PISA
My aim with Italy was to get smaller towns in Tuscany and avoid the larger cities. Therefore, Pisa was merely a stopover. In saying that I managed to get a hotel – or more accurately, a dog kennel – that was right across the road from Piazza die Miracoli which is home to numbers 1 to 4 of the top 10 sites to visit in Pisa with, of course, the leaning tower (or the Bell Tower) being numero uno. Now here is an entrant in “what crazy thing can we do to attract tourists (see the longest town name in Wales in the previous story). Build a beautiful bell tower and you may get some interest. Build a bell tower with dodgy planning, footings and workmanship, have it slope out of control and all of a sudden you have an entire industry for this city.
The crowds here are huge. Mind you, the other 3 sites are truly magical as well and worth a look for sure. But I have to say the funniest thing is to watch the people well away from the tower entrust their family on directing them where to stand and hold their hands in order to take a photo of them “holding up” the tower, one that will be taken a million times this year alone. A very entertaining watch.
But this day started very interestingly. I was awoken at 5.40am by Thali ringing from home all excited. She wanted to let me know that her soccer team that she started playing for this year won their first game of the season. She was absolutely pumped and so was I (despite the early hour).
Then, while I ate a very yummy gnocchi with red pesto sauce in a delightful Pisan garden Ethan rang to tell me that he had just scored 128 not out to help his team chase down 250 odd to win. I nearly choked and I did manage a little scream of joy. I was so happy for him.
But then it got sad as I regretted not being able to see either one of them notch up these achievements. I have always seen these type of milestones and now I didn’t. I’m 1000% sure the kids understand and probably think nothing of it but there’s a bit of me that thinks they would have liked me or Katharina to have been there.
And then there is the travelling alone. It’s been 25 years since I’ve had to do that. I thought I’d be fine but not so. My fear of flying has returned big time. My nervousness about getting a cab. My fear of not being able to communicate due to me not knowing any Italian. It was a really trip over for me.
But then I walked down into the Piazza and saw these amazing structures and I wandered streets with gorgeous windows and balconies on the surrounding buildings. Then I sat next to a garden of lavender and ate a beautiful meal. And then I saw these amazing structures again in the golden hour light. I then realised more often than not you need to struggle or work hard to get to see something magical. If it comes to you easily, on a platter, then it may lose some of its glory. The journey, and the struggles of a journey, is very much part of the experience and can most definitely enhance it.
SAN GIOVANNI VALDARNO
Had a little walk around Pisa in the morning before getting a taxi to the train station. Things went well until the train missed the connection in Florence. All good after a mild rush of panic. Got another train which took me there even though it was a little longer.
Struggled to find the hotel for a while but eventually worked it out. Turned out to be a little apartment, a huge step from the pad in Pisa. Nice.
SGV was a tiny town and totally empty when I arrived. What I later found out was that I was witnessing the quiet afternoons that the Italians (among others) are known for. It’s like everyone had left. I had a little wander around and found a few places to get coffee later.
I came to Italy to sit around drinking coffee and chianti on a piazza while watching the world go by. And on day one I was able to do this at a nice café that made very good latte (finally and even sold 0% beers.
Dinner that night was not quite up to expectations but was pleasant enough. Had the planned glass of chianti which was very nice. She threw in a lemoncello for good measure.
Another day of walking around taking photos and I thought I may as well join in and have a snooze in the afternoon. It is a great idea. Went to my café for a coffee and a couple of beers and watched as the piazza slowly came alive.
Later that night I stumbled on a nice restaurant that wasn’t on the main piazza but I could get a good view of it and then proceeded to have the most beautiful evening. The waitress (the daughter of the chef) took pity on me as the menu was in Italian and she kindly went through each dish and explained what they were. I chose the beef, sliced thinly with rosemary. Sooooo good. Had a couple of glasses of wine. Things were pretty slow and despite the protestations of mumma my host chatted with me about all things Italian, especially there in the Arno valley or Valdarno. I could look over at the piazza and see the kids playing and this was 9.30pm by then. In this one meal I ticked off a lot of what I wanted to see.
