Rhonda and I took a Mediterranean cruise seven years ago for our 25th anniversary. During the cruise our ship made stops in five different ports in Italy. That afforded us the opportunity to take tours of the nearby cities. We had a great time and saw some wonderful things. But like all tours each excursion was structured and limited in time. When considering where to go in 2019 I thought about returning to a couple of those cities to see some things we didn’t get a chance to the first time around. More importantly, we could also spend time wandering the streets and soaking in the culture. Florence and Rome were nominated as the cities to return to. I also wanted to visit the town of Cortona of Under the Tuscan Sun fame and stop by Il Palagio, which is Sting’s villa in Tuscany where he now makes wine. After some discussions a general visit of Tuscany sandwiched between stays in the two cities was developed as the plan.
Day 1 – September 18th (The Journey Begins)
We are flying two different airlines for this trip. Our flight to Rome is on Air Canada, so we will be making a stop in Toronto to change planes. We are flying out of Dulles again, so there is a couple of hour drive to contend with. We spend the morning getting packed and preparing for the trip. We are on the road to the Washington DC area by midday. The drive up is fairly uneventful and we actually find a nice parking spot in the ramp close to the terminal. We have made better time than expected and when we get to the Air Canada desk to check in the counter is not open yet. There is just one fellow in line so we take up a position behind him. We see the sign that states they will be opening in ten minutes. The line behind us quickly grows and soon the counter is opened, we are checked in and our big bags are checked.
We have a moderately quick trip through security and head to gate C22. The airport feels strangely empty. Maybe because it is the middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday. Regardless, the train station and escalators are mostly devoid of people. As we walk along in some spots it looks like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie where all of the people are simply gone. When we get to the gate we have some time to kill and take a seat. Looking around I see no Air Canada agents or planes and no flight information at the gate. Pulling out the boarding passes we see Z22 written on them. Both of us heard C22 when we were told our gate assignment by the Air Canada employee. We make our way back to the main terminal where the Z gates are located. Things look better and we have not too long to wait before boarding.
The flight up to Toronto is quick and uneventful. There are a couple of hours to kill here so we walk towards our departure gate to find a place to play some cards. Arriving at our gate we see a café surrounded by lots of tables. The arrangement is somewhat unusual because there are individual tables grouped in quartets. Each table has a computer tablet on it and a between each pair of tables is a credit card machine. The tablets provide menus and entertainment for travelers. I use the tablet to order a couple of beverages and Rhonda pays by credit card. Not long after we setup our cribbage board and get ready to play a fellow comes out and delivers our drinks. I have never seen an arrangement like this before and it seems like a big capital investment to place and secure a tablet at every one of the multitude of tables in the area. We pass the time playing cards and talking about the trip ahead. We are getting a little hungry, but we don’t want to eat knowing there will be a meal served on the plane.
Boarding time comes and we make our way to our seats. The air is rough on the ascent and the seatbelt light stays illuminated longer than normal. The rough air persists and the captain keeps the flight attendants and passengers seated for almost two hours. By the time things ease up and people can get out of their seats I imagine there are a lot of straining bladders and growling tummies. I have been watching the movie Head Full of Honey but turn my attention to dinner once it is served. The meal is pleasant enough and hopefully the wine will make sleeping a little easier. Sleep for both Rhonda and I is fitful, as it always is in a coach seat on a full airplane. We need to capture what sleep we can as we have some driving to do in the morning.
Day 2 – September 19th (Florence)
Dawn sneaks in through the windows of the plane as the flight attendants bring around morning coffee. The overhead announcements are now all repeated in English, French and Italian. I watch the flight tracker as I sip some coffee and eat some yoghurt. The cabin is cleaned up and prepared for landing and we are soon on the ground in Rome, Italy. Immigration is quick and our luggage is soon in hand. We take the long, twisty walk to the parking ramp where the car rental agencies are located. I have a short line to stand in, but the agent is quick and efficient. We have pre-booked a specific car for this trip, which is unusual for us. Given the fact that we will be touring the Tuscan countryside we have opted for a Mercedes convertible, very similar to the car Rhonda drives at home. With keys in hand we pull our bags to the small little parking for the special cars and find our ride for the week.
Having a car related to Rhonda’s helps us get acclimated, though this is the more basic C-Class version. We have some trouble finding the knobs and levers to get the seats adjusted. Then the navigation system presents an even bigger challenge since we are used to using the touch pad for some actions which this car doesn’t have. We eventually find the correct combination and plot a course to the parking ramp in Florence recommended by our B&B for tonight. As we make our way out of the ramp and onto the expressway circling Rome, we decide the car needs a name and she is dubbed Sophie.
We have a three hour drive in front of us on short sleep. I am not too concerned because everything will be new, the views should be engaging, and the anticipation of our destination will be ever present. We get off the beltway and onto the road that will take us almost all the way to Florence. It is a divided expressway with two or three lanes on each side. We pass through a booth and collect a ticket since it is a tollway. We don’t mind the expense as avoiding the tolls will lengthen the drive considerably. Once we are north of Rome and there is less congestion we randomly select one of the numerous service areas to pull off and get something to drink. The service areas are like the oases you find along US tollways. They allow you to get gas, food or relief without leaving the confines of the tollway. The store has the customary array of snacks and drinks you would find in a US gas station. In most cases the brands and variety vary from what we are used to. That provides some light entertainment as we explore the shelves. Rhonda finds Pringle’s potato crisps in some unusual flavors. In addition to original, sour cream and onion there are ketchup, paprika, and chicken tikka masala. Rhonda can’t pass that up and the tin of chips is added to our beverage purchase. Inside the shop there is a counter selling sandwiches and other hot food. We decide to share a sandwich that is heated up to make the cheese melty. We take seat in the small dining area as we discuss the unusual items around us. There are some huge Chupa Chups lollipops about the size of soccer balls near us. They likely open and contain a collection of normal sized lollies. Also at hand are long tubes of sandwich cookies. Instead of a tray, like in the US, these cookies are all in one foot and a half long cardboard tube. The Pringle’s are very flavorful with the Indian spices coming through nicely. When our repast is complete, we get back on the road.
The drive north is pleasant and scenic. The mountains we see in the distance and close by are larger than I anticipated. Old Medieval towns are spotted on the heights from time to time. The valleys are full of farms and vineyards. On the whole the countryside somewhat reminds me of the Appalachians, though you never forget you are in Italy. The architecture is different, giving the towns a wholly different feel. The vegetation is different, especially the stone pines and cypress that march along the roads and on the tops of the hills and ridges. I find the stone pines particularly captivating. They have a singular trunk that branches into a few heavy limbs near the top. Perched on that structure is a huge bean shaped clump of needled branches. It looks like a giant stuck a prickly green pillow on a stick and then planted that in the ground. When they top a ridge all in a row it creates a remarkable visual effect.
We make a second stop for a bathroom break at another random service area. Like all the other service areas there is a counter serving coffee. We decide a little caffeine won’t hurt and would like a good Italian espresso. We find a space at the counter where other travelers are having their afternoon shot. When the lady behind the counter looks my way I say, “Due espresso, per favore.” She produces two lovely espressos served in Lavazza branded demitasses. I put the few euro required on the counter. Rhonda stirs in a little sugar and I decide to try it straight. It is wonderful. Rather than just knocking it back like we have seen a few others do, we savor our espresso over a few long sips. Once finished we get back on the road. It is not too far now.
As we near Florence the roads get windier. We arrive at our exit, pay our €19.60 toll and drive into town. Having the navigation in the car is very helpful. Before long we cross the Arno River and get to a turn where there is a warning sign, which our B&B warned us would be there. The sign tells vehicles to stay out because large sections of the old part of town have traffic restrictions. Since we are staying and parking in the old part of town we can proceed. We find the underground parking ramp, Garage Verdi, with ease. Getting into it is another matter. Turning off of the narrow road I bottom out as the angle of the lane going down into the garage is very steep. The garage is a jumble of parking spaces between the pillars supporting the building above it. We park in the open area in just inside the entrance and greet the attendant. We inform him we will be staying two nights, which in turn lets him know where he can park the car so he can get it out at the right time. With the business taken care of and the keys turned in, Rhonda and I grab our bags and walk up the steep ramp to the street. Our bed and breakfast is two blocks away. We walk down the cobbled Via del Fico to Via della Pinzochere and turn right. Another half block along we come to where we are staying, Le Stanze di Santa Croce.
The building is easy to identify because it is the only pinkish one on the block. At least that will make it easy to locate when we come back at night. The hostess had provided me via email instructions and a code to open the front door. I use those now to open the ground level door to the B&B. Inside is a small room at the bottom of a staircase. There is a table with envelopes addressed to the people checking in today. The place only has a few rooms so there are just three letters at this time. One is address to me and I quickly read through the welcoming note, information and glance at the map included in the envelope. We ascend to the second floor where our room is. It is a nice space with a window that overlooks the street just above the door we just came in. Looking to the left out of the window I can see the Basilica di Santa Croce half a block away. The bed seems comfy and the décor is colorful and attractive. The street has some cars parked along it, but it is quiet given that auto traffic is severely restricted within the old city. We get ourselves settled and our clothes for the next couple of days hung up.
The day is fine and we decide to stroll through old Florence. We walk down to the Piazza di Santa Croce and take in the scene. The piazza is very large and not crowded, though busy. There are stores, carts and stalls lining the perimeter. People are scattered about shopping, walking and generally enjoying the ambiance of an old Italian city. There are some groups waiting to get into the basilica and others just sitting on the steps in front. The facade of the basilica is white and gleams in the sun. A statue of a rather dour looking Dante Alighiere stands on a tall pedestal to the left of the stairs. There are balconies and rooftops festooned with plants and flowers where lucky inhabitants can sit and observe the whole of the piazza. We make our way to the middle of the square to have a long look around. While there the bells of the surrounding churches begin to toll. It is as if they are welcoming us to Florence. The tolls are resonant and make us smile. I think of my Mother and how much she liked the bells we would hear from time to time during our travels in Austria a couple of years ago. We know we will spend some time visiting the inside of Santa Croce and the neighboring Pazzi Chapel tomorrow or the next day. For now we take a street that will lead us to the river and continue on our way.
