Friday 20th September 2024

The day began with us not knowing what to do, and by midday were on the top of a hill surrounded by stone towers and thousands of tourists.

Welcome to San Gimignano.

Not sure whether the plethora of towers here is the result of penis envy or something similar, or that they great and the good liked to look down on everyone else, and that meant building skyscrapers, long before the term was thought of.

Towers, let us not forget, that erupt from the stone buildings of a hilltop fortress, so are lofty indeed, and you'd need locks of great length for you prince to climb up some of these.

I had not been here before, but suspected it a tourist trap, so we had to leave early in order to get a parking spot. Yes, in the 16 years since we were last here, tourism in Tuscany seems to have gotten really popular, in most cases, more popular than the infrastructure can stand, but still the people keep coming.

Including us.

Tuscan us not large, distances, as the Tuscan crow flies are modest, and yet travelling 50 miles to Florence or San Gimignano takes 90 minutes or more, as roads twist and turn up and down mountains, through woods and picturesque hilltop villages.

Everything takes time, so it had better be worth doing, and doing well.

Some Italians. Some, like to tear around the place like their in Monza even if they're driving a 20 year old Jimny, and when they come up against the Englishman abroad in his Audi, they sit three inches from the back bumper. So I brake. Sharp. And wave them past, usually passing them in the next village talking with their Nonna.

And so it goes.

We set out at half eight-ish, heading up through the hills past Siena and nearly into Florence, up and down, round and round the roads went, and I kept to them.

Which was nice.

West of Florence, we joined the train of traffic heading up the hill to San Gimignano.

At the top there are three car parks, two big ones a smaller on between. The smaller one had 26 spaces, so we went in, and after driving round and round, we found the lower level and some spaces.

So I parked in carefully the space at the end so whoever parked next would have plenty of space, and leave space for us to get back into the car.

That was the plan.

From there it was a short walk to the city gates, and already the main street leading to the piazzas with the towers was already pretty busy.

However, we had made it, it was just after ten, so we stopped at the first place for breakfast: a fresh roll with Tuscan preserved meats and a strong coffee. And then up to the squares. A bit of a climb in the warm, nearly hot morning. But we made it fine, then in the square, the guided tours had begun. I mean, I don't mean to be rude, but if can't guide yourself round a small hilltop village with a book, then you really shouldn't leave your house.

But I digress.

The first square is entered through a large arch, it is surround by impossibly old buildings, most with a tower, double or triple its height, then on and up to the second square, were the Cathedral looks down on not just the town, but all of creation.

Thankfully, its just a fiver to get in. I queue to buy tickets, then through the gates and into the cool dark space beyond.

Its walls are covered in frescoes. The south wall with scenes from the Passion, and the North had at least one scene from Exodus and the fleeing across the Dead Sea.

And it wasn't that crowded, in fact at times there was just half a dozen of us in there. So I take as many shots as I want, and we leave by the front door, the square laid out below us.

So, we people watch.

Jools comes back to say she has found a place to eat, so I follow here down a steep alley to a small door with two chairs and tables, but inside its larger, and no other customers.

We were offered a table, and from the brief menu we order the Charcuterie board which I followed with roast suckling pig and vegetables.

The starter was excellent, made so with a small jar of local honey dropped on the meat, but the main, and I know what suckling pig means, was delicious, and was the house speciality. And washed down with a glass of Brunello for a fiver, was a bargain.

We walked back down through the town, through the gate to the car. Where someone had had parked so close i couldn't get in, and Jools only just managed it.

But we got the car out, loaded it with supplies, and we high-tailed it out, down the hill and back towards Roccastrada.

The same hills, the same bends, the same villages. And the same occasional inpatient local drivers.

We went to the CoOp again, as we needed fruit. Cheese. Bread. Wine. White wine. Pasta. Passata.

Jools went for a wander and bought two more artisan ice creams, which would defrost on the way back to the apartment.

Then we could eat and enjoy. And relax.

Which we did.

It was five in the afternoon, clouds were building. But it was the weekend. Apparently.

At seven (local time) was the quiz, and I won again! Is there no end to my talents?

We had cheese and crackers for supper. And wine. Lots of wine.