camanoescape – The Wagnerson's Travel Adventures

As our time in Tuscany drew to a close, we never made it onto a hot air balloon over the Tuscan countryside.  There were thunderstorms most of our remaining days there and apparently that is not conducive for hot air ballooning.  We spent some good times with Irene Gren, our Italian host in the village of Pergine Valdarno.  She and her younger brother Eduardo, have launched a new sort of Tuscany tour experience for newcomers staying with them in one of their multiple VRBO locations in the village.  That endeavor seems to be going well for them.  She said for experienced Tuscan travelers like the Wagnersons, it probably is not the sort of thing that we would be looking for.  Irene filled us in on the history of the village and the various homes and buildings in the town.  The villa where we’ve been staying on this trip (Villa Fracassini) used to be the village landowner’s home.  It was the only home in the town that had an internal water well dug so that fresh water could be obtained without needing to go outside to the town well.  The separate villa where we stayed the two previous times we’ve been to Tuscany was the home of the person who tended the vineyard in the town, called Casa di Vignolo.

On Wednesday morning, May 17th, we said our goodbyes to Irene as we left Villa Fracassini in Pergine Valdarno, our home for the past eleven days.  We would be traveling back to Rome today and turn in the rental car in the late afternoon at Rome’s main airport.  Before doing that, the new order of the day was to return to one our favorite restaurants in Tuscany, La Solita Zuppa (or Zuppa’s as we’ve come to know it) in the town of Chiusi.  We have already eaten there on two separate occasions so far this trip and we wanted to squeeze in one more visit.  They make the most delicious soups you’ve ever tasted and their offerings for primi (first course and usually pasta) and secondi (the second or main course consisting of beef, pork or chicken) are nothing short of amazing.  We stopped at a designated parking area in the town and walked into the historic center on our way to Zuppa’s.  As we came into the restaurant, the restaurant owner stopped his conversation he was having with two people at the front counter.  “I’ve been talking about you guys.” he explained as he greeted and welcomed us to come on inside.  His wife seated us and we then spent the next two hours visiting with them, Andrea and Lorella, the proprietor and his wife.  The six of us exchanged family stories and photos and even invitations to visit.  We bid farewell, with hugs and Italian two-sided kisses (?) and as we walked away, it dawned on the four of us that we had just experienced perhaps the most wonderful capper to our Italian vacation.

Climbing back into our rental car, we proceeded to drive for the next hour and a half through a monsoon thunderstorm all the way back into Rome.  Doug “Mario Andretti” Anderson negotiated the Italian autobahn through the driving rain as if first place in the Indianapolis 500 was at stake in our quest to reach Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci airport.  No accidents, further flat tires, or breakdowns occurred, and we turned in the rental.  In not time at all we found ourselves in our hotel near the airport as we readied ourselves for the sprint home the next day (Thursday) that would begin at 3:30 a.m. in the morning (6:30 p.m. Wednesday back home).  Our flights back home followed the way we arrived in Italy…Rome to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Seattle, take the airporter shuttle from Seatac to the Stanwood exit.  Thanks to Jose and those involved for depositing our car sometime on Thursday at the Stanwood park and ride, so when the shuttle dropped us off at the Stanwood exit, it was a simple walk to our car where we loaded up our luggage and drove home to our Pacific Northwest paradise in Elger Bay.  What a glorious day to return: sunny, 65 degrees and a gray whale feeding for over three hours just off the deck in front of our home.  What Dorothy told Toto in the Wizard of Oz, is certainly appropriate here,  “There is no place like home!”

The Wagnerson’s Italy 2018 adventure is now complete.  We explored, laughed, sampled, relaxed, reflected, and on some occasions, endured.  We are getting older.  That fact became apparent as the trip progressed.  Indeed, we found the spirit was more than willing, but the flesh more often than not, was weak.  That was just a fact of life we incorporated into this adventure.  I looked at the conclusion of the Wagnerson’s first adventure to Italy in 2013 and I think perhaps it is fitting to repeat a portion of that conclusion here as a summary of Italy 2018.  “For Lynda and me, this truly was a dream trip.  That we could undertake it and experience it with our lifelong friends Doug and Barb is again the stuff that dreams are made of.  When you spend 32 days alongside of anyone…friend or foe…..night and day, that time together will usually give you your fill of that person and you’re ready for a break.  I don’t know if it is a reflection of the Stockholm Syndrome at work among us (where you become friends with your kidnappers) or if we really do like each other so much, but from Day One to Day Thirty-two, the four of us got along great and at the end of the trip….we still really like each other.  And THAT I submit is another amazing fact!  Thanks to all who watched our travels through this blog, and thanks for all of those comments.  We talked about all of them and laughed along with you. 