In the short time I was in SGV I was able to see some of the local characters. There was the old very thin guy who would walk past the outdoor diners asking for money. There was the old lady who would sit drinking coffee at my café until around midday and would then walk home. In the afternoon she would then sit with friends at a different café. At 5 every afternoon a group of elderly men met at the fountain and would talk. The brassy old duck with her dog would come in to the café and say “ciao” very loudly to each person there.
There was a routine in this town, one that involved a lot of coffee and/or wine. But that was only there for something to do because the real reason was to catch up, check in, gossip and generally catch up. I’d be guessing mental health issues among men were not as high as in Australia. They seem to talk a lot more than us. And at one stage I witnessed a heated blue between some younger guys that lasted about 5 minutes. Then the agro yelling morphed into chatting, laughing as if nothing happened.
I am so glad that I ended up here. I wasn’t meant to but it was chosen in a forced change in plans. But here I saw the slower, more traditional Italy and it was so nice. When I told my waitress friend that we have no piazzas in Australia she said “Where do you meet?”. I had to say that it was in the pub. A sad comparison really. One was outdoors where the kids could kick a ball and people could stroll and chat. The other is inside with too much alcohol and the sound of the poker machines swallowing peoples hard earned.
AREZZO
Arezzo saw the continuation of the “watch the world go by” tour, and it did not disappoint. Arezzo is quite unique I think in that their main square or the Piazza Grande is not flat but rather on quite an incline. But this did not detract.
Piazza Grande is a hotch potch of different of different architecture all pieced together in what seemed a random style but it did seem to live in harmony. It actually worked.
The town is much bigger and far busier with tourists than SGV. But like SGV everything stops in the afternoon and slowly starts to get active after 5. I got into a nice routine of visiting tourist sites until just after lunch, going home for a snooze before heading out to the Piazza Grande at 5 for a beer or two, back to the hotel for a shower before going out for dinner about 7.30. I must admit I was enjoying it a lot.
Now my last dinner in Arezzo was one of the most enjoyable evenings so far. I was in a gorgeous little street, old buildings all around, everything I imagined and wished for on this trip. A couple then sat next to me and being Italy by next to me I mean practically on my table they were that close. Anyway, I was enjoying my dinner and 2 glasses of house Chianti when all of a sudden the waitress poured me a glass of the wine my neighbours were drinking. He had requested her to pour a glass “for my new Australian friend”. And boy was it nice. Turns out they out for his partners birthday. But it’s now my 3rd glass!!! We got chatting and had a great laugh. Turns out he was a rugby player, front row and to be honest I could have easily guessed by looking at him. Then, in the spirit of the night, he recommended I try this particular dessert which included this local spirit that was as powerful as rocket fuel – but quite nice. Needless to say I was in quite a state now that I have not drunk for the last 10 years. Serious wobbly boots on. And to top the evening as I went to pay the dessert was not included. My dear friend had agreed to pay. What a legend. What a night. Loved it.
I then went to take some night shots of the town I have enjoyed for the past few nights. However, it was while I was on the shoot that I lost my travellers card. Luckily no spend was on it when I finally realised I’d lost it. Did not deter from the night I had.
Walking the streets of Arezzo was so good. It’s an old city, hundreds of years of history, but the people have continued to live there and these buildings are still used as shops and houses. They didn’t see a need to rip them all down to build modern ones. Instead they adapted the insides and slightly adapted the way that they live. Mind you UNESCO had a part of preserving parts of the city but that was only since about 1998. But it is so nice to see big chunks of these towns are still like they have been for years. Of course, the outskirts of the city are modern and, to be honest, uninspiring, but that’s fine as long as the historical areas remain.
To sit outside with my back to the café and facing the street/piazza/water/whatever has become my go to position for eating and drinking, something we don’t do much in Oz. But I intend to do it wherever and whenever I can. And I’ll blame Europe for it.
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