On to Tuscany

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

We left Bergamo and the urban north of the country and headed for sunny Tuscany. Much of our route took us through the mountainous terrain that characterizes the center of the boot, running north to south. As we passed through scores of tunnels, the cloudy skies and flat terrain of the north gave way to sun and rolling green hills. (Other than the lake areas and the old town centers in northern Italy, much of the area is not very attractive and some of the small towns are downright ugly. The scenery in Tuscany is much more interesting. Tom)

We arrived at our home for the week, which is at an agriturismo, just outside of Siena. Some years ago, the Italian government began to bolster family farms by subsidizing the conversion of some of their properties to guest accommodations. We are one of about five apartments on a farm that is situated among olive groves. We have modern appliances and bathroom, a lovely covered patio and a delightful hostess who presented us with gifts of olive oil, pecorino cheese, and red wine – all produced by her family!

We spent a couple of hours in Siena and were amazed at the large number of tourists, mostly European, here on a Wednesday in October.

We were also delighted to discover that we have Internet access here, as well. It’s slow, but better than none at all. (I even got to catch up with Tina Fey’s latest Sarah Palin spoof on SNL, but it was slow going; Thursday night’s debate will be a real test!)

So, we’ve found another comfortable temporary home and we’re well situated to enjoy a week savoring the glories of Tuscany.

Mel and Tom