Friday in Sansepulcro

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Friday already and it is our last day!

We woke to the sound of heavy rain dancing off the roof and patio. When it rains in Tuscany it doesn't do half measures. We had our plan to visit Sansepulcro so off we set on the same road we had driven back from Anghiari. We are definitely beginning to know our way around this region what with the help of maps and Sat Nav! We were approaching the town and I was reading from the Guide Book that it was the chief industrial town of the area so to be honest we thought a short visit would be enough.

As usual the town turned out to be more catching and the old part remains much the same as in medieval times. It is the town where Pierro de Francesco who painted all the beautiful frescos lived. Certainly there is a lot of modern development rising from the industry and the Buitoni family have a huge factory here and there is a memorial to Giovanni Buitoni himself. Now when I am cooking pasta I will know where it has come from!

We popped into the little church - San Rocco and it was quite plain compared with the many other churches we have seen.

So we were not allowed to park in the car park and the official was not English speaking and so we didn't know why but catching sight of a clamped car in the car park we decided to follow instructions and parked opposite in the shopping mall's park.

We noted a lot of people hanging about and carrying little flags that advertised the Mille Miglia. Jim suggested this might be a bike race so we thought we would check it out.

It turned out to be the Ferrari Tribute 2013 rally! It has been described as the most beautiful race in the world and here we had just arrived just as hundreds of beautiful cars congregated in Sansepulcro! The town drummers dressed in traditional costume and the mayor and other officials were at the archway to the town welcoming the rally drivers from all over the world - not just Farraris but there were so many vintage cars and other makes and models. The atmosphere was lively and friendly and we spent a few hours having lunch and coffees just watching them all go by! It was brilliant. The rain was on and off and we felt so sorry for the open top drivers who looked so damp. I met a lady from England who told me that she and her husband come every year for the event. We learned that one of the celebrities was Daniel Day Lewis but we didn't manage to spot him. There were participants from USA Switzerland Germany, England, Italy France Netherlands and all over.

It was such a surprise and we had a great day and chalked up a good memory of our last day.

We later had a lovely meal in a local restaurant near to Bagnora, recommended by Sandra and Paul. We have tried all sorts of Italian food since we arrived and can't wait to try some cooking out when we get home!

Thanks to Sandra and Paul for providing such an idyllic setting for our honeymoon. We have been touched by Tuscany - the culture, the people, the food and the beautiful scenery and medieval towns. We will be back!

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