Train strike on the Cinque Terre

Our hotel served a nice breakfast.  Cornetti and other baked goods, all possible hot beverages, yogurt, cereal, and even eggs, soft-, medium- or hard-boiled.

We're hearing the church bells ringing throughout the day here, starting at about 7:30.

Our plan today was to do some hiking on the trails connecting the Cinque Terre.  Our host at the hotel said there might be a train strike though.  He had heard that the regional train was on strike from 9:00 p.m. last night until 9:00 p.m. tonight.  They're making a statement, but they don't want to inconvenience people for too long.  Unfortunately, since we only have one full day here, it changes our plans.

Mark, Becky and John headed out on the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza, said to be the most difficult of the trails between the villages.

Hikers Marco, Giovanni and Becky on the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza 

Flood damage along the trail

The view of Vernazza from the trail

Another view of Vernazza, from farther up the hill

The rest of us decided to take the boat over to meet them.  For 4 euros each we had a short ride, on calm seas, and got a view of Vernazza from the water.  The weather today is overcast, and a little rainy.

Seeing Vernazza like the pirates saw it

Vernazza from the boat dock

The non-hikers wandered through the streets of Vernazza up to the top of town.  Rick and I had previously stayed in a room rented from the two Sicilian brothers who own Il Pirata restaurant.  We wanted to see what had happened to our building in the horrible flood of 2011.  The building was still standing, but obviously condemned.  Very sad.

Our B&B, after the flash flood of 2011

We sent a scout to meet the hikers down at the waterfront and they walked up to Il Pirata to have a beverage too.  They said the hike had been somewhat difficult, but not too bad, and the trail wasn't crowded.

We all had a snack at Il Pirata, and some of us tried the cannoli, which is their specialty.  It was very good, indeed.

Famous cannoli at Il Pirata in Vernazza

The whole group took the boat back to Monterosso, and we had a nice Sunday lunch at Ciak.  We could see the cooks through an open window as we walked by on the street, and it looked like a great place.

We ordered 3 servings of spaghetti with seafood and 3 servings of risotto with seafood to share, and the waiter nicely portioned and served each dish to all 8 of us.

Today is Palm Sunday.   We saw people walking by with olive branches.  We wondered if they call Palm Sunday something else in Italy?

The afternoon was spent shopping in our little town,  the train strike putting a damper on further exploration of the coast.  The weather wasn't that great, so a boat ride down the coast didn't entice us.

We all walked up the road, to the new part of Monterosso, and up to the edge of town.  The statue of Poseidon, on the edge of the cliff, was imposing, although it seems to be crumbling away.

Statue of Poseidon on the edge of the cliff in Monterosso

We checked out the menu at Miky, one of the nicest places in town, and decided it might be a bit pricey. On the way back through town we had drinks on the terrace at the Cantina di Miky, which is run by Miky's son Manuel.  It seemed like a great option for our last dinner together.

Dinner was great.  One of the specialties of this area is the fresh anchovies, and we've tried them a few different ways - marinated in lemon, or preserved with sea salt.  They're nice and fresh here, as is all of the seafood.

  Notice how the spoon is bent to sit on the edge of the glass?

After dinner we walked by the train station and stopped to buy our tickets for tomorrow, when we leave for Milan (Becky and John) and Varenna on Lake Como (the other 6 of us).  We all agreed we'd like a few more days here.

The church bells heralded bedtime.

Leaving Tuscany

We're leaving our villa today, and we're all pretty sad about it.  It was a great house for us, and we've had a wonderful time here.  Our landlady and her husband, Roberto, came by at 8:15 to check us out.  We didn't break more than a wine glass, but that's expected, I guess, since they told us they had extra glasses for just that very situation.  We had used the heat in the house, and knew we'd be charged for it  - one euro per cubic meter.  For the week it added up to almost 100 euros, but was well worth it.

Our hostess gave each couple a hand-painted coffee mug with a picture of our villa, La Scarpellino, on it.  (This is the family's name for the house, which is different from the name that RentVillas uses - Podere della Fraternita.)  We'll treasure this little memento of our visit.

We were on the road by 8:30, and stopped to fill the cars up with gas.  Amazingly, this was the first time we had to buy gas all week.  It cost about 75 euros per car, or nearly $100 to fill each tank.

Our destination was La Spezia, where we'd turn in the cars.  The drive was mostly on the main highways, and we had to pay a few tolls along the way.  We missed the correct exit once, but that didn't slow us down too much.