When we reach the river we get a good view of the part of town on the south bank of the Arno. It is spread out over a hillside and we can see the park with the overlook we stopped at on our bus tour from the cruise ship seven years ago. Looking right we see the famous Ponte Vecchio, “old bridge” in Italian, spanning the Arno some blocks up. We turn in that direction and stroll along the river towards the bridge. There are some rowers in the river practicing or simply exercising. We also notice turtles sitting along the banks at a few points. The Ponte Vecchio is lined with jewelry shops that harken back to the goldsmiths that took up residence here in the 1590s. The bridge itself was last rebuilt in the mid 1300s, so it certainly lives up to its name. We casually browse the windows on our way to the open space in the middle of the bridge. The panorama presented from the bridge is beautiful. We linger a while before turning our feet north to the Piazza della Signoria.
The Piazza della Signoria is an immense open square that the Palazzo Vecchio borders. The Palazzo is an old 13th century fortress that was the town hall and seat of local government. While most of the building is a museum now, the mayor and city council still hold offices here. The building’s most famous feature is the tall clock tower which looms over the square. Michelangelo’s David stood outside the main entrance from the time it was completed in 1504 until as late as 1873. When David was moved inside the Accademia a copy was put in its place so he would still stand sentinel over the entryway. The square also has a massive fountain depicting Neptune and some of his retinue. There is also the Loggia dei Lanzi, which is an open air statue gallery affiliated with the nearby Uffizi Gallery. The gallery houses some rather famous sculptures under its tall, open arches. I am surprised the statues, while under a roof, are left so exposed to the elements. There are numerous restaurants lining the square and we look at a few menus before settling on a place just across from the fountain for dinner. Aside from having a nice view and menu it is also more out of the strong wind that is swirling around.
The restaurant is the Rivoire. There are several tables open and we select one on the outside edge with a good view of the Palazzo, fountain, statues and people. Roberto is our waiter. He has a huge walrus mustache and is very friendly. We order a bottle of wine and a couple of plates to share. When he brings the wine he slides another of the small, round tables over to adjoin ours. We tell him that we do not need much room, but he says with a smile, “One table for drinks, two for food.” The wine is a Chianti Classico Riserva and it is delicious. While we wait Roberto brings some bread, olives and other small nibbles. The food comes and it looks great. We have gemelli pasta in a fresh pesto and caprese salad with prosciutto. The dishes do not disappoint and are wonderful. They are simple dishes done superbly. The sun sets as we eat and the square lights up. We see that the fish surrounding Neptune squirt water from time to time making the fountain a fun show. The people watching is good, but eventually the last of the wine is sipped and we decide to continue on our way.
We stroll the old city at night, wandering aimlessly. The lights on the old stones create a lovely ambience. Not far from our bed and breakfast we find a small bar named Fük. The name makes us giggle and we decide to stop in for a nightcap. There are wide steps leading up to two doorways. One is the entrance and the other is occupied by a table for two. We sit at the doorway table and the waitress brings a couple of drink menus. They are Japanese manga with the pages of the drink menu stapled onto the pages of the book. We select a couple of cocktails and sit to reflect on the day. As we sit, chat and people watch we notice that many passersby stop and take pictures of the bar, probably because of the unusual name. The day catches up with us and we make the short walk back to our bed. It will be very welcome after the day’s long journey.
Day 3 – September 20th (Florence)
Today is the only day during which we have planned timed activities. Breakfast is hosted in a small room on the same floor as our room and we are the first to arrive. The room has four large glass doors that separate it from a small balcony filled with potted flowers and vines that are climbing the railing. It also appears that the roof of the room in which we are standing can retract to make the whole affair a patio of sorts. There are a few tables for two scattered about and the typical European fair for breakfast set on the side board. A small kitchen adjoins the breakfast room in which a woman is puttering around preparing coffees for people and replenishing the food. Because of the varied languages and the way the room is laid out there is no conversation between the tables. Rhonda and I sit and review the plans for the day. We have timed tickets I have already purchased for the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia. The Uffizi at the beginning of the day and the Accademia at the end. Between we will visit some others sites and wander the old parts of Florence. We wrap up breakfast and meet the hostess. We make payment for our room and the city tax. The tax must be paid in cash, which presents a problem, as I don’t have the exact amount and she doesn’t have the change at the moment. We leave that for tomorrow and head outside to greet the day.
The Uffizi Gallery sits next to the Palazzo Vecchio in the Piazza della Signoria where we had dinner last evening. The walk is short and we soon confirm that pre-purchased tickets were a good idea. We have to pick up our tickets from a short line. The attendant also prints out the tickets I had purchased for the Accademia so I don’t have to do this again later today. With our tickets in hand we head to the short line to get immediate access to the museum, bypassing the ever growing line of people waiting to purchase their tickets for entry at some point later in the day. We pass through security and gain entrance to the museum. Signs direct us to a wide staircase with shallow stairs. We ascend to the third floor where all of the public galleries are located. The palace consists of two very long wings on either side of a narrow courtyard. The courtyard is essentially a street that connects the Piazza della Signoria to the Arno River. The hallway in both wings runs along the inside edge, overlooking the courtyard through continuous ranks of windows. We will work our way down one wing, cross to the other wing and then come back up the other side in an elongated “U” pattern. Numerable rooms connect to the hallway and each other, and every space is filled with art.
The museum is busy. The hallway and room are full of people. It is not packed, but there are a goodly number of people grouped around the most popular works. The hallway is full of sun streaming through the numerous windows. The hallway ceiling is a divided into a series of rectangular sections by large wooden beams. Each section is filled with frescoes depicting mythological creatures and people amidst decorative ornamentation. Statues line the hallway of both sides like a dual ranked, marble procession. There is a mixture of full figures and busts. There is also a continuous line of painted portraits that have been framed the same way and hung on both sides, at the top of the wall. The amount of art in the hallway is staggering, and we haven’t even entered the galleries yet.
A lot of the art here belonged to the Medici family, who were the major power in Renaissance Florence during the 15th century. The collection spans Roman times though the Renaissance. Rhonda’s tastes in art are centered in the eras represented here, so this is perfect for her. We wander in and out of the galleries taking note of what interests us. Many times it is the color pallet of a painting, or an unusual subject or effect that the artist has rendered in paint or stone. We take our time and enjoy the opportunity to share the artists’ vision centuries after the work was undertaken. There is much to appreciate. The amazing work of the likes of Caravaggio, Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo and Michelangelo are all here as well as work by many lesser known artists who grace the galleries with wonderful art. Many masterpieces are present, and it is interesting to compare an enormously famous work like Botticelli’s Primavera to something else hanging in the same room that he has done like The Calumny of Apelles that is much less well known. The lesser known work is often ignored by most patrons and you are able to get close and spend time dissecting the work with your eye.
At this point I must digress and comment on the majority of the patrons of this and other museums. It seems the much of our modern society is more interested in documenting an experience rather than experiencing it. This is evident by the mobs of people surrounding famous works so they can take a picture of it, rather than looking at the work itself. Any picture taken will be worse than what you could see in any art book back home. I prefer to take the time to look at the details of the painting and stand where it fills my vision so I can immerse myself in the work. I don’t need to prove I was there by taking a picture. My pictures are of the details that interest me, or some scene that helps capture the feeling of being there. A case in point is the picture I took of the crowd taking pictures of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. I know Rhonda and I are not unique or special in how we view art or architecture, but the number of people living life through the cameras in their phones seems to be growing.
At one point during our wanderings we notice a line of people waiting to view something unseen in the next room. We are curious so we join the queue. While waiting we meet a young couple from Orange County, California. They are staying in Rome and came up to Florence on the train this morning. We talk about this and that and the woman mentions she would like to see Michelangelo’s David. I ask if they have tickets already, as the Accademia is more popular than the Uffizi and they could have problems getting in. They do not, but they remark they will still enjoy their day seeing what they can of Florence. The time passes quickly as we compare travel notes and the line moves along. At last we are rewarded with the subject of the wait. It is a large octagonal room that has been restored to its original, Renaissance look. People are not allowed in, so the queue is to approach the doorway and look around. The room is the definition of opulence. From the inlaid marble floor to the red velvet covered walls, to mosaics with mother of pearl on the ceiling. There are statuary on pedestals that are of the same height and coloration of the ornate wainscoting. Painting large and small in gaudy frames fill the walls and a tapestry of the Medici family arms hangs over the main entrance. This is definitely a room in which to show off your wealth.
The myriad of sculptures is our favorite aspect of the museum. The range of subjects is broad, but dominated by mythological stories and persona. We enjoy the works that show people with emotion rather than looking placidly at the world. Some examples being the joy of a cherub, the drunkenness of Bacchus, the leering of a satyr, and the torment of Laocoon. I also take interest in the unusual hair styles seen on some of the female figures and the pains the sculptor took to order the strands in a particular way. While the majority of the statuary is in the hallway, there is one large room that holds the statues that adorned one of the Medici gardens. It is worth noting because all of the figures are in motion. The people are captured as they are walking or running and almost all have an arm or two uplifted as if to point to or ward off some unseen threat. The effect is quite amazing with the circumference of the room all seeming to lean one way. By the time we get to the end, it is 12:30. We have been in the museum for three hours. Time has flown as we strolled the halls and rooms of the Uffizi enjoying the works preserved there.
