|
17 May: Cannes (Villenueva-Boulot), France
Spent far too much time getting a hotel room. Left Hyeres early in the morning and drove along the coast (through N98 again) through the Cannes, where the film festival is taking place. Beyond nuts. A billion people, many of them wearing tags and badges, others simply gawking. A large number of film posters... A LARGE number of film posters.
After striking out online in Antibes, and then at a couple of the places that seemed to have rooms, we finally found a B&B that had a room left in Villeneuve, which is quite close to Antibes. This wasn't the cool one with a loft, it was a converted normal hotel. But it had one big bed and one twin with a really big bathroom with an honest-to-goodness shower. This one even has a pool, which is quite nice.
So we only traveled less than 100km today, but with the big drive ahead, I didn't want to dither around. After getting the hotel room we were going to drive to the coast so it started to rain. We went back to the hotel room and Stacey took a nap. Whilst sleeping, I went out and got some pizzas from the place across from the really cool Etap we stayed at in Antibes. I got very lost on the way there, but once there I got the pizzas and tried to get a phone card to get a room. No phone card anywhere near, but they sell them at the front desk of the B&B. Then sleep, blessed sleep.
18 May: Siena, Italy
Long Drive. Drove along the coast to Menton (through Monaco) along the cool low road, and then into Italy. After a ridiculously convoluted way to the autostrada, we headed out. A relatively uneventful drive, but the section right around Genova (Genoa) is a complete nightmare. Narrow lanes merging with lots of people who view the dashed lane markers as suggestions. I also was driving quite poorly due to the bad visibility. It was a very clear day, but this part of the road is heavily tunneled, so you go from tunnel to bridge to tunnel for about 100km. Leave your sunglasses on and you can't see in the tunnel. Take them off and you get blinded on the bridges. Oh well.
Finally get to Siena and it turns out that our reserved hotel, Hotel Santa Caterina, (which is great for drivers) is impossible to find. After numerous wrong turns and lots of stress, we go back to the beginning and start driving again from the northern Siena exit. Turns out it directs us right back to the western exit we got off at in the first place (but should have made a right turn). Turns out the hotel is on a corner with no parking in sight, except some pay stuff a little further on. After a couple U turns and more frustration, I pretty much block an entire sidewalk in front of the hotel and let Stacey out. Whilst I stew, Stacey is in there with the receptionist.
I'll let Stacey fill in the details on this section later (Too funny)
So I drop off the bags and try and find a free parking place. I give up and try and U turn, and after almost taking out a scooter that I totally didn't see, I park at the pay place a little up the road and say, "Screw it!" I walk to the front desk to get change for my 1000 lira bill for the meter. I see Stacey all happy (which is nice), and then back to the car to pay. Back in the hotel I walk up to the attic. Not as small as Mont Sant, but quite cosy and nice. The bathrooms a riot, the whole thing is a shower (no curtain, just a drain). I sit down, fill up from the huge bottle of Coke-Light, and eat some crackers.
Back downstairs, I ask Lorenza for parking for the next night, my passport (she gave it to Stacey), and internet access. I got the parking, and internet access she said there was one on the main road, but offered her own computer for checking email. Still overwhelmed by her graciousness, I gracefully declined. I went back to the room, sat down, and marveled at the view of the wonderful garden and the flowing Tuscan hills.
After a nice reset, we went downstairs and asked for a map. As she got a map, she asked for instruction from the Mexican-American gentlemen next to us concerning Spanish greetings (Buenas Tardes). While getting us the map, she asked if we wanted any dinner. Stacey asked for recommendataions, and whilst a large group of English speakers watched, she in great detail explained her two favorite establishments. She is soooo awesome.
We walked up toward the main square planning on eating, but first we hit an internet cafe and after that we were kinda tired and didn't feel like eating. We walked back to the hotel, got a longer stay at the parking meter, and slept.
19 May: Siena, Italy
Figured out how to use the shower. The entire bathroom is a shower and the height is about 6 foot (about 3.5 inches too short). Placed a towel over the toilet paper and did the best job I could. It's actually quite efficient because you keep the water turned off when you aren't using it to keep it from getting everywhere. But with this location and staff, I'll pay half the usual rate to get this double. I highly recommend staying here (imagine if I was staying in a big room).
Then we went down to breakfast. Wow. The garden outside is beautiful with the early morning spreading over the Tuscan hills. Good spread, too. Meat, cheese, yoghurt, fruit, cereal, and blood orange juice. I now know that I don't like blood orange juice. We lounged for a while just taking in the view. A nice Asian couple from Seattle asked us if we wanted our picture taken, and we did and reciprocated (or at least Stacey did).
We then completed the walk towards the main square. Il Campo is beautiful. A semicircle paved in 9 sections starting at the Fountain of Joy and ending at a gutter in front of a gigantic 102m tower next to the public palace. Siena, in its heyday, was a republic, with 9 people running the city. The main magistrate couldn't leave the public palace so it has a porch which overlooks the tuscan countryside (and a large number of their possesions).
We bought the 18.000 lira ticket to the palace (which is a museum now) and the tower. The climb up the tower was very narrow to the first floor. On the first floor on both sides of the wall were translations into about 70 different languages of text explaining the size and use of the tower. I took a picture of one of the walls because I love that kind of thing. The climb up the tower was narrow with lots of people huddling in the corner to let other people pass. Once up to the top, you are rewarded with a series of heights corresponding to different bells. The views from each of these are stunning. You get a good view of the Duomo from here, with its large black and white tower. We took many pictures. On the way down I got in some peoples way and tried to tailor my "excuse me" to their language. I used German, Italian, and French. But not English.
After recovering our breath, we went into the museum. We invested in the 10.000Lira audio guide, which was quite worth it. This was the most beautiful non-eclesiatical/non-monarchial building I've seen. Lots of wonderful frescos, lots of cool chandeliers, all things Gothic. Then we went out into the square.
There was a rally called the 1000 Miglia going on this day, and this was the day to drive through Siena. It's a few dozen open cockpit cars racing in stages around Italy. Between 12:30 and 2:30, the cars traveled through Il Campo (with a nice police escort). However, before this procession, a bunch of dolled-up cars filled with college kids bowled through. They were all dressed up with capes. Evidently this is the graduation day or something like that for the university. Siena seemed to be a fairly university town (like Pisa earlier), so I liked it a lot. The guys from both 1000 Miglia and the college were everywhere today.
We got some awesome gelato in the square and pretty much just hung out.
Back to the hotel and ate at the recommended restaurant, which was quite good.
BTW, that brother/sister from Stacey's portion kept following us around today.
20 May: Siena, Italy
Meet Katie and her family. Drove to SW of Siena
21 May: Chianti, Italy
Drove around Chianti. Dirtied up the car pretty badly. Lots of rain. Washed the car and collapsed.
22 May: Pisa, Italy
Drove from Siena to Pisa (via autostrada). Saw the field of miracles, the tower, the duomo, the baptistery (with the singing security guard), the campostile (which was wonderful), and the museo del Sinopie (the rough drawings underneath the frescos, of which surprisingly many survive). Ate at the same restaurant I ate at last time. Drove back to the hotel and drank the wine Katie gave us (thanks Katie).
23 May: Florence, Italy
Drove from Siena into Florence. After trying to find parking, we kinda gave up and parked behind the train station. We tried to take it easy today, but we saw one hell of a lot. Started in the duomo, which is remarkably plain except for the ceiling and Brunelleschi's dome. Then some gelato, then the Palazzo Vecchio, then the Uffizi (lost on me), then the Ponte Vecchio, then back to Siena. But the attitude made it easy.
|
