italy part 3: under the tuscan sun... and evil traffic cameras

Lamporecchio: Wednesday, October 24 - Friday, October 26, 2012 

Accommodations: The "old stone house in Tuscany," aka the house that started this whole trip :) I've dreamed of going to Tuscany for years and this house was the perfect spot to make that dream come true! The views of the Tuscan hills from the patio were amazing and the house itself was beautiful. Each room has its own bathroom, is very clean/comfortable and is decorated with artwork our hosts Giacomo and Rolly have collected on their travels. Giacomo and Rolly were great, very communicative hosts both before and during our stay. And we even had the opportunity to sample some of Giacomo's cooking one evening with a few of the other guests staying at the house, which was delicious, and also convenient since there are only a few restaurants in the nearby towns.

Day 8:
Our day started in Florence, with most of it spent waiting and waiting and waiting in the Hertz Rental Car office for the two people working (slowly) to help the 10+ American tourists arriving at 11am with both checking in (argh... Italy apparently hasn't learned about the mobile device check-ins we have in the US that take 30 seconds in a parking lot) and out cars. Once I finally got our keys, we hooked up the GPS and attempted to follow it to the A11 Autostrada, which was the first step on the directions Giacomo had given us for the northern route to the Tuscan house. The GPS decided to take us the southern route, which didn't have tolls. But once I finally found what appeared to be a freeway, I felt okay. And the southern route meant we ended up going through the town of Vinci, where Leonardo di Vinci was born. We also ended up eating lunch in the #1 rated restaurant in Vinci -- il Ristoro Del Museo -- by default... it was the only place we could find open ... at 1:45pm! I had a salad and pasta arribiatta, which was actually spicy! Very good food, and nice service, even though the woman/owner spoke very little English.

Here was my view during lunch. Ahhh....

My view of the Tuscan Hills during lunch at il Ristoro del Museo.

Rows and rows of olive trees in Vinci.

LIZARD! (An Italian one, on the side of the road in Vinci)

Once we finished lunch, we headed farther up the hill and finally found the correct white stone driveway with the nasty left turn (that I stalled the manual transmission on the first time up ;) that led to the "old stone house." Giacomo came out to greet us in the front, and then gave us a tour. In person, the house was very different than I'd pictured from online. The house is a perfect square, split in half. Giacomo and Rolly live in the front half, and then the back half is four stories with the communal kitchen on the lower level, and then a staircase going up the middle of the house, with two bedrooms, one on each side of the staircase, on the next three levels. Right outside the backdoor is a long patio to sit on and enjoy the view (the view I'd been waiting five years for!) and then a beautiful, moss-covered stone stairway up to the swimming pool, which we didn't use since it was a bit chilly, but would be wonderful and amazing in July I'm sure.

The view from the back patio of the "old stone house in Tuscany"

We spent the rest of the afternoon resting and using the free wi-fi in the lounge next to the kitchen, as well as meeting the four other guests staying at the house, Pat and Lynne from San Francisco and Jeannie and Frank from Utah, who were nice enough to tell us that the restaurant at bottom of the hill wasn't open on Wednesday and Thursday. So we had to change our dinner plans. Back to Vinci we drove (in the dark, on a tiny Italian mountain road!), where we ended up at Ristorante Leonardo... again because it was actually open at 7pm. We were the second customers there. But by the time we left, it was about two thirds full, with what I'm guessing were mostly local regulars, since the two old men sitting next to us walked right in and over to the table like they owned it, and another group of guys walked in and the waitress brought them a round of drinks without even taking their order. I had a pasta and a lonely piece of chicken (literally, it was one boneless, slightly breaded chicken breast on a plate, that's it) that were okay. No wine since I had to drive back on the dark mountain road. 

Day 9: 

The day started out beautifully, with the sun rising over the gorgeous valley. I got up and dressed and went to take a lot of photos. Here are just a few of them:

The old stone house on Thursday morning.
That window with the shutters was the room we stayed in "Peace."

Thursday morning view of the Tuscan valley.

One of my favorite photos I took on the trip.
The moss-covered stairs up to the pool with the morning sun shining down.

