I can’t believe I have waited all this time to tell you, but pizza is NOT sliced here in Italy. You get a pie that sits neatly on a plate and you get a knife and fork because that is how you eat a meal. We are always in such a goddamn hurry that we focus on the finish and not the flavor. Next time you order a pie, give it a try.
Now that we have pizza etiquette out of the way, let’s move on to the events of the day. A ride to the city of Siena was today’s destination, my third and final day with the Renault, a car I have really enjoyed, in spite of the horrid memories from my senior year in high school and the wounded Renault Dauphine I owned. I have grown very much at ease on these snaking roads that meander through the Tuscan countryside.
As usual, I got a late start on the day. The idea of hurrying seems so foreign to the sweet pace of life around here. The restaurant stops serving breakfast at around 10:30A and missing it would be a gastronomical sin. The variety of offerings is fantastic and jerk that I am, each morning, I get exactly the same thing, a glass of freshly, squeezed orange juice and a plate of assorted fruit. With glass in one hand and plate in the other, I return to my table. By the time I get back, my Americano coffee is waiting to keep me company during my meal. After devouring my fruits, I get up again and return to the buffet, where I spoon out scrambled eggs and sausage, pick up some bacon and snag a pastry. Trust me, I am not complaining, just observing my penchant for repetition. If I wasn’t shown to a table each morning, I’m certain I would sit at the same table as well.
At home, I do my entire morning routine and then reward myself with the same smoothie before leaving. Here, I get up, usually do my Zen sit and then go online for a while. I love writing back to the folks, who have left comments about the prior night’s entry, although sometimes I finish up a piece from the prior day, but I don’t always tell you and who cares? I am thrilled that I don’t get sucked into the news here, the need to know everything that has happened to everyone, everywhere. Tuscany doesn’t seem to be concerned about such things and it is contagious. Then, it is off to breakfast. Eating alone takes some getting used to because it is hard to avoid feeling self-conscious. Everyone will notice if a strawberry slides off the spoon before it makes it to my mouth. I think it is terribly important to be comfortable with yourself and you have to survive losing strawberries in order to get there.
Siena is the hub of Tuscany and it was on my incredibly short list of things to do. I don’t know if I have mentioned it, but the entire staff here at Castello di Casole must get daily injections of graciousness, because I can’t think of another explanation. The truth is that the Italian culture is a very social one, filled with animated interactions wherever you look. I was provided with printed directions that even had pictures of road signs.
You will be happy to know the drive to Siena was completely uneventful. I followed my directions the way a mouse finds cheese in a maze. The only frustration was driving around and around one of the “P” locations, filled with all these tiny cars wedged together in the most haphazard pattern imaginable. I learned my lesson yesterday when I drove to Volterra and was more concerned with relocating my car than being relaxed and walking around the city. As a freshly seasoned traveler, I left the car behind, location noted and followed the crowds. Speaking of crowds I immediately noticed tribes of identical looking people, from one country or another, walking closely together and at the front was a person holding a pole, with some kind of identifying flag flapping in the breeze.
I was on a mission to see two, highly touted locations, the Piazza Il Campo and the Siena Duomo. I remember promising both you and myself that I was not going to burden us with Wikipedia explanations of the endless, historically significant sights that fill every city and village in Tuscany. I figure now that we are at end of Larry’s Adventura d’Italia, we can break the promise just once. Here is what I lifted from Wikipedia regarding the Piazza Il Campo:
“Piazza del Campo is the principal public space of the historic center of Siena, Tuscany, Italy and is regarded as one of Europe’s greatest medieval squares. It is renowned worldwide for its beauty and architectural integrity. The twice-a-year horse-race, Palio di Siena, is held around the edges of the piazza.”
I meandered from street to street in this fabulous old city, without a care in the world, occasionally noticing signs to the piazza. When I got there, while I was stunned by the architectural beauty, I was blown away by the crowds, keeping in mind this isn’t even peak season. There were people everywhere and all kinds of retail operations in the historic buildings and under white tents in the center of this priceless slice of antiquity. In the US, we had to build Disneylands and in places like this, the hard part was already done and cashing in was inevitable. I swear this is simply an observation and not a judgement.
The Duomo was next on the short list and easily found. What a stunning sight! The artistry is extraordinary and the colors radiate from the marble face, like God is showing you what heaven looks like. Not surprisingly, there were tourists like me everywhere, including the flagged, pole people, following dutifully behind their flag bearers.
Well folks, the tour of Tuscany is drawing to a close. I strolled around a bit longer and made my way back to my trusty Renault and the ride back to the hotel. I decided to have dinner for a second time at Locanda del Molino, where Nina Simone kept me company. Had a half bottle of a delicious red wine, some salad and another killer, whole pizza I had to eat with a knife and fork. It was crowded on a Saturday night and hard to hear Dylan amidst all of the fabulously, social Italians, who love their food.
Before Larry’s Adventura d’Italia began, I can’t say I was looking forward to it and considered it more of a challenge than an adventure. Tonight, I can feel this place has gotten into my heart and I know I was right to do this. Tomorrow is my last full day here and I will spend it luxuriating on the grounds of this slice of heaven called Castello di Casole. I am no longer uncomfortable being alone because Tuscany has become my friend and I love her the way I love Kauai. I had better stop now or I will start crying yet again.