Finally, Proverbs tells us that “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth up the bones.”  There were no broken or dried up bones on this trip …..but there was a lot of laughter.  A LOT of laughter.  With our best friends.  We are so blessed!!!!”   Yes indeed!

Best for last

We have had a great trip. We always do. In each trip there seems to be that one special gem that shines above the rest. For this trip it came at the very end.
Sunday was Mother’s Day and we had planned to celebrate it with a hot air balloon ride over Tuscany. How amazing would that be? Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate and so there we were all dressed up and no place to go. We didn’t seem to be able to regroup.
We made a late breakfast. We read. We did a little laundry. The day slowly slipped away all the while us feeling a little restless. We maybe wanted to do something but not really a big outing
Finally by late afternoon/early evening we decided to go try a new restaurant we had read about. It was nearby and we had to eat.
We punched the info into the navigation system and off we went. We started out on familiar roads but when we made a severe right turn in an unfamiliar town we began to question our navigator. We wound through extremely narrow streets with tight turns until we found ourselves headed out of town on a narrow dirt road leading up into the hills. The road got narrower and windier as we continued to climb. Oh boy, this was looking like another Wagnerson adventure.
Just about the time we began to consider turning back we saw the familiar stone wall of a Tuscan hilltop town. A very small town. We were to find out later that the town of Duddova boasts only 20 residents
We parked the car tight up against a 1000 year old stone wall leaving barely enough room for another vehicle to get by. And I mean barely.
We walked up to the restaurant where there was a couple sitting outside with a glass of wine checking us out as we go by. Not being rude, just people watchers like ourselves. Inside Leonardo greeted us warmly and asked us if we were there to eat. When we said yes he seated us at the only table we saw. From that moment on we experienced the most amazing evening. The food was the best we have had in 3 trips to Italy. It is surpassed only by the enjoyment of the time spent with the family who prepared and served us our meal. Leonardo, his wife Valeria, and his mother and father.
I don’t have the writing skills to do the evening justice. We told Leonardo how wonderful the food was and he said it’s just Mama in the kitchen cooking what she made for the family as he was growing up. We asked if we could move in. Mama came out of the kitchen several times to make sure everything was ok.
As the evening came to an end Leonardo took a picture of the four of us for a kind of guest book he keeps. We hugged and said good night with the promise of returning one more time before we leave.
We returned last night and impossible as it seems the evening was even better than the first. By now we were showing pictures of the families and telling stories back and forth. Laughter in the room mingles with all the mouthwatering aromas coming from the kitchen. We asked if we could get a picture of all of us. They disappeared for a bit and returned without their aprons and Valeria is carrying their 6 year daughter Dalia. They had gone and gotten her out of bed so that we could meet her and so she could be in the picture. We exchanged email addresses and hugged and hugged some more. Memories we will treasure forever. We could not have dreamed up a better ending for our trip. Today we’re packing. Tomorrow we drive to Rome. Thursday we fly home. It’s been a great

A is for active appetites
D is for Duddova our new favorite
V is for velocity on the corners
E is for energy, where did it go?
N is for naviga, our friendly navigation system
T is for tasty tentacles
U is for U-turn, quick we missed our exit
R is for Rome, better the second time around
E is for elevator, in the house?

Another post from the Dougmeister (Let me say at the outset, that I do NOT agree with Doug’s characterization of this event.  I agree it was awful, but my eagerness according to him was nothing of the sort)!!!!  I mean, come on, you all know me!

Today’s adventure included a trip to the Western sea off Tuscany Italy.  After driving several hundred kilometers through beautiful countryside and innumerable tunnels through the hillsides, we finally arrived at our destination, Follonica.

After a few false starts through the city, we finally wound up on the road that paralleled the sea shore.  Parking the car, we discussed finding something to eat after allowing my Child Bride an opportunity to roam the waters edge.

After an hour or so of wandering, we headed back toward the car, passing several restaurants which were already closed for the pausa.  Spying a large one jutting over the water, we decided to give it a try.

