My Driving-Vacation to Tuscany Part 3

Siena

Driving towards Siena, I discovered a nifty feature. When I crossed the middle lane without turning my turn signal on, the departure lane warning system vibrated the steering wheel. It vibrated like my mobile phone. In California, during my regular commute, I witnessed other drivers brushing teeth, putting make up, reading Wall Street Journal, and eating with chopsticks on the highways. Those people will welcome this feature.

Piazza de Campo, the Siena's enormous bowl-shaped piazza, was the best place to relax and do nothing. There were not many things going on but at the same time there were. In relatively mellow afternoon, over a thousand visitors were sun bathing on the cobblestone piazza, eating at open-air restaurants, drinking coffees at espresso bars, and shopping at the stores lining the edges of the piazza.

From a sleepy lounging spirit, this piazza can turn into a very happening, noisy, and hobnobbing place. Once a year, the piazza is turned into a horse race track. Thunders of hooves bounce the Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia brick buildings during the annual famous Palio horse race.

Cortona

Heading towards Cortona, Cortona's medieval architectures and steep narrow streets situated on a hillside are the distinguishing characteristics of this town. A maze of slim alleys filled with delis, bakeries, cappuccino bars, trattorias, fashion and craft stores, and ornate churches greeted us as we entered the fortified town center. At 600 meters above the see level, there were abundant panoramic views from the edges of the city.

We visited the crowded espresso bar in this town that had a sweeping view of the valley. Italian drives fast even on narrow roads. But when it comes to drinking espresso, one will never can find a to-go cup in this region. Everyone stood around an espresso bar conversing and enjoying their coffee between their fast driving. So, those cup holders in Gallardo must have been put in specially for us....


andreas@driving-vacation.com

---

---