We have to return to our room to pick up the sunglasses we left behind in the morning. Given the moderate size of the old city and pedestrian nature of the streets this is not much of a detour. There is a small restaurant near where our street lets into the square named simply Bisteccheria Santa Croce. We decide to have some lunch there. There is a small table outside that is available so we claim it. We are just across the street from side entrance to Santa Croce and the statue of Dante. We order a bottle of rose wine and a pizza to share. The day is clear, but windy. We enjoy the meal and the people watching. We see a couple of large school groups queuing up for entrance into Santa Croce. One in particular was all Asian save two Caucasians with them. They spread themselves out on the steps to take a group photo. They horse around while waiting for entry like typical teenagers. We take our time and enjoy being in the old city on such a nice day.
Our next destination is the Basilica di San Lorenzo where the Medici chapels are located, which is about a fifteen minute walk from where we are. We head northwest and pass through the Piazza del Duomo. The Cathedral of Saint Maria of Florence sits in this large square. The red tile dome on top of the cathedral is the dominate feature of the Florentine skyline. In any picture you see of Florence showing the old city this cathedral and its famous dome will stand out. The façade of the cathedral is covered in white and dark green marble with a little rose colored marble thrown in for accent here and there. This creates a strikingly beautiful building unlike most plain white churches you see. The details all over the building, but especially the front are overwhelming. There is statuary and scenes placed all over the front. Standing and looking up at the dizzying heights can make one swoon. There is a baptistery done is the same style across the square from the cathedral. The piazza is full of tourist in small and large groups. We also see some armed military personnel with an armored car here in the square as we did in the square with the Palazzo Vecchio. A deterrent I suppose, though we don’t feel in anyway unsafe. We will see the same thing in Rome later in the trip.
After much admiration of the architecture we continue northwest to arrive at the Piazza di San Lorenzo where the Basilica of Saint Lawrence is. The original church on the spot was consecrated in 393 AD. The current structure was building the mid to late 1400s. It is very unassuming compared to the cathedral we were just admiring. The local stone made to build it is yellowish and drab. The whole exterior is unadorned, and the front stonework is done in a style that looks like a layer cake with frosting oozing out between the layers. We pay the small entrance fee and go in to explore. The interior seem more businesslike than religious. While all the features of a church are present, it all seems understated while remaining elegant. Perhaps because the Medici’s were patrons of this church and their chapels being a part of the complex explains it. They want you to know power is in business and politics and not the divine. There are several works by Donatello here along with the remains of the artist himself. We expected to be able to access the chapels from the basilica, but that is not the case. After exploring for a while we depart and walk around to the back side of the complex where we find the entrance to the Medici Chapels.
There are three main spaces here. We step down into the first which is a large area turned into a museum. The space is chock full of the reliquary the Medici collected. It is at the same time a marvelous and gruesome display. The skulls and bones of various saints encased in gold and glass. We wander about remarking on the unusual and beautiful sitting side by side. We continue up some steps to the larger of the two chapels, the Cappella dei Principi, or Chapel of the Princes. The large octagonal space is covered in all colors and patterns of marble. There are sarcophagi here for members of the Medici family, who are actually below in the crypt. The high dome is covered in paintings depicting biblical scenes. Ornately worked gold frames the various panels. The whole space speaks to what wealth can buy and makes a statement that people coming after you will see. The final room we walk to is reached by odd and narrow hallways. It is the Sagrestia Nuova, which was designed by Michelangelo. Though named the New Sacristy, it is older than the Chapels of Princes we just came from. The seven sculptures by Michelangelo in the chapel are the reason why most people come here, and also why we are here. Unfortunately there is some scaffolding in front of one of the two tombs that is being used for some cleaning. Just the framework of the scaffolding is there so the view of the sculptures is mostly unimpeded.
We have viewed some Michelangelo works before, but not so many finished works in the same room working together as a cohesive whole. There are two finished tombs across the room from each other, each containing the mortal remains of a Medici family member. Each has a statue representing the entombed person seated and gazing afar from a height above and two large figures reclining on the sarcophagus. Between the two finished tombs on the wall opposite to the doorway are a collection of three sculptures along, the middle of which is Michelangelo’s, with two more famous Medici bodies. As expected these works are somber in tone. The Madonna and Child on the unfinished wall is seated and placid as the naked child clamors on her lap. The child shows energy and motion as he twists around to face her while she seems undisturbed. The two seated Medicis are contemplative in aspect as they ponder their lives or the mystery into which they have passed. The four other works are the captivating pieces. On one sarcophagus reclines Night and Day. On the other are paired Dusk and Dawn. All four are larger than life and are meant to evoke the passage of time. The female Night may be my favorite of the group. Her head is bowed and resting on her hand as if falling to sleep. Her skin is polished and reflects the soft light while an owl peaks out from beneath her crooked leg. Her partner day has his body turned away, but his unfinished and rough-hewn face looks over his shoulder back at you. He seems very twisted and tense. Across the room Dusk is much more relaxed in his repose. The male face is again unfinished, but Dusk’s head is more defined than that of Day’s. His visage is still murky while his body is polished and clean. Dawn looks as if she is awaking, but her face seems somewhat worried, as if concerned about what the day will bring. The four demand your attention and thought. Rhonda and I return from one to the other, picking out details we appreciate and wondering about why Michelangelo did some things certain ways. Everything the master did seems purposeful, but sometimes it remains an enigma to the likes of us.
When we are done in the chapels we have some time left before we have to make our way to the Accademia. Out in the piazza we see one of the innumerable gelato shops in town. We wonder if there are more renditions of the Madonna and Child in the city or more gelato shops. Both are in ample supply. We buy a couple of gelato and some water. Then we find a spot on the steps surrounding the basilica and sit to enjoy our treat. We watch the pigeons and the people passing through the square. The coconut gelato is a little too sweet for Rhonda and she leaves it unfinished. My coffee flavored gelato is better balanced, but is melting fairly quickly so I have to keep at it. We use some of the water to clean our sticky hands. About 4:30 we start the walk to the gallery for our 4:45 entry time. We have been to the Accademia before when we were in Florence on an excursion during our 25th anniversary cruise seven years ago. As wonderful as it was, we were on a schedule with the tour and didn’t get to spend as much time as we would have liked. That will not be a problem for us this time. We arrive and are grateful to be able to skip the line and enter quickly. The security scanners are also quickly dealt with and we are ready to view some more art masterpieces.
We want to save the David and so begin with a stroll through the Hall of the Colossus. The centerpiece in this hall is Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabines. This is a plaster cast used to model the marble work standing in the Piazza della Signoria. The work is remarkable. It is dynamic and towering. There are three figures. A crouching male, another male standing over him who is holding a woman who he seems to be pulling out of the sky as she struggles to be released. The forms and the space between them all evoke motion and struggle. While in the hall we run into the Orange County couple we meant earlier in the Uffizi. They say they got on-line and purchased tickets soon after we talked to them. They thank us for the tip and we express our happiness that they had the opportunity to visit before having to return to Rome on the train. We continue into the Music Museum. There is a large collection of musical instrument including an odd take on an upright harpsichord. We like a particularly beautiful pair of hurdy gurdies from the 1700s. They have a good deal of mother of pearl ornately inlaid that stands out remarkably well against the dark wood. The trombonist in me enjoys seeing a few sackbuts, which are the Renaissance precursor to the modern trombone. We finish in the musical wing and decide to backtrack to the Hall of Slaves to begin our next installment of Michelangelo appreciation.
The hall is packed with people. The David is the star attraction in town, and rightly so. The Hall of Slaves contains five of Michelangelo’s unfinished slave sculptures. They are in different states of emerging from the blocks of marble from which they are being carved. It is an interesting glimpse into how the master worked. He would work a block from front to back, taking away what wasn’t needed as he went. The back of a block will be square and shapeless while the front will have a figure that seems to be getting exposed as if the block of ice they are trapped in is melting. Also in this hall is the Palestrina Pieta. The work is now mostly attributed to another sculptor after Michelangelo’s death. It is an oddly disturbing and disproportionate work. At the end of the Hall of Slaves is The Tribune. It is a room built specifically for the David in the 1870s. He was actually removed from the Piazza della Signoria, where he had stood since 1504, in 1873. He was not moved into The Tribune until 1882 when they finally completed it.
Michelangelo’s David is a marvel, and true masterpiece. It is my favorite sculpture of all that I have seen. To describe him in one word, “Perfect.” I am more loquacious than that, however. While he seems at ease, you sense that he is not. There is tension and power in the figure. His face is at once calm and apprehensive. The fact that Michelangelo could coax such a perfectly proportioned and immense figure out of a single piece of marble is astounding. Doing so at life size would be challenging enough, but to do so at three times life size is something else. Rhonda and I spend a long time at David’s feet. We make several slow circuits while pausing for long intervals just to gaze in wonder from different angles. How can a piece of shaped and polished marble be so captivating? All of the love and effort Michelangelo poured into this work can be sensed when in its presence. It is looking at you through David’s eyes as if to say, “Behold the frailty and magnificence that is man.” It is hard to break away from that gaze.
We do finally pull ourselves away to explore something new. Through and archway at the end of a hallway to the left of David we can seen plaster casts peeking out at us. We spent a little time admiring the paintings lining the hallway leading to the door. Entering the bright room we see it is large and long and filled with plaster casts. They are not only occupying the floor space, which is quite crowded, but also the walls. There are shelves all the way to the ceiling lined with busts. The museum has recreated part of the workshop of Lorenzo Bartolini, a prolific and well-known sculptor of the 19th century. All of the plaster casts in this hall are his and many are likenesses of famous people of the time. There is the usual array of mythological figures as well, along with a few more whimsical subjects like a boy and his dog. It is interesting the view the changing fashion and hair styles of the men and women depicted in the busts lining the walls. Eventually we decide to depart the Accademia. As we exit a little after six we see that a long line remains to get in when the museum closes within the hour. It pays to plan ahead.
