Siena Day 3 (Pienza & Montalcino)

We're driving today! How fun. After another slow breakfast, we pickup a rental car from Avis, a 10 minute walk from the apartment as usual. I forget what category of car we requested but it's a nifty little VW! This model is a T-Roc. Plenty spacious for us and actually a really smooth drive! We experienced many...I won't call them potholes, but let's say rough spots, and it felt great (as the driver, at least).

Driving in Italy is actually quite easy when you know where you're going. That's very important. At least when we're trying to get somewhere specific. Luckily their navigation systems in the cars are fantastic and make it so much easier to get where we want to go. The navigation lady - in British English - says "please"! How polite of her. Google maps at home is so demanding.

I've never driven through so many traffic circles before, I think we went through 11 just to drive an hour. I don't know if that sounds like a like a lot but seems like a lot to me! Also, oddly, the speed limits are as slow as driving in Hawaii, if not actually slower, which I wasn't expecting. For example, most of the drive when not on the freeway is 50kmh (kilometers per hour). Convert that to mph? 31. Yes...and it felt every bit as slow as it sounds. And unfortunately most of those roads are single lane so drivers stuck behind me can't pass. Aside from that though, easy peasy!

Anyway, fun driving times aside, we're side tripping to Pienza. It's about an hour south from Siena through some very...very winding roads. Even as the driver I was feeling nauseous. But the countryside is beautiful, grape vines and olive trees lining the rolling green hillsides.

We make it safely to Pienza and find free parking at an episcopal seminary. I was hesitant at first to park there but we followed the "P" signs right to it and there were other cars there so...gotta trust in the signs! Italy is actually very good with their road signs so it's easier to trust than at home.

The walk right out from the seminary driveway...just wow. I'm not sure what area we're overlooking but I don't care in that moment because that view is breathtaking.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/44c600_c38795339a28454e89f5a3db50da9b3d/360p/mp4/file.mp4

Walking along the stone wall leads to the town. It's a very small town and thankfully very quiet today, as well.

Meandering the streets and through the piazza, it's time to find a restaurant for lunch. Mom had looked at Osteria Sette di Vino the other day so we head there for lunch. It's a very small restaurant at another little piazza. We get there right as they open and snag a table indoors.

They have a small menu and serve traditional fare, no pizza or pasta here! Mom and I both order the zuppa di pane e fagioli (white bean and bread soup), and rucola e pecorino (arugula salad with pecorino cheese) and ceci al rosmarino (chickpeas with rosemary) for dad. The flavors, although simple, were very good and a nice change from pizza and pasta. And yes, they give you the salad un-dressed but put olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper on the table for you to dress yourself. Salads are not really a thing here...yesterday dad's salad was just a bowl of iceberg lettuce with shaved carrot. So arugula with pecorino was a nice upgrade.

After lunch we make our way back down the street to a cheese shop mom saw and wanted to go into, but unfortunately they are already closed. Most stores will close for a couple hours for siesta and may or may not open again afterwards so it's best to shop before lunch. We should follow our own advice next time. Passing the cheese shops, we continue on and explore a little more of the town.

Since almost all the shops are closed at this point, it's goodbye to Pienza. It's still early in the afternoon so we now head towards Montalcino which is 30 minutes away and another very small town. I don't think we even found a piazza, just many many wine shops. The one ceramic shop we strolled past was sadly closed so it was a quick in-and-out at Montalcino. But it was a quiet and picturesque town so enjoyable to stroll through.

Now back home! Mom caught a germ so she hangs back while dad and I stop at the store for more provisions. And it's already nearing dinnertime when we get back so I walk down the street to pickup pizza. Repeat from Chianti & Pizza. Delicious.

And now time to rest.

Ciao!