Upon being seated, we were served water and menus which consisted of three pages of seafood (in Italian of course) and a small area of “terra” food.

When the waiter arrived to take our orders, Lynda piped up with “we want to branch out and try seafood” with Dale eagerly backing her up.  What?  Dale wants seafood?  This will get interesting FAST!

The waiter suggested their 16 euro appetizer plates, consisting of both hot and cold seafood.  Read that as cooked and raw.  He also suggested a bottle of white Tuscan wine, also 16 euros.

Lynda and Dale enthusiastically agreed and lunch was on!  Our first course consisted of a small dish of octopus with some kind of sauce, a chunk of raw fish (maybe salmon) wrapped around some cream cheese, something that looked vaguely like a coated olive suspended over olive oil and something that resembled a crostini.

Octopus being the only thing I recognized for sure, I started with that. Hmmm, not bad, I’ve definitely had worse.  Even Dale admitted to its being edible.  Just barely.

Next up, the olive, which turned out to be raw tuna, rolled around in some kind of equally disgusting crap.  Oh well, only one bite and it was gone.  Still disgusting but gone.

Time to try the crostini.  Wow, pretty good, until I learned it was cooked clams and mussels in some kind of tomato sauce.  Still pretty tasty though.

Oh, forgot to mention there was a BUNCH of cooked squid.  At least they’d been cut up and cleaned, unlike the crap we ate in Venice a few years back.  Not bad at all!

The Salmon on the other hand was just plain nasty.  It was large enough to require two bites, the second one being somewhat akin to chewing the liver out of a large 3 day old shark.

The next course arrived, consisting of a small tin of something.  Upon opening it I found several small octopus in some kind of broth.  They had been cooked to the point of their little mantles being separated from the bodies.  Dale announced that they were octopus and beans, whereupon I speared one, held it up in his face and asked what kind of beans has eyes?

I am now back in Pergine Valdarno, drinking tequila in hopes of killing all those squid and octopus in my stomach as they battle for conquest of their new little world.

We have our hot air balloon ride for the four of us scheduled for tomorrow morning in a field outside of Florence about an hour away from where we are staying in Pergine Valdarno.  In our experience, we sometimes have a difficult time finding cities on our own, so the idea of finding a field in the Italian countryside without an address seemed daunting….at least to me.  We must be there no later than 6:40 am.  We figured it would be prudent to make a practice run and try and find the field TODAY so it can be smoother sailing and less stress tomorrow morning.  The balloon people gave very precise directions in their email to me so we decided to give them a try.  With our Mercedes upgrade vehicle, we also got a navigation system thrown in for free and that is a plus.  Our only difficulty with the navigation system is that the lady navigation voice only speaks to us in Italian.  We haven’t been able to find a way to change it, so, even using the navigation can become an adventure.  We left Pergine Valdarno at 11:05 am on our practice run and 49 miles or 80 kilometers later, we drove onto the prescribed dirt road between the vineyard at 12:00 noon.  We should be all set for tomorrow.  (Nevermind.  The balloon people just emailed and due to fog anticipated tomorrow morning with zero visibility, the ride has been cancelled.)  Doug is shaking his head.  He remembers the last time he went hot air ballooning, it was in the dark of night in a thunderstorm with gale force winds.  I seem to recall the same experience, except neither one of us has ever been hot air ballooning before.  Perhaps we are mistaken.  We are waiting to hear back from the balloon people about Monday morning.

In any event, with our possible launch site now found, we stopped at a refueling station and did some map viewing.  We thought about heading for the west coast of Italy for the sea shore, so Barb can do some beach walking.  Our Italian atlas is a good one but it is broken down in various pages that must be combined so it is difficult to know how far away we are from our current location.  I know I say, let’s use our Italian navigation system and see how far away some of these cities are from us now.  We push the nav button and the voice command becomes available.  “Trova citta” (find city) we say.  It asks us to name the Italian city we want to go to.  Remember, I speak fluent Italospanglish.  We’ve now discovered the navigation lady clearly does not speak Italospanglish.  I would say an Italian city by the sea shore (Collelungo), and nav lady would bring up 4 or 5 options that are nothing like the city I said.  Each failed attempt, Doug would touch the “back button” and I would try again.  We tried this a few times without success.  Doug tried a few times as well.  I said, let’s pick a city that’s easier to pronounce.  How about San Rabino.  Same result…it brought up San Tarino or something not relevant.  We hit the back button again and tried a different city.  Doug started scouring the map for a simple sounding Italian city by the sea.  How about Greve he offers.  We tried (phonetically) Greeve; Grayvay; Grave; Grehve; Grehvay; We tried 4 or 5 different variations of the name.  Nothing.  With our wives standing outside the open car door as Doug and I are throwing out names of Italian cities and Nav lady seemingly purposely offering nothing even close to what we’re requesting, we all just started laughing.  People coming and going in the cars next to ours were wondering what was going on that was so funny to us.  Oh well, Nav lady got the best of us this time.  Finally Doug offers, “Pergine Valdarno” and Nav lady gets it.  She charts a course for us to go back home.  We start heading back to our village but lunch has not yet been had and an exit for a little town of San Casciano in Val di Pesa looms in front of us.  We take that to do a little exploring and to get a bite to eat.

