On to Tuscany

Today was a travel day.  We checked out of Arco del Lauro B&B, said goodbye to Daniella, and took a cab to Hertz to pick up our rental car.  When we got there they told us they were expecting us yesterday and were not sure they had a car big enough for us and our luggage!  Hubby realized he booked the car for three days instead of two (thus the higher cost...). Oh well, at least we got wheels (Fiat Panda) and could still return it in Venice on Friday.

The Fiat Panda was tiny and we couldn't fit all the luggage in trunk.  So we shared the back seat with our carry-on bags!  It was also a gas model so very underpowered.  Hubby did not enjoy driving it!

We followed the maps to Civita di Bagnoregio and ended up going the scenic twisty route.  But what a spectacular place!  It's perched high on a hill and accessible by a pedestrian bridge.  Great workout before lunch!  We walked the entire tiny town where, according to Rick Steves, no one actually resides anymore and only got running water after WWII.  There were a goodly number of other tourists and several cafes to choose from for our late lunch.  We ended up at La Cantina and all really enjoyed our meals.  Also enjoyed the cute cats hanging around looking for scraps.

We meandered around until the church opened for the afternoon at 3pm then toured it really quickly as there was not much to see inside. 

 

 

We left cute Civita di Bagnoregio for our drive to San Gimigniano.We tried our best to follow the google maps directions but ended up on twisty, windy slow roads. By time we made it to the Villa Bacciolo B&B near San Gimigniano, we were all tired and famished, and I was a little dizzy. The receptionist, Carla, said we took the not recommended route because it takes longer and is windy. She explained how to get to Siena where we were headed the next day.

We deposited our bags in our rooms then hightailed it to the beautiful garden patio and sat there drinking wine and beer and enjoying the fabulous views. We decided to use a cab service for the evening and not risk getting stopped for drinking and driving. The round trip cost 30Euro.

We got into San Gimigniano in the early evening. It's a really cute town but we were disappointed that the public bathrooms were already closed so we ended up on the far end at a cafe/bar where we had drinks and used the facilities.

We had made reservations for 9pm at Le Vecchie Mura when we first arrived in San Gimigniano so slowly made our way there for dinner. Hubby and brother-in-law enjoyed their meals more than I did--my cacio e pepe was seriously lacking cacio! I liked the restaurant though; it was both modern and cozy, and the staff did their jobs. We went to the main square for gelato before meeting the cab at 11pm for our trip back to the B&B.