We stroll in the direction of the Arno, just enjoying being in the city. Diverging from the main flow of people towards the Palazzo Vecchio we come across a different square. It is large and open without a church or government building. The far side has a large arch and there is a small carousel to the right. It seems more dominated by residents than tourists. We have found the Piazza della Repubblica. There are a few restaurants with many outside tables and each has their hawker out from try to get people to come in. Randomly selecting the La Bisteca we approach the fellow and say we just want to sit and have some wine. We ask for a table on the edge where the people watching will be good and take the opportunity to rest our feet. Everyone must be finishing with their workday and are now meeting in the square and bringing their dogs out for their walks. There is a live band playing and the carousel lights start to stand out as dusk settles in. It is a lovely scene. We spot a couple of father and son pairs wearing matching outfits which strikes us as odd. After a while we decide to stay where we are for a small meal and order up a meat and cheese tray to go with our wine. As dusk deepens the fellows selling glowing trinkets start to show up in the square. The most popular item seems to be a small, glowing “rocket” with wings. They shoot them high into the air with a rubber band in a streak of colored light. Then they deploy their wings and spin their way gently to the ground. We will see these glow rockets being sold at night all over the piazza of Florence and Rome. It has been a long day about 8:30 we decide to head back to the room.
Day 4 – September 21st (Florence to Cortona to Montepulciano)
Breakfast is much the same affair this morning as yesterday. We finish up our business with the hostess and get our belongings together. There is one other thing we want to do this morning before we leave town. Seven years ago I had the opportunity to sing in the Pazzi Chapel. Rhonda wanted to capture the moment on video, but it didn’t happen. Thus, she wants to return to the chapel and video me singing there. We get our bags packed and set to the side. Then we walk the half of a block to the entrance of the Sante Croce and get in line to be amongst the first to enter the basilica at 9:30. There are some other folks here to for the opening, but not many. Two ladies who are waiting in line are picked out by the staff and given what kind of looks like a medical isolation gown. They are showing too much leg and have to cover up before being allowed into the basilica.
We pay our admission and gain entrance to the Sante Croce complex. The basilica is quite an impressive Franciscan church with its decorated wooden beam ceiling and multitude of art. It also contains the remains of many notable people including Gioachino Rossini, Michelangelo Buonarroti and Galileo Galilei. Rhonda and I spend some time in the large space strolling about and appreciating the art and architecture. The basilica is mostly devoid of people because of the early hour. When the tour groups start showing up later it will get quite busy. For now we can get unimpeded views of everything we wish to see. The funerary monuments along either wall are captivating and we observe and dissect the details the artists included in each to reflect on the life of the people memorialized or entombed inside sarcophagi. Dante Alighieri is one that has a memorial here while his remains are actually in the town of Ravenna, across Italy on the Adriatic. After a while we exit the church on the opposite side to that which we came in into a courtyard. Standing next to the church to the left is the Pazzi Chapel. It faces the courtyard and a large gate to our right which opens onto the piazza. It is a nice green area and we proceed into the chapel.
The Cappella dei Pazzi has excellent acoustics, which is why we are here. It is a single room with a domed ceiling and small alcove with an altar opposite the door. There are stone benches built into the wall on all sides where the monks would sit. It was built in the early 1400s and is Spartan by comparison to the basilica. The white and grey walls are mostly unadorned. I take up a position in the middle of the floor facing the altar. I lift my head and sing Shenandoah to the stained glass window above the altar. The reverberations of my voice coming back to me are magical. When I complete a phrase and pause for breath my voice is still bouncing around when I pick back up the song. A few people wander in from the courtyard to see what is going on. They stay to hear me out and hopefully enjoy the music. Encouraged by the first song I sing Farewell to Tarwathie. It doesn’t work as well as Shenandoah being of a quicker meter. It is still pleasant to sing. I perform an encore of Shenandoah so Rhonda can make sure she has her video captured and then we depart the chapel.
We make a brief return to our room to fetch our bags and leave the key. After a short walk to the garage we call up our car. The fee for parking in the old part of town is €81, which I pay in cash at the request of the attendant. Getting out of town is easy and we are soon on our way to Cortona. It is Saturday, which is market day in Cortona. We ride the expressway for a short while before turning east. The two lane highway winds through immense fields of sunflowers. Their heads are drooping as the seeds dry and the plants begin to wilt. It would have been lovely to see them in full bloom instead of now, so close to harvest. Still, seeing them as they are reminds us it is fall and lets us know what they grow in this part of the country. Cortona sits near the summit of a small mountain. We wind up the slopes until we reach the public parking outside the walls of the Medieval town. There are a few lots scattered outside the walls, and this one is full. People are coming and going constantly, so I circle and wait for a space to free up. Being on the side of a mountain the lot is broken into small parcels on different levels. On my second trip through the upper lot I spot someone walking behind me heading for a car. I stop and back up. They see me and indicate they are leaving. We are parked without much fuss and prepare for our visit to the town.
We have to walk up to the town center along a road with no sidewalk. One curve in the road is rather scary, but people walking along the road is not uncommon and the drivers are careful. The view of the Tuscan countryside to the south is wonderful. There are olive trees heavy with ripening fruit scattered on the hillside by the parking area and road. We soon take a right turn and pass along the old road that enters the city through an archway in the wall. We ascend the road until we come to one of the small squares in the center of town. The market is spread all throughout the center of town, wherever there is ample space to squeeze a stall. Things seem to be somewhat organized with fresh produce in one area, cheese and meats in another, clothes and house wares in another. You could outfit yourself from underwear to shoes from the market, and I am surprised by the diversity of products offered here and the relatively small number selling cheese, meat or produce. Most stalls are small vans that open up to present their goods on tables set out before them. I imagine that each of these vendors packs up after the market day and can be found in another town the next day based on the weekly schedule of the communities.
Rhonda and I decide to procure some provender for a meal later today. The merchant at a cheese stall offers us a sample or two and we select a wedge of one that tastes great. I don’t recall the name. He wants to cut us off a wedge larger than we can eat but we make sure the portion is reasonable. While he checks the next stall to get change for our purchase we marvel at the bags of sliced mushrooms the size of a kitchen garbage bag. He must sell plenty to go through that much stock as they look very fresh. The produce stalls have some wonderful looking items, but we settle of some grapes to go with our cheese. We get two bunches, each of a different type. Some red moscato grapes and some white grapes I don’t catch the name of. We sampled both before purchase and found them very tasty. We find no bread or meat to go with our cheese and grapes later, so we turn our attention to getting something for lunch.
We walk back to the Piazza della Republica, which seems to be the main square in town. The Palazzo Comunale stands there with an imposing edifice and clock tower. Located on this square is a restaurant along a wall overlook the square from above. Everything in Cortona is on a slope. A nice scene in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed there and we try to get a table. We find that reservations are required, which we don’t have. The other restaurants in the square have no outside table available. We walk along the Via Nazionale which runs away from the square and seems to be the only road without a grade to it. Consequently all of the shops seem to be centralized here. A short way down we spot a place called Caffe La Saletta. It is also a wine bar, which is a good sign. Only one table out in the street is occupied, so we step in and ask about getting a meal. He says to take any table outside and he will be right out. We choose one and sit. Gazing around we see we have a nice view back to the clock tower in the square and along the road. There will be good people watching here.
Once we are seated the other tables begin to fill as well. Soon our waiter is running frantically to try and keep up with everyone. We assure him we are in no hurry. We get a bottle of Italian rose made from syrah grapes. It is delicious and full bodied. The food is likewise very good. In particular the tomatoes in Rhonda’s crepe are fantastic. While we sit and enjoy being in Cortona on a lovely day we do get some entertainment. Amongst other things, a child walks a wooden bike that has no pedals alongside his parents, a lady who is familiar with the waiter and her dog come to the restaurant and the dog is watered before she is, the mother is a family seated at a table down from us breastfeeds in public without qualm, a shopkeeper runs down a couple with a kid who used a restroom in her shop without purchasing anything. The parade of humanity is steady and very diverse. People are out enjoying the sunny Saturday with a stroll down the lane, or a bite al fresco, as we are. It is a wonderful view of a different style of life.
Eventually we finish and decide to find some wine for tonight. There seems to be more wine shops than gelateria in Cortona, which is good for our purposes. We go into a place just off the main square. We sample a nice rose that we purchase for our evening meal, and then also get another bottle of a Tuscan red for simply lounging and drinking at some point. The afternoon is getting along and we decide to return to the road. I want to try and find the house that was used as Bramasole in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. The real Bramasole is also close, but it is the movie location that interests us. We pass the turn a couple of times as the road is not well marked and comes up fast. The narrow, hilly roads provide little space for turning around. At one point we turn around in a driveway and a fellow in the yard approaches us as I wait to pull back out. We leave before he arrives, so I don’t know if he was trying to run us off or help. We eventually get it right and find the villa. There is no place to pull over, so we just cruise by slowly one way and then the other. The high walls block the view of much of what was seen on film, but the gates offer a view and the balcony overlooking the road is on ready display. Our cursory visit made, we hit the road for real to get to our accommodations for the next three nights.
We are staying at Agriturismo Le Caggiole near Montepulciano in the heart of Tuscany. An agriturismo is a working farm that rents out rooms. The farm has to earn more money from its farming operation than its rooms to qualify to take the title. We make our way to the farm using the direction’s on Caggiole’s website. It sits on a bend in the road a little east of the old town of Montepulciano. We arrive around five in the evening and are greeted by Giacomo, who owns the operation. As we get checked in we ask if there were enough people asking for a private dinner to have one hosted. He sadly tells us there was not, so we will have to miss that experience. Giacomo shows us around and takes us to our room. He explains the shutters on the windows and asks that we keep them closed when away. He insists I lean out the windows with him so he can be sure I see how to lock the shutters open so the wind doesn’t catch them. We ask him about the farm and he says their main products are wine, olives and honey. The grapes are Sangiovese and the last were harvested just the day before. He has over a thousand olive trees on the property. He also produces some fruit for jams. The whole operation is very eco-conscious with their farming practices and energy usage. Giacomo provides us a map of the old town and highlights the parking areas and three different restaurants. He tells us the tiger mosquitoes are bad right now and we should keep the screen closed. We ask about a grocery store and he shows us where there is a Conad on the map. We thank him and then work on getting unpacked.