This little town of San Casciano was easy to enter and parking was available without much difficulty.  It was now after 1:00 pm and our ladies were on an urgent mission to find something to eat before the pausa hits and everything closes down.  They found a gem:  Osteria Cucina Casalinga.  Food was wonderful, and the staff was helpful and friendly.  With our hunger sated, we explored the town a little and climbed back into our car to make the trip back to the village.

It is now midnight here in Italy and we haven’t heard back yet whether Monday is a possible date for another attempt at hot air ballooning.  Good night!

Each trip we take seems like it has its own personality. We’re realizing on this trip we all have a little less energy and we don’t feel quite as adventuresome. Thursday we set off to explore Siena. We had never been but Sam and Ruby had highly recommended it and I wanted to be able to share that with them. It was only a 40 minute drive and that part went just fine. Pretty much other than that the day was a disaster. We weren’t really sure how to get to the sites we wanted to see and couldn’t find a parking space.  We finally decided to just find a taxi stand and park there and have them take us to the duomo. Even that proved to be difficult Meanwhile, things are getting a little tense in our car. The front seat didn’t seem to appreciate all the really good help that was being offered from the back seat. We finally decided we would all feel better if we had something to eat. After all, remember, we’re all about the eating. Oh, and by now, it’s raining. We spy a restaurant in the distance and take off towards it with hopes of turning the day around. But noooo that would have been to easy. Yuk, it was a sushi Restaurant and that wasn’t going to work. We saw another restaurant down the block so we take off again. Maybe with a little less enthusiasm this time. It turns out to be kind of like an Italian Burger King We figured we better take it. It wasn’t great (Dale’s hamburger was leaning towards raw) but we stayed.  It was a bit quiet at the table but we finished and walked up the street where we finally find a taxi at the train station.  After Dale takes a picture of the front of the station, we take off and in a matter of minutes the driver gets us to where we have been trying to get for the past hour. The cathedral is magnificent. Unfortunately it was just too little too late. With a low level of enthusiasm we went inside for a tour and had to admit it was amazing, Even so I’m sure we didn’t give it the full appreciation it was due. As we head for the exit we hear a large clap of thunder and wonder if we should have showed more appreciation. As we approach the door we wonder why no one is leaving until we see that the sky has opened and it is absolutely pouring rain. Quietly our little band of weary travelers waits it out. But enough is enough, let’s go home. We called the taxi exactly as we had been instructed and were told call back in a few minutes Dale called 13 times. We waited and waited and waited.  There is very little conversation going on and different members of the group would occasionally wander off. Finally our taxi comes and Dale shows the driver the picture of the train station, He keeps saying something to us over and over again. We figured he is asking us where we want to go so Dale keeps showing him the picture and finally he nodded and off we go. We drive for awhile and just about the time we’re thinking nothing looks familiar, he pulls into the BUS station. Are you kidding me? The train station was a low gray cement building and the bus station was a two story red brick building. We said no this isn’t the right place and showed the picture AGAIN! He gets a little hot, we got a little hot.. We calmed down a little, he calmed down a little and off we go to the TRAIN station. We parted on friendly terms. By now we have been gone waaaaay longer than our 2 hour parking spot allowed. Wouldn’t that just be the topper, to find our car towed. But God knows how much we can handle and our car was just where we left it. Not even a ticket. The front seat got us home with no assistance from the back seat. Conversation picked up a little. We got home and made a lovely Italian dinner followed but some laughter and some tears as we shared our hearts over past and present situations in our lives. When we finally headed for bed we were once again laughing hysterically. Probably from exhaustion. We went no where the next day.