Once Mom was ready, we decided to head down the hill in the opposite direction from whence we came and have lunch at a restaurant Rolly recommended in an old town called Pistoia, and then head to Lucca, another old medieval town. The ride down the hill was gorgeous, but kinda scary cuz Italian drivers are crazy and don't seem to think slowing down around tight mountain curves is a smart idea. But we did okay, and even pulled over at one point to take more photos of the pretty hills:

Tuscan hills outside of Pistoia

Pretty green hills!

Once we got to Pistoia, then the fun (please read that with Kim's sarcastic voice and eyes rolling in your mind) began. The GPS was trying to find the restaurant, which we'd later learn wasn't reachable by car, as it was in the middle of a square surrounded by tiny medieval cobblestone streets. We tried to find the train station and park there as recommended by Rolly, but I could only see 15-minute parking. Mom said to go one way and look for a bigger lot. The GPS kept trying to take me to the restaurant. I was trying to find street parking closer to the restaurant. Around and around down little streets we drove in mid-day traffic. Before I knew it, I saw it... the evil sign I'd been warned of by Trip Adviser... the "zono limitado" sign. And it was too late. I was in the "zono." I panicked and tried to get out. Hoping there were no cameras. Got out. Drove around some more, still looking for parking. AHH! I drove into another one but there was nowhere else to go/I had no alternative, and this time I saw the evil traffic camera hanging over the street. This is the point where Mom and I had our first and only tiff of the trip. Stressed Out/Pissed Off Kim and Backseat Driver Mom do not make a good combo. Luckily my mom knows me well and just stopped talking. I finally found a parking spot and managed to figure out (or so I thought) the Italian parking meter. Thought I put in 2 hours of coins, got a ticket out saying 1:20. Argh. Whatever.

We eventually found the restaurant after wandering around and mom finally showing the business card for the restaurant to a storekeeper who spoke no English but pointed us in the correct direction. We arrived at La Bottegaia just as it was opening at noon. We were the first customers again. And after all that, upon sitting down, I wished we'd actually looked at the menu before beginning this whole ordeal. They had a lot of meats I don't eat... like rabbit and veal and lamb. (Note: I don't eat baby animals or animals my 4-year-old next door neighbor Josie has as a pet.) Mom got one of those animals I think. I had a side salad and prosciutto with artichokes in oil -- aka what will end up being the most expensive meal of my lifetime by the time my "zono limitado" 100 euro traffic ticket(s) find me in America 2-12 months from now. Ugh.

What will end up being the most expensive meal of the trip, if not my life. Sad. 

Needless to say, at lunch we decided not to continue on to Lucca, opting instead to spend an exciting afternoon searching for a supermarket to buy food for breakfast and then doing laundry. Oh, and we also stopped for more strawberry gelato in Vinci, where I picked up an Italian real estate listings book (because someone keeps telling me I should buy a villa ;) 

That evening, we, Jeannie and Frank paid Giacomo to cook for us. He made a delicious meal starting with a grilled, seasoned eggplant on a bed of toasted bread and "rocket salad." I don't normally like eggplant, but this was delish! For the main course, he prepared a giant bowl of green fettuccine with prawns, tomatoes and parmesan with a great chianti. Then for dessert, we had an apple/raisin torte and sweet dessert wine. It was a great meal and fun time talking with the other guests. It was also great to not have to get in the car again and go find a restaurant that was open ;)

Day 10:

Woke up to rain on our final day at the old stone house and was very happy we didn't leave our laundry outside overnight to dry ;) Check out time was noon, so we had a lazy morning eating breakfast and packing. We ended up leaving at about 11:40, which was a very good thing because as soon as we made it down the hill and through Empoli back to the autostrada to Florence, it was shut down about a mile later. Ahhh! We were diverted off the freeway into a town I had no clue about. I decided to follow the truckers in front of us, who led us through the town to a road by a river and then we ended up in a very small town with one main street that only one direction of traffic could fit through at once. Our 40 minute drive back to Florence ended up taking two hours and 20 minutes. Luckily, we made it back in time to return the evil rental car and make our 3:25 train to Venice. But sadly, between the "zono limitados" and the freeways being shut down, driving in Tuscany completely ruined my grand plan to have a relaxing time in Tuscany. It was beautiful, but the only way I will ever return will be on a tour bus with someone else driving.