The bedroom has a bed with iron head and foot boards. The headboard has a medallion set in it and reminds us of the bed in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. The bathroom has been updated and has very modern features, which is in contrast to the bedroom filled with antiques. It is a microcosm of Europe with the old and new living in harmony. After getting settled we decide to try and find some bread and meat for our evening meal. We drive into town and get a little turned around trying to find the grocery. The parking for the store is in a garage underneath it. We get some bread, prosciutto, bottled water for the drive tomorrow and insect repellant. We get the last bottle of bug spray and some wipes you just rub on your skin. Reading the Italian labels to discern what we are getting is a bit of a fun challenge. Once we get back to the room the sun getting low. We pull the small table by the window and I lock the shutters open. We sit and enjoy a nice meal of our local foods we procured today while discussing the day and enjoying the view. Our room sets above the old stable so we are on the second floor with a nice view of the countryside in the setting sun. Olive groves and grape vines dominate landscape with the occasional farmhouse and outbuilding mixed in. After the meal we play some cribbage as we enjoy the wine. The farm dog is let out as the lights come on and he just “oofs” at us from below as if to say, “I know you are there.” Rain arrives late in the evening and creates and interesting effect. We can hear it working its way up the slope as the sound of the water striking the leaves on the olive trees gets closer and closer. It is like the rain is seeking us out and we can hear its approach as if in some horror movie. It has been a lovely and varied day, and we are anxious for more.
Day 5 – September 22nd (Tuscany and Montepulciano)
The day dawns a little dreary. The mountains are covered in clouds and we will have periodic light to heavy rain off and on today. Breakfast is served in the common room. Unfortunately the room is not open all of the time. We would have liked to enjoy it the previous evening for our game. Alas, an agriturismo is not a bed and breakfast and some of the amenities are different. Unfortunately most of the food served at the breakfast tends to the sweet side with baked goods, cereals and yoghurt. We share the table with a trio of ladies from New York and another couple. The couple wanted to do some biking today, but it looks like the weather will not cooperate. We pass breakfast pleasantly enough and soon excuse ourselves so we can get on the road for our tour of the countryside.
While overcast, there is no rain this morning. We drive the two lane roads east to the expressway and take that north for a spell. The countryside is lovely and the mountains on the horizon loom with their shoulders in the clouds. We are taking the quick trip north with the plan to return south through the byways. After about forty-five minutes on the expressway we get off in a roadside town named Matassino. There we find a place to pull over and consult my printed maps and what we can make out from the GPS. We are trying to find Tenuta Il Palagio, which is the farm shop that sells the goods produced by Sting’s nearby estate named Il Palagio. The drive is adventurous and we are soon on a road that is a single lane passing through olive groves, vineyards and fields. At least the single lane is paved. Most of the vines here are still heavily laden with grapes, which is a lovely site for a wine lover. Driving along one field we see chairs setup not far from the road at the edge of a wood. The chairs are facing the mountains and the vista is lovely. I can easily imagine people walking out to sit and watch a stormy sky, or the sunset from this vantage. It reminds us of a couple of chairs we always saw when driving to Mackinac Island through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They were simple blue plastic patio chairs perched atop a sand dune that overlooked the shores of Lake Michigan just east of Brevort. We find the shop which is located in an old farm building with what looks like a barn and loft in back. We park by some picnic tables and regret, while not raining at the moment, it is a little damp to sit out and enjoy the countryside.
Proceeding into the small store we see it is attended by one lady and there is a couple tasting wine at the moment. We browse the wares while we wait our turn. A man on horseback passes up the road while we look around and the clip clop of the horse’s hooves on the road seems very appropriate in this locale. There is lots of olive oil, some preserves, baskets of produce spread around, and other small items found in a kitchen. When the other couple exits the shop keeper asks in broken English if we would like to try some wine. We ascent and tell her we would like to sample the three reds she has available. While the Casino della vie and When We Dance are good, we opt for a couple bottles of Sister Moon which we liked the best. It is a lovely Tuscan blend and could actually sit for a few years and improve. The wine joins a small bottle of olive oil that will journey home with us. We depart the shop and decide to continue up the road for a bit to see if we can sneak a peek at Il Palagio itself. There are small signs posted on either side of the road from time to time. We don’t understand them but see the name Il Palagio in the text. We find what looks like a back entrance, so we get turned around and head back towards the shop and town further on. While driving towards Il Palagio I met a Land Rover coming down the middle of the road. We pass closely and Rhonda looks at the driver, but not the passenger. Later she will posit that this was Sting and Trudie. The driver fits his description, but the passenger was not noticed other than being blond. I mention that Sting is on tour and it is unlikely.
Our next destination is the town of Siena. Our course takes us on the byways through the heart of the Chianti wine region. The scenery is lovely and the road windy. For a while we ride long the top of a series of ridges and mountaintops. We are driving through the low hanging clouds which makes the conditions rather foggy is places. Olive groves and vines cling to the steep slopes the road winds amongst. The landscape is rugged and somewhat reminiscent of parts of the Appalachians. A steady rain has started by the time we get to Siena, which is at about half past one. We try to find parking, as the old city within the walls is restricted for cars, as it is in all of these medieval towns. We have no luck. We circle through a lot a couple of times and along a street. Sunday must be a busy day in town and we are stumped. Given that it is approaching two o’clock and we suspect most shops will be closed for the afternoon, we abandon the effort. Instead we try to locate a gas station, but find several are closed too. We do finally find one that is open and stop in. We use the much needed facilities, quaff an espresso and get some croissants for a snack. We then plot a course in Sophie for the old town of Montepulciano.
The landscape mellows from rugged hills and mountains to more sloping mountains. There are more wheat fields in this area where plowing a field would be easier. The rain comes and goes. There is a festival in one small town that creates a big detour around the center of town. Sophie doesn’t like it and keeps telling us we are off course. As we pass through another small town we see a man selling mushrooms off the back of his truck like you would see someone selling sweet corn from a pickup in the Midwest. We arrive at Montepulciano and fear we shall have the same parking problem. The rain is driving some people away and we find a spot on the east side, below the wall. The rain has abated by now, but the mountaintop city is shrouded in clouds. There is no way into the city near where we have parked, so we walk to the main gate at the eastern end. There is a large park outside the gate with a playground, a soccer field, an arcade in a tent and a small parking area. The dominate feature is an immense statue of a horse. It is made of dark metal and stands twenty feet high or so, right along the walls of the city. I am unsure of what it commemorates, but the huge equine monument has a surreal quality to it as it glistens in the foggy air. Like a war horse striding through the fog of battle. Montepulciano is a long, narrow town surrounded by a thick wall. The road by which we enter the gates is the main thoroughfare. It will climb in a continuous slope all the way up to the top of the mountain where the main square is located. We have the Giacomo annotated map of the town with us and we decide to try for one of the restaurants he recommended. It is some way along and just off the main thoroughfare. Unfortunately we find it closed. It does not open until seven this evening and it is only 16:45 now. We continue along and find the Caffé Poliziano. It has a nice, inviting look about it and decide to give it a try.
The establishment has a café up the street level, but it is pretty warm and crowded. A waiter we are greeted by tells us we can follow him downstairs to the regular restaurant. The downstairs is a couple of adjoining rooms, one of which is a solarium with a view out over the city walls. Unfortunately the low clouds have obscured the view. We order a delicious Nobile di Montepulciano wine to go with our meal. Rhonda has a gnocchi dish that is wonderful. The gnocchi are freshly made and very light in texture. These are much better that what we are used to. The waiter is friendly and helpful. We discuss Italian language and he declares that it is hard because of all of the verb conjugations. I agree as the Italian lessons I had been taking before the trip seemed to focus on just that. He explains the different ways to describe something good, or lovely as we want to be appropriate when commenting on our meal. As we learn, buon or buono is for the quality of something, like food or wine, while bella and bellisimo describe the aesthetics of something or someone. There are many more forms, but we have enough information for our purposes. We have great meal, but after we have sopped up the last of the sauce with bread and sipped the last of the wine we decide to continue our exploration of the town.
Returning to street level we see that the rain has returned. We turn downhill towards the gate. There is an enoteca, or wine shop, name Vecchia Cantina close at hand that we approach. The young lady tending the shop is in the doorway with a fresh cigarette. Seeing us on a slow day she puts out her smoke and invites us in. We have the shop to ourselves and we taste three different reds. They are all local and variations on a theme, with increasing quality. The first is a basic Montepulciano, the next is a Nobile. The Nobile is a designation for a certain blend containing mostly Sangiovese. The Nobile Reserve is a select subset of Nobile that meets a particular standard for the winemaker. We purchase a two pack containing a Nobile and Nobile Reserve along with a corkscrew. All told it is thirty-six and a half Euro, which is the advantage of buying locally. The girl inquires about our plans and we mention, among other things, that we will be in Pienza tomorrow. She makes a restaurant recommendation that she writes down for us. We have dawdled quite a while and the rain is not abating. We decide to return to the La Caggiole. We get back to the room after seven and pull the cork on one of our newly purchased bottles. We sit and enjoy the wine and quiet as we catch up our notes for this journal.
Day 6 – September 23rd (Tuscany and Montepulciano)
Today we plan on exploring the Val d’Orcia. Rain is predicted about midday, so we are up and going early so we can be ahead of it. The group at breakfast is the same as the day before, as is the fare. We both eat lightly. Talk in the group turns to religion and it is a civil discussion despite being a sensitive subject. We don’t linger long, though, as we want to take advantage of what sun there is this morning. We take a couple of back roads on our way to Monticchiello. There is a very famous stretch of windy, cypress lined road on a hillside just southeast of the small town. Unfortunately most of the fields have been harvested and tilled down this far south. It makes the countryside a little drabber that what we were seeing yesterday. The views are still very lovely as we make our way one of the most beautiful and distinctive parts of Tuscany.