PS

Can you guess who was in the front seat and who was in the back seat?

Have we mentioned that we love Tuscany?As we drive through this region of Italy, we are treated to beautiful vistas of rolling hills often topped with ancient walled cities.  Some have weathered time better than others but for us they are all a delight and we have explored many of them.  Our homeAway from home while in Tuscany is in Pergine Valdarno, a typical small village surrounded by olive trees and vineyards.  The village transports us back in time  The castle at the village summit dates back to 1103.  At the center of town is Comune, the townsquare.  From there the town extends out by way of arched walkways and narrow breezeways.  As we walk through town we pass by doorways leading into homes and courtyards filled with flowers of vibrant color.  The locals greet us with a friendly bonjourno.  On our first visit to Pergine Valdarno our landlord Irene Gren, took us on a walking tour of the village wher she introduced us to the local shop owners,  the butcher, the baker,the candlestick maker.  Oh wait, there was no candlestick maker. But a butcher shop, a bakery, a produce stand, a tavern,a small grocery store and the church where there was a wedding going on.  There is also a community water station several blocks away where we pay 5 cents a litre to fill our water bottles. As we walk it is obvious Irene cares deeply about her town  On our first two visits to Pergine Valdarno we stayed in the same apartment ane loved it. We affectionally named it the rubble pile.  It is after all 800 years old.  We were very happy there but on this our third visit we decided to try a different unit.  This one has a lovely yard and an elevator to the second floor where each couple has their own bed and bath. We haven’t named it yet but its been a great place,  Our relationship with Irene has grown into a genuine friendship and we have enjoyed some wonderful visits with her .The other night she shared her heart and her vision for Pergine valdarno. A vision that will enhance the lives of its full time residents and make a richer experience for those of us who only get to visit.  The enthusiasm was contagious as she shared her ideas.There was also frustration at the lack of interest property owners in the village had towards her ideas.  We encourage ed her to not give up. After all we may be back and we would love to see her vision being fulfilled

Calling on my cell phone to anywhere in Italy is always an adventure.  Especially if I get through and the person on the other line doesn’t speak English. My Ital-Spanglish never ceases to get blank stares!  This morning as I attempted to contact the service number for our rental car to get the flat tire with no spare onboard repaired, I knew this would not be any different.  It wasn’t!  Sometimes I can dial a local number directly by using the local Italian area code and 7 digit number.  That worked in Sorrento and once in Bologna.  It didn’t work here in Tuscany.  After 9 different attempts using a variety of country code/area code/local number combinations, I finally reached someone at the Chiusi Europcar location. (There is only one in Chiusi)  The lady asked me my name and address, and my rental contract number.  I gave all that info to her.  The lady on the line told me, “I’m sorry sir, but you have not rented a car from us.”  Yes, I reassured her, I was in there two days ago and certainly did rent a car from you.  You even upgraded us because the original car I rented was not available.  “No, we have no record of you renting.”  Really? I asked.  Then this Mercedes with the flat tire is mine and I can just have it shipped home?  I eventually was transferred to a guy who was the actual clerk I filled out the paperwork for at the office.  He told me they did have the records but that I needed to call a different number that he gave to me.  OK, so after 7 additional attempts at the new number, a live person at the other end finally answered.  There would be someone coming to change the tire.  I reminded them that I could change the tire.  The problem was that there was no spare.  Oh, that’s right.  What is your address where you are located.  I told them.  What is the precise location of the vehicle, the two streets that intersect that location?   I don’t know but if you can hang on, the car is parked about 100 meters away and we can find out.  Certainly, they will wait I was told.

Upon hearing the need to obtain more information, Barb jumps up and takes off out the door.  Seriously, she looked like Florence Griffith Joyner as she sprinted off in the distance.  In record breaking time, Flo-Jo was back with the requested information.  Okay, he had the precise location on the map and the repair person will be here shortly.  Wonderful.  Doug and I walked on down about fifteen minutes later.  No repair truck, but we did see the Italian version of a Chevy Suburban vehicle that would haul around all of the Lopez lefties and their friends.  We just need to find out if Jessica wants us to have it shipped home to Camano, or if she and Jose will be coming over here to pick it up.

