FOUR PEAKS.

Or. A failure to Blog.

We were not going to blog today as we had planned to go off on the local bus to the famous mountain top town of San Gimignano. Only 25kms away and E6.80 and a must see according to the Lonely Planet guide and just about every other travel site you care to name. We planned to take the 9.30am bus and be there all of the day and back too late to blog.

Why the bus took more than an hour only became clear after we departed. A larger type bus, but, and here is a business opportunity for any budding entrepreneur, entirely devoid of that, common but much overlooked, and “hard to plonounce” in English. Suspension. I know it is a novel concept consisting as it does of a sealed tube filled with a hydro-elastic fluid, such as only modern scientist like Leonardo, ever conceived. But I digress, the other modern convenience on newer road vehicles is a thing called a “steering”  it is very useful in keeping a conveyance in something like a straight line and is a most useful aide in negotiating “bends in the road”, avoiding, “on coming traffic” and being able to detour around, “pedestrians”. ( A pedestrian is a foolish individual with a death wish that is sometimes seen on Italian mountain roads)

Two hours after we left Sienna we arrived at the hilltop town, surrounded by its medieval wall, a complete nervous wreck. (That is Ilze and I, not the medieval wall.)

The view out across the Tuscan countryside was worth the trip alone. It was just as well as inside is just plain Disneyland. My advice to you is not to bother. The buildings are stone, old and cute but it is not a living and working town like Sienna, it could just as easily have been a fibre glass replica. Every building was either a souvenir shop, a bistro, pizza shop or a museum that wanted E5.00 to get in. Having finally found the information centre, (next to the WC, .50E to get in and closed,)we decided to follow the walk around the old town walls. That sounded good, great views and what could go wrong.. Well you have to leave the town after finding the way out and walk around the base of the walls which led back to the bus stop and as there was a bus there, we left to go home and do the laundry.

The trip home was worse, the bus was in better condition, but this enabled it to hurtle around the roads at horrendous speeds, I have video that will make your eyes water.

Returning home we took the laundry down to the coin operated thingy and then retreated to a nearby bar for a “soothing ale” and a bag of crisps. Then came the highlight of the day. Not the place but the people, it is Halloween, and opposite the bar, costumed children and their parents were gathering before processing off towards the Duomo. Every costume handmade, not a plastic mask insight and shrieks of delight from the kids as each newcomer turned up. No camera alas. Took the washing home and then at 7.15pm went to the nearby, highly recommended restaurant that we had been saving for best. SHUT. Doesn’t open till 7.30pm. Stuff this for a lark, Pizza again and back home early enough to blog.

Pete.

OH, why Four Peaks?

We know it’s the famous Bright Four Peaks this weekend. Mystic, Feathertop, Buffalo and Hotham.

But we’ve done San Gimignano (386M) up and down, Sienna (374m) twice and the marble staircase, eight times.

I want my Mum.

It’s off to Florence and Lucca tomorrow and we know that they are flat.