I have fun driving Sophie along a ridge before the road winds sharply down. We have found the stretch we are looking for. I carefully negotiate the sharp, steep turns that are a Tuscan version of Lombard Street in San Francisco. Once down to the bottom the road rises again as it climbs to the old medieval town of Monticchiello. We park in a tiny lot with a great view just outside the walls of the town. It seems every town in the region is a walled, medieval era, mountain top settlement. We enjoy the view, which includes the large town of Pienza on the neighboring mountaintop a few miles to the northwest. While we look about a group of cyclists ascend the hill to Monticchiello. Biking in the area would be a constant switch between laboring ascents and fun downhill coasting. We decide to continue on to Pienza, but not before doubling back a little to see if we can find a side road with a good view of the cypress lined lane. We do, though it is not much more than a single lane winding over the hills. There is a wide packed dirt shoulder we use to stop. The perspective is perfect and I wonder how many cameramen and film crews have stood in this unmarked spot to capture the perfect view of the ancient cypress along the road just across the vale.
We make our way to Pienza driving down one valley and up another. Pienza sits on the highest rise around and we climb the windy road that circles the city walls. We find a metered lot to the north of town. We can only scrounge up enough coins to pay for a couple of hours, which will take us to about 12:40. The main gates are near and we pass through. Corso il Rossellino is the main street that runs from one end of town to the other. We amble along the lane with the rest of the Monday crowd. We poke our heads into one shop or the other, watching for the road the recommended restaurant is on. As we stroll along I notice the rings fixed into walls to tie up horses and some of the sconces for torches or fires have the same flair to them. The blacksmith put a bull’s head onto the top. It is a curious detail and I wonder if it has something to do with the town, or if that was simply the way he signed his works. When we get to the piazza in the center of town we see the requisite church standing there. Next to that is the Palazzo Piccolomini. It was built as the summer retreat for a pope. More famously it starred in the movie Romeo and Juliet. We didn’t know this until we arrived in the square and see stills from the old movie we both saw in middle school. It is a curious little accidental finding. Both next to the palazzo and along the aptly named Via della Amore we turn south to take in the vista from the top of the wall. The view is amazing. The larger mountains in the distance look enormous and the landscape undulates all the way to them. The patchwork of fields and groves, interspersed with trees and old farmhouses paints the idyllic picture of Tuscany.
Keeping with the theme from yesterday, the restaurant that was recommended to us is closed. Instead we randomly select a café with outdoor seating named Case Nuove. It is on a side street with some newer looking houses. I should say the construction looks new, but the style is old so it fits with the rest of the buildings within the walls. There are lots of flowers growing in pots and on trellises and arbors by the restaurant and in the lane. People are stopping and taking photos of the lovely scene. One arbor has grape vines that are loaded with ripe bunches of grapes. Most likely they are sangiovese. During our lunch of wine, cheeses and cured meats a hummingbird moth comes by sampling the different flowers he can find. We take our time and enjoy the pleasant morning weather and the atmosphere. When we do eventually decide to move along the waiter gives us some minty sugar candy on our way out. When we get back to the lot we see that our meter has expired, but there is no ticket.
There is another stop to make here by Pienza. We circle around to the south side of the city and find the road going to Agriturismo Terrepille. Unfortunately the gate is locked and only guests may drive up to the house. That is understandable. The very long drive from here up to the house is cypress lined and quite recognizable from its part in the movie Gladiator. The house and grounds were the residence of Maximus in the movie. They are very picturesque in their own right and I can see why the movie scouts selected this location. We can see the storm gathering in the north and determine to just head west towards the larger mountains and where there is still a little sun. We pass through San Quirico d’Orcia and Montalcino. As we drive along a high ridge we pull over in a field and watch the storm rolling in over the mountaintops. The wind is blowing strongly and the clouds and rain race by. Soon we are in a serious downpour and turn the car back east. We wander about but can see Pienza in the distance so we know generally where we are. We get on a familiar road and drive back to Monticchiello and up the cypress road. Eventually we get back to Caggiole and lay down for a nap to wait out the rain.
We arise at about six in the afternoon and head into town. The rain has driven everyone away and we find parking near the gate in the park with the huge horse statue. We determine to walk to the top of town at the far end to see the piazza there and verify is it is the one used for the flag throwing scene in Under the Tuscan Sun. As I said, the town is long and narrow and it is probably three quarters of a mile from end to end, within the walls. Also, the road slopes up all the way as the fort, church and municipal building are at the highest point of the mountain. When we arrive the very large piazza we find it mostly deserted. It is aptly named Piazza Grande. There is a murder of crows hanging about the building with the clock tower and they are squawking noisily. Their caws echo around the square and it seems like enjoying the sounds of their own voices. We find a side road that leads to the wall and watch the sunset from the heights. The light slanting through what is left of the storm clouds is dramatic. There is a mist settling in the valleys and the whole scene looks magical. The earlier rain has the streets still damp and the street lamps are coming on as we walk back down along the lane. The light slanting out from shop and restaurant windows pairs with the lamps to create a rather romantic walk.
We are in search of somewhere for dinner. We see a wine shop named La Dolce Vita not far below the Piazza Grande. There is a menu out front which looks promising. There are only a few tables inside that are set between racks of wines and these are all occupied. We step inside and ask about getting a table. We are told this is not a problem and are led to the back part of the shop. Turning right and going down just a few steps we find ourselves in a large cellar carved out of the rock of the mountain. Parts of the wall and ceiling are stonework, but most are rough hewn rock. This space must have been used for wine storage once upon a time, but now there are a few tables scattered around. Empty wine bottles are scattered around, lending to the atmosphere. The setting is wonderfully quirky and appropriate at the same time. The waitress is very helpful and a lovely meal is arranged. Some bread is brought right away along with diced tomatoes in oil and herbs. A sparkling wine is brought with a crostini with cheese, mushrooms and truffle oil. Both Rhonda and I have gnocchi for our main dish. I have one with walnuts and a creamy cheese sauce and Rhonda’s features a garlicky sausage. Both are wonderfully light and flavorful and go well with the Poliziano Nobile we are drinking. Our meal has been relaxed and slow paced. It is a wonderful experience in a lovely setting. It has been nearly two hours when we get up from the table.
As we pass by a neighboring table with an old couple sitting at it Rhonda comments to them about the very large wine glasses they are drinking from. Much larger than what the rest of the room is using. The old fellow is very congenial and strikes up a conversation. He insists we try the two wines they are drinking and give us our opinion of them. The woman declares they can’t drink all of it anyway. We try to defer but he hails the waiter and has him bring two fresh glasses. He pours some of both in each glass. They are fantastic. One has a nose that will knock your socks off with its power and the other a taste that will do the same. They are mellow and full mouthed and are an absolute treat. As we sip and discuss the wines and other things we learn they have been married forty years and travel and live all over the world. They don’t have multiple homes, they just pick up and move from place to place. The lady comments that she thought we were newlyweds and we laugh and thank her for her opinion, letting her know we have been married thirty-two years. We thank the couple profusely and ask the waiter if there are any bottles of these wines available for purchase. He has a few bottles of the Pietrose left, which is the one with the huge nose. Unfortunately the Le Macchiole Scrio they are drinking was the last bottle. As it turns out the Scrio was €85 a bottle. That is probably why they had the fancy glasses. It is probably a good thing they are out as that is much more than we like to spend on a bottle of wine. The evening has cleared and we enjoy a nice stroll back to the car and trip to our bed.
Day 7 – September 24th (Rome)
I am up early, but that is a happy coincidence. The sunrise is beautiful and I try to capture the light as it illuminates the verdant countryside with a few photos. Watching the sunrise is a nice way to wake up to a new day in Tuscany. There are two new couples at breakfast this morning. The talkative one is from north of LA and are winemakers. They do not grow their own grapes, but just buy juice and use a friend’s facilities. They are here for research and to learn about some of the local wines first hand. We get packed and on the road after breakfast. We are driving to the airport so we can turn in Sophie as we will have no use for the car in the city of Rome. We make one stop near the beltway around Rome to fill up the tank of the car which costs a whopping €95. Petrol in Europe is expensive. We look for some more of the Chicken Tikka Masala Pringles to take home, but there are not any. We enjoy the scenery along the drive. The cloud cover lightens the further south we drive and the mountains on either side of the wide valley follow us all the way south. At one point the expressway circling the city passes under a grassy sward, like someone filled a standard overpass with dirt and sod. We then see some goats and realize it is a bridge for them so they can move from pasture to pasture unimpeded.
We arrive at the airport a little while after noon. The check-in with Hertz is a breeze and we walk to the train station located in the airport. Once in the station I have the option of the express train for €14, or a shared ride shuttle for €15. I opt for the shuttle so we don’t have to lug our bags from the train station to our B&B. While only a about ten blocks apart, service to the door for an extra Euro seems worth it. We have to wait for a little while as the shuttle is inbound. We enjoy people watching in the small terminal. Eventually the driver arrives and begins to gather his passengers. There are three other couples riding with us and he leads us all to where the van is parked, below the trains. The drive takes about fifty minutes, which is the same as a taxi or the train would have been. During the drive in we pass many recognizable landmarks, including the Colosseum, Forum and Baths of Diocletion. Structures of many eras are visible, from ancient Roman to the modern office. You will see a section of the aqueducts poking out here, or a building from the 1700s filling a block there, either of which may have a brand new school sitting next to it. The juxtaposition of the old and new sort of defines this ancient city. The effect can be almost jarring at times when you turn a corner and see something a couple millennia old.
