I think the ladies would have liked to stay in Viareggio this morning as there is a massive street market on the length of the promenade. I'll have to remember that next time.
I drive this morning and become a little confused south of Florence where some of the road numbers are different to what is on my map and sat nav! I know, any excuse for missing a turning! And miss the turning I did!
I come off at the next exit and manage to turn around in the toll area and go back to the exit we require, only losing about 10 minutes.
The road towards San Gimignano (and Siena eventually) is dual carriageway but is a horrible road to drive on because the lanes are narrow with slow lorries and the standard of road is awful with lots of holes and broken tarmac.
The drive from the dual carriageway is lovely through typical Tuscan scenery, the type of countryside seen in pictures and postcards the world over.
We can see San Gimignano from a way off as it sits perched on top of a hill looking down on the whole area.
At 10:30 we arrive at the dropping off area where we are charged €70 for the privelage! Brian drives the coach to the coach park and I walk the group into the town. It is a bit of a climb to the towns entrance and then another climb to the centre but all is worth it once there. It is very hot and sunny today which makes it a bit difficult for some of the group.
San Gimignano is another walled town that is famous for its towers. As each family built a new building and tower the next one had to build a higher one, and so on. It is quite a sight.
The town is quaint with lots of tourist shops selling Chianti wines, wild boar ham, ceramics, pasta and stronger drinks. It has a lovely atmosphere and the main street is a hill up to the centre lined with shops, bars and restaurants.
Near the top I see Barry and Jayne sat outside having a drink so join them for a coffee. What can be nicer than sitting in the sun, outside a cafe in a beautiful Italian town watching the world go by?!
I drop my debit/credit cards while sat here but manage to pick them up before losing any.
In the centre is a market, not as big as the one in Viareggio, but a market still with enough stalls to keep the girls happy and the boys not too much poorer!
Normally you buy a permit here, take the passengers to the drop off/pick up point nearer to the centre and then come back here to park. Today I am told we will have to catch the shuttle bus that supposedly takes us closer to the centre. Am not sure about this but go along with it if makes life easier. From the coach drop off point there is still a 25 minute walk to the centre so this could be a lot better.
It isn't! It is closer but we are dropped at the bottom of a steep hill in the hot sun and I'm not sure where we are exactly. We start to walk up the hill but already some are struggling as I go on ahead to the top of the hill to get my bearings and once at the top realise we are close the the centre and the famous square Il Campo. It is a steep climb though and I walk back down to explain where we are and will meet everyone at the top. The ones struggling I tell to stay where they are and I'll come back for them. So it's back up to the top of the hill to meet everyone else. I explain where we are and where the square is and arrange a meeting point close by as they will never find their way to the coach, which will be in the opposite direction.
After sorting them out I once again walk back down the hill to speak with the others. I call Brian to tell him of our predicament and ask him to arrange a taxi to pick these folks up and take them up to the top. I am not happy! Not happy at all! We have been sent somewhere I don't know and when I asked to be shown on my map where the bus will drop us I was shown a completely different place to this!
The taxi doesn't turn up as I ring back to Brian to find out what is happening. He is told a taxi has been sent but it hasn't been sent here.
We walk back down to the bus stop where there is a cafe. A closed cafe we soon find out! Another bus pulls in and I ask the driver if he could take us to the top of the hill. He won't and says there is an escalator behind us. Why he couldn't take us the couple of hundred yards up the hill I don't know so off we go in search of some moving stairs.
Very close by is an escalator that takes us up a little higher, and then another one, and another and in the end we travel up 5 escalators and come out close by the Duomo (Cathedral) and near to where we walked up the hill. I explain where we are meeting and let the four I have brought up go off in search of shade and lunch.
I have a quick look at the Campo square and it is as magnificent as ever. Famous for the Pallio horse race each year and also featured in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. I really like this part of Siena but haven't the time to explore as I want to make sure I can find my way back to the coach pick up point. It is pretty straightforward through the old town to the San Domenico church and past the football ground to the walls of the citadel and then to where the busses pick up. It takes me 25 minutes each way and by the time I'm back am ready for a drink and something to eat, not to mention a sit down.
I find a small cafe close to the meeting point where I can see everybody without moving, and they can see me. There is also a taxi rank opposite which will prove helpful to the four who couldn't make the hill.
We are due to meet at 16:00 but a few are mingling about earlier and see me sat at the cafe. I explain the way through the town to the San Domenico church and arrange to meet there if they want to go on ahead. It is a nice walk as well with lots of shops and cafes along the way.
There is another English guide organising a couple of taxi's and she kindly books me one as well and I put the four into the cab and send them off to the coach. I linger about at the meeting point waiting with Barry and Jayne when we decide to walk back as I'm sure everyone has begun to go back.
At the church I'm relieved to see they are all there as we carry on to the coach.
It is still very hot as we reach the coach and we're away by 16:30. I drive back which I don't really feel like doing after all of the walking I have done but it is an easy drive once clear of the horrible dual carriageway. We stop for fuel to save a job later and are back at the hotel at 19:00 after a long but good day out. The weather today has been exceptional.
No comments:
Post a Comment