Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report We Didn't Drink ALL the Vino! Maitaitom's Italy Uncensored

<b> DAY TEN – THAT’S THE TICKET, AN AWESOME ABBEY, A SIENA SURPRISE AND “MAN, AM I GLAD I’M NOT THAT DRIVER!” </b>

As the others packed, I walked to where I had parked the rental car, so I could drive back to the hotel and help load the car. As I approached, I wondered, “What’s that on the window?” Yep, it was a parking ticket for parking in a “residential only” parking area. In their one minor lapse, the people at the hotel said it was fine for us to park in that area, but obviously the ticket stated otherwise.

The ticket was 35 euros, but by the time I got back to the hotel I decided it wasn’t enough to make a stink about, especially since we loved our time here. It turned out the German guests (who also had a parking ticket) were making stink enough for two. He was getting flustered and talking in rather high decibels, and the girl at the desk called a couple of places to see what she could do to help. I just put my ticket next to theirs on the desk and waited for the eventual outcome.

I had made up my mind while listening to her on the phone that if we had to pay, then we’ll pay. Remember, “Attitude is everything!” Obviously our German friends had a different mindset, because when she got off the phone and softly said, “You both have to pay the ticket,” he picked up the ticket and threw it back on the desk. As his face reddened, he replied (well, kind of yelled) in no uncertain terms he wasn’t paying. He then stormed off (he had another night to stay, so I don’t know how it was resolved, but needless to say his day was pretty much spoiled …not by the ticket, but how it had affected him).

The girl at the desk said she would take it over to the police station and get it paid, and then she apologized again. No problem, we said, and packed the car, which was now even more cluttered thanks to the stuff that Tracy had bought in the lobby (soaps and other beauty stuff) for people who were helping to take care of the house while we were gone. I guess I could have been like the other guest, but why ruin a day over 35 Euros, which would eventually just be tacked on to the dreaded Europcar bill. Kim and Mary were also nice enough to split it with us, so no big deal.

We drove to Siena via the Crete Road. On this road was the Monte Oliveta Maggiore. Nestled in a forest of cypress trees, this abbey turned out to be one of our favorite detours of the trip. The church itself was beautiful, but the frescoes in the loggia that run around the Chiostro Grande were spectacular. We (well, except for Kim who had donned a pair of shorts on this morning), visited all the rooms and received a nice explanation of the place from a docent-type person. Afterward, we visited the on-site pharmacy where herbal medicines made by the monks are sold. I was more interested in the non-herbal Vin Santo they sold, so Tracy grabbed me quickly, and we were on our way.

We made a quick stop in Asciano and the Basilica di Saint’Agata. After walking around town, it was on to Siena.

The Crete Road was interesting to a degree, but it didn’t quite grab me like some of our other previous drives, but I’m sure it was a more interesting drive than the main highway. As we approached Siena, we saw the signs for the Porta Romano, and a couple of blocks before it lay our next hotel, Piccolo Hotel Oliveta. Even though this hotel has received some nice reviews, I am afraid I cannot give it much of a recommendation, if at all.

I’ll give you the plusses first. It is located just outside the walls, has parking and in the evening has spectacular views over the Tuscan countryside. Alexandra is a very nice host who is most accommodating, and they have some interesting tours if you don’t have a car.

On the negative side, the rooms are pretty worn, and the beds were the worst of the trip (not terrible, but not good either). I didn’t so much care that the shower was on one side of the room and the bathroom the other, but some might. Much of the time, the first bursts of water emitted from the faucets had an uncomfortable brown color coming out. It was told to us that this hotel will have a management change in the next 12 -18 months, so no upgrades could be expected during this time. I must admit it was a letdown, but at 125 Euros, you make the call.

Kim, Mary, Tracy and I had based in Siena in 2001, and to be honest were not impressed so much with the town. On that trip, we took trips to San Gimignano and Volterra (which we loved) and spent much of our Siena time at the Palazzo Ravizza hotel, which we also loved. The town just seemed dark and Gothic to us. We had vowed to come back and give it a little more time. I’m glad we did.

We all walked to the Campo, and we ate at two different locales. After lunch on the Campo at the aptly named Ristorante Il Campo (a very good penne pasta with vodka for 9E), Tracy and I hooked up with Kim and Mary to tour the Duomo. This was a special time of year, and the mosaics on the floor of the Duomo (plus you could go in the crypt underneath – which we would do the next day) were there in all their glory for everyone to see. The audioguide was invaluable, and the whole experience turned out to be a terrific surprise. We spent almost two hours in the Duomo.

The most amazing part of the entire place to me was the Librera Piccolomini, which features ten huge frescoes by Pinturicchio and his assistants that cover the ceiling and walls. The audioguide describes each fresco, and it is quite entertaining and enlightening.

Then we went across the street to the Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana (had a combo ticket), which not only had some cool art and statues, but stairs to the top of the “new” Duomo. As always, it was onward and UPWARD. There were some spectacular views, so I knew I had to walk up to the top of the Torre Mangia of the Palazzo Pubblico (and its 503 stairs) before we left Siena. The rest of the group already was coming up with “sore feet” excuses for tomorrow.

Then came a driving experience I was glad I was no part of, except as a bystander. Walking back to the hotel, we got to see a man behind the wheel (looked like a rental car) receive the wrath of many of Siena’s drivers. A befuddled driver (trust me, I know that look also), had strayed into a right hand turn lane, changed his mind, and like Robert Blake, was now attempting to go straight.

He finally was able to maneuver his car so that the many honking cars behind him could get moving and make a right turn on the arrow. For those of you who saw the movie Airplane, you might recall where people on the aircraft line up to attack a whining passenger. The next few moments in Siena reminded us all of that scene.

As cars pulled to the offending driver’s right to ostensibly turn, they would all stop, give him a stare, a hand signal of unknown origin, a flurry of honks of the horn and, finally, an impressive array and barrage of Italian expletives were yelled at the guy. The light for the wrong-lane guy seemed to stay red for an hour as car after car, and driver after driving stopped alongside the hapless man to give him a strong piece of their collective minds.

One “outraged” driver was particularly demonstrative in his actions. He yelled for ten seconds, but to his ultimate chagrin, as he tried to peel away around the corner, he stalled his car. The wrong-lane guy loved that, and when the light turned green, he had a smile from ear to ear knowing he had received the last laugh.

There had been a wedding at our hotel that afternoon, and a large New York contingent from that ceremony was also staying at the hotel. More on them tomorrow. The four of us shared some Prosecco before dinner and then walked back to town later for dinner at Ristorante Nello, which had been recommended by the hotel.

After a while, the owner (Nello) sat at our table, chatted with us and took our order. The menu was an eclectic mix of Asian-Italian, and the food turned out to be quite good. I really enjoyed my cubed beef in a Chianti reduction sauce, served with basmati rice.

After dinner, we walked to Il Campo and bought some delicious cookies on the square. The guy in the shop was handing out free glasses of Grappa. For those who have not tried it, Grappa is alcohol to the third power. If you decide to try it, I do recommend that you not smoke at the same time, or you might become an instant combustible agent.

I had booked four nights at the Piccolo Oliveta, but as the director of Tom’s Tuscan Tours, I sensed the group might be happier if we could make this a shorter stay than our original plan, but what could I do? Fortunately, everything, as it usually does with the right attitude, would turn out great.

<b> TOMORROW – AN AMAZING FIND IN THE HILLS OF CHIANTI, THE STAIRS THAT BROKE OUR FEET AND A FODORITE SIGHTING AT CANE Y GATTO </b>
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