We are the second couple to be offloaded. Our hotel is in a district on the east edge of the heart of the city here on the east side of the River Tiber. We are equidistant from the Villa Borghese, Trevi Fountain and main train station. All in all, everything we want to see is within a mile and a half of us, so we can walk everywhere we want to go. The immediate neighborhood is dominated by government buildings and old office or apartment blocks from the 1920s. We are staying at the Hotel Oceania, which is on the third floor of the build we are standing outside of. It is a place Rick Steves, who does a lot of travel shows on PBS, recommend during his show on Rome. There is a wide marble staircase, but since we have our bags we opt for the rather distinctive elevator. It is in the central atrium of the building and was definitely an add-on. It is an open air, bird cage style elevator like what most people would know from the Bradbury Building where the first Blade Runner movie was filmed. We get checked in and find our room is ready so we don’t have to leave our bags or wait. The entry to our room is through a tall double door with a physical key. All of the ceilings are very high and the furnishings are a little worn. The building has a quirky charm that is somewhat endearing. It reminds me of the place we stayed in London which was another building that had been repurposed many times and lived on in faded glory. Our room overlooks the Via Venti Settembre and into the front garden of the Reggimento Corazzieri across the street. It is the headquarters of the Carabinieri, which is a domestic police force that used to be part of the military. We will see these fellows scattered around the city along with the Roman police. We get unpacked for our last few days and prepare our day bag for walking. The old keys need to be left at the reception desk, which is manned at all hours.
The afternoon is lovely. Puffy white clouds share the blue sky with the sun and the temperature is mild, perfect for walking. Rome is a busy city. Fortunately many of the roads we will walk that connect the major sites we want to see today have been reclaimed by pedestrians. We have to hold to the sidewalk near the hotel, but will be in pedestrian lanes in a few blocks. Just one long block down from our hotel is the Quattro Fontane, or four fountains. It is a busy intersection with a traffic light and that has a fountain on each corner. The fountains depict gods of old in repose. After a couple of turns we are on the Via delle Arcione where the cars are not allowed and people walk the street. This leads us directly to the Trevi Fountain. The fountain and basin that is in front of it are much larger than I expected. They take up half of the open space in this small piazza. There are a couple of terraces on different levels that surround the pool. This allows a lot of people to surround the fountain and still have a view, and there are a lot of people here. In addition a couple of uniformed officers on either side will occasionally blow their whistles to let people know to stay out of the water. We find a spot on the rail that is at street level above the highest tier. As I mentioned, the fountain is immense and a marvelous Baroque work. The water cascades down over the sculpted rocks and creates ever splashing falls. The marble figures rising above the water on the rocks add some majesty and motion to the scene. Oceanus seems to be commanding the waters while a couple of men try to reign in a pair of hippocamps, or sea horses. As we obverse the scene the sun breaks out again and gives the marble a glowing luster and the water a sparkle, transforming the fountain into something even more lively and entrancing.
Breakfast was a long time ago and we determine to find a hearty meal. Proceeding west from the Trevi we following the pedestrian way along Via della Muratte. We see a man making pasta in a doorway, obviously putting on a show and letting everyone know the restaurant has fresh pasta. Like in Florence, many restaurants have people out front to try and draw in customers. This place has a woman who approaches us as we pause. There is an empty table in another tall archway and we ask if we can sit there. She affirms we can and we settle into a perfect people watching spot. We will converse with her from time to time as she wanders back and forth in front of the restaurant’s many arches. I think she appreciates the distraction from the constant rejection her job entails as people pass by. The restaurant is named simply Vos. We start with zucchini flowers that have had some cheese put in them, been battered and deep fried and then are served with a light anchovy sauce. It is remarkably good. The sauce has a sort of taupe/grey color and I quote Lumiere, “Try the grey stuff, its delicious!” We order up a bottle of Montalcino wine, another Tuscan red blend, which is as good as promised. We both get fettuccini dishes, which is what we saw the fellow making. Rhonda has a simple tomato basil sauce and I have a meaty Bolognese sauce. The food is wonderful and we take our time, enjoying our meal and the display of humanity strolling by. We finish with a couple of espresso which are served with biscotti. Eventually we decide to join the parade and continue our walk through Rome.
Nearby we come to one of those ancient surprises. In the Piazza di Pietra stands a series of columns fronting the single wall left from a Roman temple dating from 145AD. The columns and wall have been raided for their iron joinery over the centuries which has left semi-regular holes in the marble. This is much like what you see on much of the façade of the Colosseum. It looks like some work is being done on the columns as there is a little scaffolding below street level where the bottoms are found. Continuing westward the narrow lane we are walking widens a bit and there is a area with stalls selling book and art. There is a musician trying to make some tips here too. A little way further on the once again narrowed street suddenly opens out into a very large square in which stands the Pantheon. The Pantheon is a remarkable building we are both taken with. You don’t realize just how big the temple converted to a church is until you approach it. The columns supporting the portico are massive. It is amazing the round building with the domed roof is still standing. It was constructed about twenty years prior to the columns we just passed. I suppose its adoption by the Catholic church made it something that was routinely maintained. Still, through wars and two millennia it has stood and is still here for us to appreciate. We will be returning to visit the inside tomorrow, so for now we amble along our way, continuing west. We pass a building with guards out front and Rhonda inquires with one that doesn’t seem to be on duty what the place is. She find out it is the senate house where the current government operates.
Just two long blocks and one short block from the Pantheon we come to the Piazza Navona. It is a very long and large piazza spanning a couple of very long blocks. It is wide and it surrounded by white, butterscotch, pink, salmon and rusty colored buildings that have a glow in the late afternoon sun. In the middle of the western side is a large church with a dome that looms over the piazza. Restaurants and shops circle the piazza and there are umbrella covered tables almost all the way around. The dominating features of the piazza are the three fountains. In the middle is the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers. The north end has the Fountain of Neptune and the southern end the Moor Fountain. The Four Rivers is quite splendid and deserves its reputation. Four different rivers are represented by an appropriate river god and the symbols and animals of the continent on which it is found. The whole affair is topped by and ancient obelisk. I think I like the representation of the Nile the best with the palm tree, lurking lion and veiled god reminding us the source of the Nile was not known at the time the fountain was designed. The other fountains also sport some amusing and lovely details. The Neptune Fountain has cherubs and mermaids cavorting with large fish and hippocamps while Neptune spears an octopus in the center. In particular one mermaid looks like she is squeezing the water out of the mouth of a fish she is holding. A bride and groom in their wedding day finery are being guided around the square by a photographer who is intent on the photo shoot. People are everywhere in the square enjoying the fine afternoon, though it does not feel crowded because of the size of the space.
Our path turns us south from the Piazza Navona. In a few more blocks we reach the Campo di Fiori, or field of flowers. This large square still hosts a daily open air market, though there is nothing like that here at this time since it is a morning affair. There are again many restaurants around the square with outdoor tables. We decide to sit and have a beverage while waiting for the sun to set and dark to arrive. The middle of the square has a statue of a rather dour looking monk or clergyman. I have to lookup who he is while we wait for our drinks and find out he was a friar and philosopher who was burnt alive on this spot for heresy. No wonder he doesn’t look happy. The hawker for the restaurant we sit at has a habit that amuses me. The fashion in the city for younger men is to have pants that expose your ankles. The pants our fellow is wearing are too long for that so he pulls them up from time to time to try to appear in fashion. There is a saxophonist playing across the way. He is playing familiar tunes like Careless Whisper, Mack the Knife and All of Me in a sped up tempos. We see the Polizia and Carabinieri here, as in all of the open public spaces we have visited. As darkness fall the lights come on and the roving vendors selling the same glow in the dark trinkets we saw in Florence come out. One whirlygig salesman targets a family with smaller children. He knows the appropriate targets. He manages a sale of one for the boy and each of the two girls. We watch them cross the square while trying to shoot the device into the air to float down. The younger of the two kids just don’t have the arm strength to pull the rubber band enough to launch it very far into the air. Hopefully the toy is not lost before they gain the ability to fully enjoy their Dad’s purchase. As we sit and watch the world pass our waiter brings some complimentary bruschetta with a simple tomato and oil mix on it. We are not very hungry, but the tomatoes are very ripe and tasty.
Once dark has come we retrace our steps back along the pedestrian way we came. The night air is perfect and we stroll along at a gentle pace, taking in the beauty. The lights on the fountains and statuary really do something magical. The street lamps bounce their light off of the cobbles and paving stones of the piazzas like the moon on a body of water. The pools of the fountains are a bright blue with their light casting up onto the figures above them. Details unseen in the daylight pop out when lit from below. Everyone one is at ease and enjoying being in the company of one another. The Trevi in particular is quite magnificent at night. We change our route from the Trevi and head north to the Spanish Steps. The walk north and the Spanish Steps themselves are not as populated as the other areas we have just journeyed through. The piazza fronted by the steps is large and open. We decide to have a nightcap before walking back to our hotel. We grab a table at restaurant out in the fine night air. Rhonda enjoys a glass of pinot grigio while I have a lovely grappa. We reflect on the day and all that we have seen. It is a nice way to finish our nighttime walking tour of Rome. By the time we get to bed it is well after midnight.
Day 8 – September 25th (Rome)
Given the late night, we get going a little later than normal. We arrive in the breakfast room at 9:50, ten minutes before breakfast ends. We are not turned away and take a table. We are not the only late comers we see, so we relax. The lady tending the coffee and food looks like the actress and comedienne Andrea Martin. She even talks and acts like the character Andrea played in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She makes up a small pot of coffee that she leaves on our table along with a matching pot of steamed milk. Pastries again dominate the food selection, though there are some meats and cheeses which are more to Rhonda’s liking. There is an amusing miniature garbage can on the table that sugar packets and jam containers can go into. We have a good little meal to fuel ourselves for the morning’s adventures.