The repair truck arrived and without any discussion, (neither one of them spoke English), the woman and man with the truck proceeded to load the Mercedes on the back of their truck.  Fortunately for me (in order to avoid a stroke), Irene (our landlord) was there and after talking with them, she explained that they would be taking the car to Arezzo, a town about half an hour away.  We found out later today that the tire won’t be fixed and the ready until sometime tomorrow…in Arezzo.  It is up to us to find a way to get to the car.  Wow, I should have stuck with renting from Hertz instead of Europcar.  There is much better customer service at Hertz in my opinion.  So, assuming our car is actually ready by tomorrow, and also assuming we can find a way to get there to pick it up, we will be back in business.  No matter how silly it might seem that it would take an entire 24 hours or more to simply change a tire, I have come to grips with our vehicle situation here in Italy.  I had to edit this post to include a nod to the Stroke Whisperer.  This Italian gem broke out a guitar and began singing a ballad of the flat tire in Italy.  It was an amazing rendition and it again brought that perspective that can sometimes escape me.

I am thankful we have a wonderful roof over our heads and there is no actual need to use a vehicle in the meantime.  It is after 5:30 pm here in Italy now and the four of us are staying in tonight.  We will be cooking spaghetti carbonara.  Mmm, mmm, good!

We woke up after a great night’s sleep in Tuscany.  We made coffee Americano and sat enjoying the pleasant Tuscan morning.  Before too long, the ladies of our group started raising questions about when are we going to go shopping for groceries?  We know from past experience, that on Sundays, nothing is open in Pergine Valdarno.  I tried to clarify the question that our brides were asking.  Are you asking when are the four of us going shopping for groceries? Or are you asking, when are you two guys going to drive unknown miles (or kilometers) for groceries while we stay here and enjoy the Tuscan morning in the sunshine?  Ahhh, the real question they were asking was the latter.  Doug and I have never shied away from a new adventure so we asked them to assemble a shopping list for us and we left Villa Fracassini and walked down to the parking area to find our Mercedes chariot.  Of course, the left rear tire was flat.  Sooooo, we got out the toy electric air pump and set about pumping it up.  With the tire inflated, we set off towards Montevarchi, a much larger city probably twelve to fourteen miles away.

As we drove into Montevarchi, there were no establishments that we saw open.  We headed towards a large supermarket where we had been on past trips but that was closed.  As we wound our way through the narrow city streets, it looked like our mission to buy grocery supplies was not going to turn out well.  We stopped and checked our right rear tire again because the low air alert went off once more.  After pumping it up one more time, we finally found a business that was open, probably a bar (pretty much any establishment that is open when others are closed is called a bar) and I walked in to see what they had available for purchase.  It was a bar and they had very little.  I asked the older lady behind the counter if she spoke English.  She screwed her face up in a discouraging sort of twist and finally said NO.  In Italian, I asked her if she knew of a supermarket that was open today.  She listened to my broken Italian, pondered it a bit, and then yelled someone’s name who was in the other room.  A gentleman appeared who had a big smile on his face.  “You speak English? he asked.  Yes, I told him.  He told me he was Lithuanian and he spoke a little English but not much.  He said that besides a little English, he spoke Lithuanian, Italian, French, some Arabian, and Spanish.  I said, Habla Espanol?  Si, he responded.  He asked me in Spanish where I was from.  I told him Washington State.  His eyes grew big and he asked if I was from the United States.  Yes, I told him.  He held out his hand and grasped mine as I offered it and as he shook it, said he was so happy to meet me.  What a sweet man.  I asked him in Spanish if he knew of a supermarket that was open today on Sunday.  He said he did know of one.  As we discussed the particulars of where we would need to head to find this store, he shook my hand again and told me that if he is ever in the United States he will look me up.  I thanked him profusely and welcomed him to do that.

Doug and I set the Google maps to the name of the store and off we went.  After about ten minutes we arrived at the supermarket.  It had a great big sign that said “Domenica Aperto” or open Sundays.  The parking lot was deserted as the pictures show.  Here is one from one end of the parking lot shooting towards Doug and our car, and the other of Doug shooting back towards me taking the picture.  The place was closed.  Although it had a sign saying it was open on Sundays, that doesn’t include the typical time during the day that all businesses are closed in Italy for two to three hours…commonly known as the Pausa.  The store would reopen in an hour and a half…at 3:30.

