Day Two of Two Days in Tuscany

Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far

Oct 01 ~ Day #144	Budget to date	Spent today	Total to date	Daily average
Total	$14400	$73.79	$12153.52	$84.40
Miles by Road	Miles by Sea	Miles by Air	Miles by Train	Total Miles
14604+77=14681	4515.8	5966	119	25281.8

Current Location: Farmhouse IL Fienile, Montepulciano, Italy

Today’s Total Expenses: $73.79

Accommodation: $53.18
Food: $20.61
Consisting of:
Sandwich: $8.03 (€6.00)
Gelato: $3.21 (€2.40)
Pizza: $9.37 (€7.00)

Miles Traveled Today:
Road Miles: 77 (Montepulciano to Siena and back)

Day Trip to Siena

Today was a day trip into the city of Siena. An old walled city that is popular with tourists.

Churches & Piazzas

We spent many hours wandering the narrow and cobbled streets of Siena. It seemed like every turn rewarded us with an ornate church or cathedral. And, if not, then it would widen out to a busy piazza.

Even though the day was rainy off and on, it certainly didn’t damper our spirits or the joy of discovery.

Exploring the city was like trying to get around a maze and we ran across other tourists, who even had a map, that we also getting lost quite regularly.

We just took it all in stride and eventually came upon places we were familiar with and we able to see how to get back to places we wanted to be.

Charging for the WC

Most places around the world have their own names for a public toilet. In Europe it’s usually WC (short to water closet).

After having a sandwich and some water for lunch, we started to look around for a WC. The only thing we could find was one, in an underground plaza, that was charging €0.50 per person.

As things weren’t yet desperate, we though we’d look around a little more, but found nothing else.

So, it was back to the one that charged and we paid the price.

Italian Gelato

As we and our traveling companions, T & E, had decided to explore Siena separately, we had picked a meeting place and time, near where the car was parked, for when we were going to leave.

Conveniently, it was right a little concession stand selling snacks, coffee and gelato.

We arrive a little early at the meeting place and decided to sit down and enjoy a little gelato. It was wonderful! I had espresso flavor and Geoff had a refreshing lemon flavor.

The concession stand was directly in front of a section of the old castle. We had been in their earlier and it was being set up for some type of event.

However, climbing the stairs to the top of the wall gave a great view of the entire city of Siena.

Octoberfest in Italy?

Apparently what they had been setting up for earlier was an Octoberfest event.

T & E had attended the event and we met up with them as they were exiting the event and walking towards where we were enjoying our gelatos.

It was then back to the car and off for more exploring on the way back to the farmhouse.

San Giovanni D’asso

We stopped for a quick visit at the town of San Giovanni D’asso, protected by a large, ancient castle.

Greek Bronze Furnace Reproduction

Another stop along the way brought us to a small village that way, apparently, populated with artists and artisans for at least part of the year. Currently it looked pretty deserted.

As the entrance to the ancient-looking stone town was a reproduction, or so the sign said, of a Greek bronze furnace.

But, our time was short if we want to get back to the farmhouse before dark, so we didn’t spend much time here.

Pizza & Wine for Dinner

It was decided, before heading back to the farmhouse, that we would stop in Montepulciano and get some pizza and wine for dinner.

We ordered two different types of pizza, enough to do the four of us, and picked up a couple of bottles of wine.

When we returned to the farmhouse we enjoyed the pizza, wine and conversation in front of a roaring fire that Geoff had built in the old stone fireplace.