 pm time for serving and even after us they accommodated some local workers. The waitress had her little girl there so was much fun watching her entertain herself until her mother was finished work. These stops are so much fun because you are mixing with the locals, not at all like being on a tour.
It gets to be about 5 in the afternoon, we are about 11 miles from Montepulciano – it doesn’t look like we are going t have enough light to get back to San Vincenzo and I wasn’t too happy about driving foreign Italy in the dark. The closest place Rick Steves has for accommodation is Siena so we turn back at Pienza to the freeway while I call his suggested hotels & B&B’s. Several are full up but we manage to get the last bedroom at Casa di Antonella B&B right smack inside the walled city – turns out very close to all the attractions in Siena. Lucky!
This is a walled city (about 40 – 50 feet high) – thru the enormous arch into very narrow lanes where people are walking all over the middle of the street, scary because you feel you might hit them as they don’t pay attention to cars at all. This is a university town – it is saturday and they are out to howl, big time. Now Maggie is leading us on this journey so she brings us right to the B&B. The door is locked, no one answers – the shoe and purse store lady next door is yelling at us and wagging her finger that we are not supposed to be here, plus we are going the wrong way on a one way street. She says we will get a ticket for being inside the wall.
We call again to our hostess – she says she will be right down to get us. Obviously she doesn’t live at her B&B. Here she comes, lets us in, shows us the room which is very nice with a shared bathroom, (we would have taken anything!!). She says we have to park outside the gate, we didn’t understand which way to go so she leads us out, thank goodness – we luck out – one parking space available. She gives us instructions on how to walk back but again with all the streets going in semi circles it is very confusing – especially in the dark, but we make it. Good grief, we need a drink, maybe several. lol
After relaxing a bit and getting our wind back, we are starving so we set out to find a ristorante. About 1/2 block down (this town is very hilly) we find Trattoria “La Tellina” at via delle Terme 72 – little tiny place, seats only about 30 people. We are seated with a couple from Australia – who we wind up enjoying very much. Fabulous meal, good wine, – ahh, – life couldn’t be better. We tumble into bed exhausted but satiated and happy.
Tags: Travel
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