Day 51 Sienna
Friday January 25th, 2008.
Up this morning at 7am. I work on my blog and do not wake the girls until after 8am. It is a beautiful day – it looks like an early spring morning in CA where it is crisp but you expect t to warm up during the day.
I sing Aria happy birthday I cannot believe she is 14.
We grab our breakfast which is included and decide to take a day trip to San Gimignano (still cannot even begin to fathom how to pronouce it). The hardest part of the drive is getting away from Sienna – the rest is very smooth. Again it feels like driving in the foothills or Napa region in CA but with fortresses always in the distance.
The town is a medieval town with many towers. We enter the main Piazza and walk around. We visit the rocca or remains of the fortress walls. Spectacular views. I can imagine this place being less fun in the peak season with the small roads it could be very crowded. About 50% of the stores are closed and we seem to be sharing the town with a few tourists and locals. I very much enjoy it.
We tried the ATM cards again this morning and they did not work. During the drive Pam tries to contact B of A but the call center is closed. I am trying not to imagine the worst – our accounts have been cleaned out etc.
We have a spectacular true Italian lunch – 4 courses – local wine – the works. It takes a couple of hours – but everything is probably closed now anyways.
One thing I have noticed is as I eat in Italy I get emotional – I look at my family and feel very happy to be with them. Pam talks about Aria being born and recalls her Mom and my grandmother showing up to visit and she leaves the table. I can tell she is going to cry. I also feel some tears forming.
Pam drags us into a museum -it turns out to be a museum of medieval torture – too late I decide to just let the girls absorb it. It is insane the number of different ways and devices that have been conceived. There is actually a dungeon in the museum.
Next we enter the church – free and beautiful - surprising as it was non-descript from outside.
Next the Museum which includes the Torre. Wow – again spectacular views.
ATM cards still not working and back to the plaza I find an open Wi-Fi router and use my iphone to check the accounts. There is money in our account but I see that our house-sitter must have made a withdrawal from Aria's account. That was supposed to be for emergencies and we did not receive any communication from her indicating the need for money. Aria's account is nearly empty – I wonder if the activity in Capitola on the account linked to ours in conjunction with activity in Italy triggered some sort of a fraud alert? We will have to call later. I am just relieved that the balance in our account was what we expected. Aria asks to call the house-sitter to see why she took money from her account - she is very upset and leaves a voice mail.
Pam is able to cash some of our emergency traveler's checks in a bank – thank goodness – so we have a little cash.
On the way out of town Pam buys 3 bottles of local wine for 10 euro – amazing.
The drive back we take a different route – actually drive through a town with some larger industries and more modern buildings – sitting side-by-side with ancient buildings. It feels more familiar. Eventually we make it back to Sienna and find the free parking and walk back to our room.
Pam takes Aria and Allysha out for shopping – Aria wants something for her birthday and I am exhausted. I try to work – too tired instead I work on blogs and then decide to read. Tomorrow or Sunday I will work in the morning and try to get internet access.
Also need to figure out the whole bank thing.
On the way back into the hotel we are asked if we are planning on staying another night – I think so. I guess we will head to Florence when the car is due back so we will not be encumbered in the city with the car. Perhaps we will take another day trip into the country this weekend.
I feel like this part of Italy is a whole different country from Rome and south of Rome. Very similar to the feelings I have comparing LA to Northern CA. I am starting to really enjoy Italy – it is neat to see people living their lives in ancient buildings and towns and the countryside is beautiful - gentle rolling hills with large snow-covered peaks in the distance.
One other observation – Italians are a very well dressed people and their language sounds so beautiful - I really would like to live here to quickly learn the language.
Pam gets a hold of Bank of America and indeed the fraud department had put our cards on hold – hopefully it is now corrected.
