Breakups are hard: Siena part 1

The day had come that we were all dreading:  Lucia was leaving us.  She had decided to go to school in Siena, hoping to meet a respectable Lamborghini.  Either that, or our rental was over.  One or the other.  In any event, we had to drop her off and guess where we were headed.  Siena.  For the 4^th time.  Yay…

A quick Cappuccino and we were on our way.  Well not so quick.  Because Mike needed a pastry.  And then he needed a second one.  Oh well, it meant more time with Lucia.  The road to Siena was a quick-moving superstrada, and we made very good time.  We were less than a mile away from our destination, when Mike and Eileen suggested that we use the GPS to get us into downtown Siena.  That GPS took the better part of an hour to get us there.  We went in circles, around roundy-rounds multiple times, went the wrong way on one way streets, and eventually had to make an unauthorized U-Turn in downtown Siena.  We may be being a bit too hard on the GPS.  Perhaps it was the people using it who were at fault…

We finally made it to Hertz (going into the exit only driveway), and were ready to say our goodbyes.  We had set up an appointment for 11:00 to turn in the car, and were there on time.  However, nobody was there to meet us.  We knocked on the door, called, and scoured the premises, to no avail.  There was a sign claiming that a 30 euro charge will apply should we drop off the car when nobody was there.  Additionally (as faithful readers might recall), the hail had done a number on Lucia, and we wanted to talk to somebody to see what our liability may be.  We left a strongly worded note saying that we would pay for neither the 30 euro late fee nor any other damage in excess of our rental.  They better listen.  Or we will send Tim Costa’s and Ben Molin’s World of Warcraft characters over to Italy to bust some skulls.  

We said our last goodbye to Lucia:  Alone in an empty parking lot with a brisk rain falling.  Her little windshield wipers beat fast to wipe away her tears.  We were all very emotional.  She was a great car, and we wish her the utmost in happiness.  We are the biggest nerds…

Saying goodbye to Lucia

Shaffer's 2 favorite girls

We hopped in Mike and Eileen’s car:  Francesca.  She wasn’t as good as Lucia, but she did the trick.  We were in Siena on the day of the Palio.  The Palio is a horse race, 3 laps around Siena’s main square.  Siena is broken into 17 contrade:  Neighborhoods.  10 of the Contrade get to race in the Palio:  7 who did not get to race in the previous Palio, and 3 others chosen by lottery.  Those are the basics:  The advanced stuff is fascinating, but a little too intricate to get into here.  Especially when only 3 people even read this blog.  So google it if you are interested.  

Being Palio day, the city was packed.  We had hopes of finding parking, and watching the Palio first hand, but it was just too busy.  It was noon, and the Palio would not start until after 7; already people were clogging Siena’s main square, camping out for a spot to watch the Palio.  We decided that a day of misery just would not be worth it.  So we headed out and explored the Tuscan countryside.  After a brief lunch in which all of us got a pizza, and none of us finished ours, we were back on the road.  We wanted to stop in Montepulciano, a quaint little wine-town on top of a hill.  By this point in the day, however, it was pouring rain and the thought of exploring excited none of us. So we drove on until it stopped raining, and turned off the road at the next sign which advertised a winery.  

We wound up a narrow road to the top of a hill, and a stereotypical Tuscan villa.  It was beautiful.  We learned that it had originally been built in the 1500s, and had housed a number of aristocrats over the years including the current owner:  A countess.  During World War II, it was used as a defensive fort:  Shaffer thinks most likely it was used by the Nazis.  On our way in we were greeted by the ferocious guard cat, whose name was Romeo.  

Romeo

Our hostess was very charming and accommodating.  She asked if we wanted to taste wines, and we agreed to.  The winery had a number of impressive labels, including the expensive brunello and super Tuscan.  During the tasting she asked Eileen (who was asking a lot of touristy questions) if she had ever tried tasting straight olive oil.  Eileen said no, so our hostess poured us each a sample.  Shaffer likes to think that he is pretty hard when it comes to his drinks:  He prefers his bourbon straight:  No ice, no chaser.  Still, that shot of Olive Oil turned his stomach.  It was thick.  It was warm.  It was impossible to swallow.  Ugh.  

Tasting wine and olive oil

After the olive oil, our hostess took us on a tour of the villa, at Mike’s behest.  It was impressive.  Down in the cellar were row after row of barrels, giant casks that took up entire rooms, and even cement vats used to store wine; apparently aging in cement is an ancient technique in the Montepulciano region.  It was a lovely tour.

In the cellar at the winery- over 400 years old

Back up top, we decided to buy three bottles of wine:  It had been quite tasty, and we were grateful for the tour.  Plus it was only 30 euros.  Or so we thought.  With a sly grin on her face, our hostess told us:  “Sorry, but for the tasting and the tour there is just a very small fee…”  We knew by the way she emphasized very small that it would be anything but.  “Just 10 Euro…” she announced, before adding “for each person.”  That sly little devil.  She just made us shoot straight olive oil, and now was going to make us pay for it.  Thank you ma’am, may we have another…

Back on the road, we were headed for Punta Ala.  We stopped in Grossetto for some supplies at the neighborhood Co-op, the predominant supermarket down here.  It was an experience.  You had to pay for a shopping cart, and for each item of fruit or vegetable you bought, you printed out an individual sticker identifying its price and stuck it right onto the rind.  Kind of a neat way to do stuff.  We also bought some meat and cheese directly from the butcher, and really enjoyed the shopping experience.  Oh, and of course we bought a lot of booze:  Beer, wine and even whiskey.  

Back home we cooked for the first time in Italy:  Taglietelle with fresh tomato, garlic, pepper and onion, and Amy’s homemade bruschetta.  It was wonderful.  Then, as night fell, we watched the Palio live on television.  It certainly could not equal being there in person, but it was an acceptable substitute.  It was an exciting race:  Only 90 seconds long, half of the riders were unhorsed in brutal collisions.  Oca, a contrada with green, white and red as its colors, and a goose as its mascot, won:  There was jubilation in the streets as Oca was reborn.  It was a great end to the day.

Yummy homemade dinner

Amy's famous bruschetta

The next day was a beach day.  We went down to the local beach, where you have to pay (anywhere from 35-70 euro) for access to the beach, two chairs, a lounger and an umbrella.  We sat in the sun and read, with the Mediterranean lapping at our feet.  We even swam a bit in the refreshing warm water.  After all of our travels, it was wonderful to have a day off.  

Beach day at Punta Ala

Up Next:  Ferry rides, Napoleon in exile, local bars, entrepreneurial condominium associations, lots of wind, a Seven Year Itch, running for the last boat home, and a 4^th of July away from home:  An adventure to Elba.  

Arrivederci!