Our first stop will be the Pantheon. We want to see the inside and so we follow the same route we took yesterday to get there. When are arrive there is a pretty big crowd waiting to get inside. Admission is free, so we queue up. There really isn’t much of a wait at as they are letting folks in as quickly as they move through the line. The Pantheon is one of those spaces that is so large you kind of lose your sense of perspective. It is the same width as it is high, 142 feet. It is a massive dome setting on a massive cylinder. The walls below the dome are covered in all manner and color of marble. There are columns defining niches where tombs are located. The first two kings of Italy and the artist Raphael are here. The domed ceiling has rings of depressed squares set into it like a massive shadow box. There is an open oculus in the top of the dome that a beam of sunshine streams through. The floor is open save for some wooden pews lined up in front of the wood altar and lectern. There are signs with all of the prohibitions that you are used to like no smoking and the such. There a couple of prohibitions we find peculiar which are no lying down and no sleeping. I can imagine folks lying down on the floor for a different perspective on the dome, but sleeping seems like a stretch. We wander about, inspecting the tombs and art. We also sit for a spell in the pews so we can look over the rather unusual alter and lectern. The people carved into them seem extremely gaunt and sinewy. It creates a rather odd aesthetic. The dome is the star of the show. It is an engineering marvel for its time and continually draws the eye. The scale of the space is amazing and we find it hard to pull ourselves away.
Our next destination is the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument, or Vittoriano, for short. It is situated on the Capitoline Hill, which is in the center of ancient Rome. We head east and then south to reach the edifice. If you have seen a movie or documentary featuring Rome, you have likely seen an image of the Vittotiano. It is probably the second most recognizable monument or ruin in Rome after the Colosseum. When we turn right onto Via del Corco, a wide thoroughfare, we can see it in the distance. A few blocks onward and the street merges into a huge traffic circle which runs around a large lawn located in the center of Piazza Venezia. The traffic cops manage the people as well as the cars in the confluence, otherwise neither would make any progress. We make our way into the middle of the green oval where a large bed of flowers are blooming in the shape and colors of the Italian flag. The Vittoriano has the footprint of a good sized city block. The white stone gleams in the sun. A series of stairs leads up to various landings and large areas where people can congregate. It takes about 240 steps to get from the street to the terrace at the bottom of the columns. Partway up is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Another ways up is the statue of Victor, unifier of Italy, astride his stead. His plinth is surrounded by ladies in sculpture that seem to represent different regions or states of Italy. Columns span the whole width of the monument at the top. The view in all directions is wonderful, but you can get higher. Passing through the monument to the back side we find there is a pair of elevators attached to the back of the columns. We decide we are here so why not pay the €10 apiece to go to the top.
I thought the views were lovely from the terrace, but from the very top they are spectacular. Rome stretches out in every direction. The mountains near the city to the east and north are very present in your vision up here. Ancient Rome with the Forum and other ruins running to the Colosseum are behind us. Vatican City can by spotted to the west by locating the dome atop St. Peter’s Basilica. Nearer at hand the dome of the Pantheon can be seen rising above the surrounding buildings and giving you a good perspective on the size of that structure. The sun is hot and the breeze cooling. A gull has flown in from somewhere and perches on an architectural detail, probably wondering what we are doing here and why we aren’t feeding him. Once back down the elevator the descent back to the street is made via internal staircases. The monument has a lot of large interior spaces to house museums. Once back on street level we circle around to the west and see the preserved ruins of a Roman rental house from the second century AD. Just past that are the long, low steps that run up to the Campidoglio. The Campidoglio is a square designed by Michelangelo with former palaces on three sides. The buildings are now museums. The artistically geometric design of the stone work of the open space is very attractive. It somewhat resembles the design of a dream catcher as it surrounds the central statue of a man on horseback in the center.
Proceeding onward we stop at a fountain by a statue of Romulus and Remus. This is one of the many fountains providing potable water and there are several of us that take turns quenching our thirst here. You rinse your hands in the running water and then let the water fill your cupped hands so you can quaff it. Refreshed we continue behind the back of the square and come to the sprawling Roman Forum. There is a platform that provides a nice view of a nearby arch and the expanse of ruins all the way to the Colosseum, including the actual Caesar’s palace. As we pass down an ancient Roman road we wonder at all of the feet that have crossed over these stones through the millennia. We walk along the forum on the modern sidewalk. Cars zoom by on our left while the sedate ruins of Roman civilization rest on our right. Once again the old and the new collide. We are proceeding to the Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli which lies a little north of the Colosseum. We consider stopping at a restaurant with seating along the street we are walking, but the music is too loud and the exhaust from the nearby traffic is unappealing. We walk on and find the basilica. We see that is doesn’t open again until 15:00, so we continue a search for lunch. Behind the church a long run of stairs runs down to the Via Cavour. The street is a little less busy and we select a restaurant with outside seating at random. It is definitely not one of our better meals on this trip, but not bad. Not every random choice can be as good as what we have been lucky enough to have experiencing so far on this trip. We sit and rest our feet while we nibble our food and sip our wine.
When it is past three o’clock we pay our bill and proceed back up the long steps. The purpose of our visit to the Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains is to see Michelangelo’s Moses. The church is very out of the way and almost seems hidden in the modern city. It is nothing you would stumble across. You have to be looking for it to find it. This is evidenced by the fact that there are not a lot of folks inside. While still sizeable, the church is a little dimmer and darker in tone that those we have been in. The funerary monuments and tombs have more dark stone in them and many more sculpted skeletons. There are creepy reliefs on the wall and the whole affair has a spooky feel to it. A glass and gold reliquary behind the altar contains the chains that were used to bind Saint Peter when he was imprisoned. The walls and half dome over the altar are covered in frescoes of predominately dark colors. In the apse to the right of the altar stands the tomb of Pope Julius II. While design by Michelangelo, the only statue sculpted by him of the seven here is Moses. He is seated below the sarcophagus on which a likeness of the Pope reclines. Moses is wonderful and peculiar at the same time. He gazes off with a very contemplative look on his face as he fondles his beard. He has power, but it is subdued. There is nothing lofty or divine about him. The face is young and old at the same time and the controversial “horns” only add to the unease he seems to exude. Viewing Moses has made finding this minor basilica in an out of the way corner of Rome worth the effort.
The day has been hot and sweaty and we decide to go back to the room to shower and nap before venturing out for the evening. We will also pack up everything for our morning departure so we don’t have to do it before bed, which would be a bummer of a way to finish our time in Rome. Some rain threatened during the afternoon, but never really materializes. We are refreshed, packed and ready for our final evening a little after seven. We decide to walk to the Piazza della Rotonda where the Pantheon is located. We take a front row table straight across from the Pantheon at a restaurant named Napoletano’s. We get a bottle of white wine, a cheese plate and some bread. The cheeses are very nice and the bread fantastic. We have front row seats for the show in the piazza. This evening there is a fellow dressed as a mime working the crowd. We saw him last night, but didn’t get too watch too long. Tonight as we sit and take in our small repast he brings many laughs to those of us paying attention. He follows people, mimicking their behavior as they proceed through the square. He will photo-bomb groups and startle the unwary. A bicycle tour comes through and he trots along behind the last bike in line and begins to easily pull back providing some resistance the rider cannot figure out. He dances with a boy, collapses in front of groups, performs Harpo and Chico like hat tricks with people. His reckless abandon and joy is infectious. I tip him well as he makes the rounds of the nearby tables.
We do a little more shopping for our boys. We taste some liqueurs, including limoncello, and select a couple to take home for them. A little more shopping and browsing results in nothing else worth taking home. That is unless you want a Pope or Roman centurion bobble head, cheap replicas of famous statues, or maybe a calendar of sexy priests. We stop at a restaurant near the Trevi for a nightcap of wine and grappa again. We fall into conversation with a mother and son sitting at the next table. They are from Holland. We talk for an hour or so covering topics ranging from television, movies, guns, housing, to education. There is a lot of comparison of cultures and it is a pleasant way to spend the time. It has been another lovely night to spend wandering the street of Rome, but eventually we decide it is time to close the evening. We get back to our room and bed at around one in the morning.
Day 9 – September 26th (Home)
Yesterday we worked with the receptionist to arrange a car to pick us up and take us to the airport. The car is coming at 8:30, so we are up early. We only have a few toiletries to pack and we get to the dining room for breakfast much earlier than yesterday. We wait with our bags in the atrium by the elevator. The receptionist lets us know when the car has arrived and we go down to greet him. The driver is a little late, but we get to the airport by 9:30, which is plenty of time to get our bags checked in and ourselves through security. During the drive I notice stone pines standing next to palm trees with cacti below them. It is certainly a varied climate. We also see a couple of car parks that have solar panels that both provide shade for the cars and power for the city. We get out of Rome on time and make the short hop to Munich where we will catch our plane over the Atlantic.
We have some time to kill in Munich so we seek out a place to pass the time. It is Oktoberfest season and we see lots of people passing through the airport in traditional garb. There is an open air bar in the terminal next to some large windows. Rhonda gets a wine and Greek salad while I get a Franziskaner Weissbier and a large pretzel. It is Germany, after all. The fellow behind the bar tending all of the customers is run ragged. The number of dirty tables increases as people leave things behind. Rhonda takes pity and starts rounding up dishes and delivering them to a central location. He wipes down the cleared tables and thanks Rhonda profusely for her help. Soon we are on the plane and on the long flight back to the US. Rhonda gets a touch of sleep, but none comes for me. Immigration and customs is a breeze at Dulles, but the drive home is long due to the typical traffic jam between Washington DC and Fredericksburg.
The trip has been a resounding success. We had a variety of experiences and met a lot of interesting people. The Tuscan countryside was all we hoped and the wine better than expected. We were able to see a lot of priceless art and architecture while taking in the feel of the places we stayed. I enjoy our slow paced vacations that allow for the time to soak things in. I look forward to our next trip overseas, though I don’t know where it will be.
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