Our drivers are Emmett and John.  Emmett's always in the lead, since he has Rick, as navigator, riding in his car.  Both drivers did a great job all week.  Emmett would smile and shake his head, after some tricky unexpected turn, when John would be right behind us, impossible to shake.  Emmett was always cool and calm, even when a secondary navigator, in the back seat, would argue with the official navigator (the one with the map!)  The driving was sometimes stressful, but both Emmett and John seemed to enjoy the challenge.  Rick, the navigator, gets high marks for his map skills.

We stopped at an Autogrill before getting to LaSpezia, just to use the nice, clean restrooms.  Autogrills have great food too, and good coffee, of course.

It was time for coffee at the Autogrill

We got to LaSpezia with some time to spare.  The office closed at 12:30 for the day on Saturdays, which added a certain amount of stress for us.   It took quite a while for us to check the cars in.  The guys had tried to top off the gas at the station down the street, but they couldn't figure out how to get their credit cards to work.   I remember this being a problem on a past trip too - our American credit card wouldn't work in the gas pump.  And there was no attendant, so no way to get gas.

While some of us were in the office checking the cars in, the others had popped open a beer and were enjoying it in the alley next to the office.  Thirst is a terrible thing!

Baggage and beverages.  Sometimes that's the only way.

We finally got everything sorted, and the agent called two taxis for us.  We were catching the train to the Cinque Terre town of Monterosso al Mare.  The Europcar office was far from the train station, which meant we really had to take a cab - an extra expense it would have been nice to avoid.

The train ride along the coast afforded us some nice views of the water, but there are a few long tunnels too. We reached Monterosso in good shape, and set out to find our hotel, Locanda il Maestrale.  I directed the group, lugging all of our bags, in the wrong direction, even though Rick and I had been here before!  We finally asked a local gentleman if he knew where our hotel was, and he pointed in the opposite direction. Arghh!  We hailed a cab to take our luggage, and a few of our people, up to the hotel, and the rest would go on foot.

The old part of Monterosso.  Still some piles of sand and silt from the flash floods of 2011.

The Locanda il Maestrale is a charming, small B&B - only 6 rooms - on the second floor of a building in the old part of town.  A great covered terrace overlooked the cobblestone street below.

Enjoying a drink on the terrace with our host, Giovanni

Giovanni and his wife Stefania welcomed us, and showed us to our rooms.  Two of the rooms were actually suites, with the bedroom in a loft overlooking a sitting area and the bathroom.  We would have used these rooms for happy hour if not for the great terrace, which was available throughout our stay.   Coffee, tea and fresh-squeezed orange juice were always available on the terrace for us, and the proprietors provided wine and beer glasses for us to use with beverages we brought in ourselves.  Coffee was also available earlier than the breakfast in the morning, which was unique in our hotel stays on this trip.

 The sun is shining in Monterosso as we have a late lunch at the Belvedere

Travel days are more tiring, and we all enjoyed some time on the terrace.  There might have even been a nap or two taken before dinner by some, and a hike taken by others.  We're a diverse group!

Giovanni and Il Padrino testing the waters in the Mediterranean

We had a great recommendation for dinner from our hosts.  L'ancora della Tortuga (no website, but you can find them on tripadvisor.com) was built into the side of a rock cliff on the waterfront.  It was too cool to sit outside, but the interior was charming, and we had a great dinner.  One nice thing for our group of 8 is that, since it's a bit early in the season, we have managed to get a table anywhere we've tried.

 

Cliffside tables at L'ancora della Tortuga

Wonderful seafood risotto at L'ancora della Tortuga

We walked back down the hill to our hotel under a full moon, enjoying the nice evening, the other people out strolling, and the kids playing ball along the water.

Watching the local kids playing ball down along the waterfront

The lights of  "old" Monterosso as we walked back to town.

Ciao David

Our landlady and her husband stopped by last night, and we told them our plan today was to drive to Florence and park the car outside of town.  They suggested we take the train from Montevarchi to Florence instead.  They said the train ran often, and the station was right in the center of Florence, making it easy to get to the major attractions.

We made a reservation to see Michelangelo's David, at the Accademia, at 11:45.  We drove into Montevarchi at about 9:30, and found no parking near the train station.  And in air traffic terms, we weren't the only ones "stacked and circling".  Every conceivable spot, official or not, had a tiny car wedged into it.  After driving around for several minutes we found a spot on the street, but it was about 1/2 mile away.

When we got to the station, we discovered that the next train wasn't leaving until 11:15.  Our landlady's husband didn't mention that the frequent trains ran only during rush hour.  We waited around for 90 minutes, having a drink at the little cafe near the station, plus using the W.C., of course.    The bathrooms at the train stations always cost money, and often had the additional attraction of spraying disinfectant all over the room after the paying occupant leaves.  I've been in the vicinity when someone else sneaks in on the heels of the departing patron, without paying, only to have the spray feature activate while they're inside.  Lesson learned.

We arrived in Florence about 12:30 and headed out to find the Accademia.  By the time we arrived, with a little confusion, as per usual, it was about 1:15.  I asked the guard at the door about the likelihood of getting in so late, and he said, no problem!  Amazing!  Can you imagine this attitude in the U.S.?  The ticket booth was across the street, and there too, our lateness was not an issue.

We bypassed the long line and got in.  Accademia is a nice little museum, with lots of other sculptures in addition to the statue of David.  Why on earth photography isn't allowed is a mystery.  I don't think the statues are affected by flashes of light, like the paintings might be.

Michelangelo's statue of David, courtesy of Wikipedia

The statue dates from 1501, when Michelangelo was only 26 years old.  It stood outside, at the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio, for over 300 years.  In the late 1800's it was moved indoors.  The museum also houses Michelangelo's Prisoners, St. Matthew, and a Pieta.

We found a cafe for lunch, and sat for a bit.  Although this should re-energize us, some of us would like a nap after a glass of wine in the middle of the day.  After all, that's what the Italians would do!

Next stop was the Duomo.  The fascinating thing about this church is that it was built with a big hole in its roof, awaiting the development of the technology to erect the dome.  The designers and builders were confident that someone would eventually rise to the challenge, and sure enough, Brunelleschi did.   Construction on the church began in 1296, and the dome was completed in 1436.

Florence's Duomo

The exterior of the actual dome

The interior of Brunelleschi's dome

On the way back to the station Becky and I decided to stop in and see the Church of Santa Maria Novella.  It was beautiful too.

Inside the 13th century Church of Santa Maria Novella

So many altars

More gold than you can shake a stick at

The sacristy - designed and built between the 16th and 17th centuries

Crucifix by Giotto

We hopped the train out to Montevarchi, and the guys ventured out to find the cars.  It took a while to navigate the one-way streets of town to get back to the station and pick us up.   There was a Coop grocery store right next to the station, so we picked up a few things for dinner, and were on our way back to the house.

We had a simple pasta dinner, and tried to use up any leftovers.  Tomorrow we leave beautiful Tuscany.

Emmett and Marco arranging the display

Display of our sampling of local specialties for the week

We'll probably get a "thank you" note from the vintners and brewers association of greater Tuscany.

A day at the house, hiking and laundry

We needed a day to rest and do some laundry, and laundry is a constant project now, at least for some of us.  Our clothes sometimes don't dry completely even on a rather sunny day.  Hair dryers are used more often to dry our clothes, one item at a time, than to dry our hair.

The vineyard, interspersed with olive trees, around the house. Hills of the Chianti region of Tuscany in the background.

A few times we heard roe deer in the field, and they make a funny, hoarse, barking noise.  We saw only one, and it was small compared to our deer at home.

We're at the Coop supermarket every day, it seems, and today was no exception.  I love the shopping cart return plan at stores in Italy and France.  You put a euro in the slot, and it releases a cart.  Then when you're done, you clip the cart back into the line and get your euro back.  Genius!

A picture is worth - well, just a euro in this case.

The guys were fascinated by the wine-making operation at the house.  We were able to purchase some wine and olive oil made by our hosts, and both were great.

A tractor is a must.

Three of our guys checking out the wine production area.  The grape skins are still on the press from last fall's harvest.

The guys walked up the hill and met a local gentleman working in the field.  Communication was limited, but friendly!

Part of the laundry process involves just chilling while our clothes dry.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Dinner was pork roast stuffed with proscuitto and cheese.  Another outstanding meal.

Siena, and chefs come to our house

Another beautiful day and our plan is to see Siena.  It's not too far from the house - maybe a 45-minute drive.

We parked at the train station, since it's not possible to drive in the old part of town.  We thought we'd catch a bus up to the top of the hill - where the old walled city is located.  Instead, we took a series of escalators up.  I think there were 9 of them, and some pretty steep, but it was a great way to get to the top without waiting for the next bus.  And it's free!

Our first stop was the weekly market, where everything from undies to kitchen utensils to fresh flowers and food, and even ready-to-eat foods are for sale.

One of the meat and cheese vendors at the Siena market

Fresh produce at the market

Flowers at the market

The market closes at 1:00, so we spent an hour or so perusing the hundreds of booths.  

I could post a picture of Rick, every single day, standing next to his favorite Italian vehicle, the Ape (ah-pay), a three-wheeled truck that we've seen everywhere.  He's sure we need one on Camano Island, and I think it would be fun too!

  Although Rick loves this little truck, John, a contractor, looks a little skeptical.  How many trips to the dump, during demolition, would this take? 

While we were shopping, we happened to see a Wind (cellphone company) store nearby, and we'd been wanting to buy a SIM card, to use in one of our unlocked phones,  so we would have a working phone for local calls.  We bought a card, and some minutes. The clerk told us it would all be loaded and working in about an hour.  We should have stayed to watch him load everything, but in our rush we didn't.  It seems the clerk may have pocketed most of our money, leaving us with about 5 minutes of call time, instead of the few hours we paid for.  Too bad, but I have to say, this is the only time we were taken advantage of on the whole trip.

After the market, we headed over to Il Campo, the main square in town.  It's a beautiful square surrounded by restaurants and shops.  Every year they host the famous Palio horse race there.  The town is divided into different Contrada, or neighborhoods, and 10 of the 17 are represented in the race each year.  It's a matter of great pride in town, and the different contrada have flags, unique street lamps and colors to represent their group.

What to do, what to do?

Why not just sit down and enjoy it like everyone else?

We had a great lunch, at Caffe Nannini, at the best table on the square.  I thought maybe you'd be tired of seeing another picture of us at a restaurant, so here's one of the view we had from the table.

Restaurant on Il Campo in Siena

The view from our table

After lunch we were off to see the Duomo.  It's very grand and beautiful.

Siena's Duomo, dating back to 1215

Inside, the church is chock-full of paintings, sculpture, stained glass and inlaid-marble floors.

Ceiling of the Piccolomini library

After seeing the Duomo, we headed back through town to the escalators that would take us back down to the parking garage near the train station.  The parking garage is also connected to the Pam grocery store and a mall of other shops.  We picked up a few things at Pam and went down to get the cars.  A local gentleman also checking out at the pay parking machine told us we should have gotten a token at the Pam store, and our parking would be free.  We were too tired to go back up to the store, but parking was only 1 euro and 60 cents for each car for the 4 or 5 hours we'd been here anyway.  What a deal!

Back at the house the guys built a fire in the living room fireplace.  We had hired a chef to come in and cook us a dinner.  This is one of the things RentVillas, the agency where we rented the house, recommends. It was a real treat.  Two ladies, sisters as it turned out, came about 6:30 and started preparing our dinner.  They work with a company called the Malgeri Group, which also offers cooking classes in the area.  The food was wonderful, and we didn't have to lift a finger.  They not only prepared and served everything, but did the dishes too.  The cost was 60 euros per person, which is pretty expensive, but we all enjoyed it thoroughly.

A fire in the fireplace, and Diana Krall on the Ipad, set the tone for our fancy dinner

OK, so maybe I'll try to limit our "at the table" photos to 1 per day.  This is our chef-prepared dinner at the house.

You can't see this very well in the picture, but Marco is all duded out in his sports jacket, making the other guys look like shmucks.  We've been trying to talk them all into wearing scarves, like the Italian men do. That would have helped at our special dinner.

Our second course of chicken breast, with a light gravy-like sauce and drizzled with a balsamic reduction.

Homemade tiramisu for dessert.

We had nice wine served throughout the meal.  One of our favorite antipastis was peccorino and gorgonzola cheeses served with fig jam or honey.  There were 4 or 5 other things served with this course too.  They also made a wonderful creamy risotto with white truffles and cucumbers.  There was also a pasta course.  Homemade tiramisu and then limoncello were served to finish the meal.

We were stuffed, and promised we'd try to fix some of this great meal at home.  Come si dice in Italiano? (How do you say in Italian) - I would like to have dinner at YOUR house?