Doug and I sat by ourselves there in the empty parking lot and waited until 3:30 arrived.  We rushed in with other late comers who arrived after we did and did most of our shopping by looking at pictures of the various products we were purchasing.  Hmmm, that looks like shampoo, or that looks like pepper.  Anyway, we made it through the check out line without raising a scene (Check out the Thief of Venezia blog post from Venice on May 6, 2013.  https://camanoescape.com/2013/05/06/the-thief-of-venezia/

As we came out of the store and loaded our groceries into the car, we had to break out the toy air pump and again inflate the tire.  With tire up to pressure, Doug and I found our way back to the open arms of our lovely brides.  It is about 5:30 now and we are eating our first meal of the day.  Timing is everything, and failing to stock up on Saturday when you know Sunday is coming was a dreadful mistake when everything shuts down on Sunday.  But again, all is well and we are relaxing now under the olive tree that is under the Tuscan sun.

Doug Anderson is excited to be in Pergine Valdarno, our go-to spot in Tuscany.  Here is what he posted:

“Dale and I were sent on a food gathering expedition after our arrival at Pergine Valdarno. Due to the late hour, all the shops were closed so we returned to our villa only to find the door closed and locked. Being a resourceful guy, Dale said “no problemo, I’ll just pitch euro coins 3 STORIES up at the window to get their attention”. Around 20 euros later we are getting nowhere. I suggested hoisting Dale over the 8’ wall into the garden on hopes of the back door still being open. Dale reminded me of his two previous back surgeries and suggested we reverse roles. Ok! Upon hitting the ground on the other side, and once the ensuing hernia was under control I entered and let Dale in. I’ll let Dale finish this little tale.”

Doug and I couldn’t figure out where the ladies could possibly be inside the Villa Fracassini.  It was dark in all areas upstairs except the area where Lynda’s and my bedroom is.  I was pitching coins off of the two windows of our bedroom area from the town square, trying to draw their attention to our plight of being locked out.  Despite bouncing coin after coin off of the windows, no familiar faces came to look out the window to see what the commotion was about.  Doug and I tried ringing the door bell but despite a constant ring for a minute or two, there was no movement from the inside. I asked Doug if he had his phone with him as I had left mine inside the place.  He did and we decided to text the ladies so they would come downstairs and let us in.  He sent the text and we waited.  That was a pointless exercise because we could hear both Barb and Lynda’s phones alert with the new text on the downstairs dining room table just outside the door we were standing.

Where could they possibly be we asked ourselves as I continued to bounce coins off the windows upstairs.  They both can’t possibly be going to the bathroom for the past 15 minutes.  Are they sitting in the dark?  There is only one area that is lit and that is where we’ve been bouncing coins off the windows for the past 15 minutes.  This is a quiet little town and neither one of us wanted to start shouting to the ladies inside and break the decorum of this lovely place.  Finally Doug suggested one of us try and climb the wall around the back yard that bordered along the town entrance.  As I boosted Doug over the wall and he disappeared on the other side with a loud thump and an oomph, I looked up to see an elderly woman walking by watching me with a curious look on her face.  In my broken Italian/mostly Spanish language, I told her we were locked out and our wives were inside.  She smiled and nodded and just kept walking.  Probably thinking about these crazy Americans.

When Doug reached the inside and let me in, I left him recovering from his recent plummet, and I headed for the elevator to go upstairs to find our missing wives.  Some people might’ve said I was hot, but the outside evening air where we had been standing for a while had been cool.  Anyway, I came around the corner to the area where Doug and I had been pitching coins off the windows and I was greeted with smiles from both ladies standing in front of the two windows we’d been pitching coins at.

Their smiles quickly left their faces as I, in a perhaps not so delicate fashion, demanded to know why they left us outside and didn’t respond to our apparent feeble attempts at getting their attention.  We had no idea they told me.  That sort of an answer would not do.  What about all the coins that we pitched at these windows, as I opened each window and retrieved the hundreds of coins we’d tossed up from the window sills.  Why didn’t you come to the windows and look?  “Well, I guess we did hear some clicking, but we couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.  We adjusted some heat controls and then the clicking stopped so we decided we must have fixed it!”  As the three of us rode down the elevator to check up on Doug’s recent injuries, our two lovely brides were by now doubled up laughing so hard at the situation that they couldn’t even walk off the elevator.  That sort of laughter is contagious.  The four of us stood there belly laughing for the next 4-5 minutes.  Laughter is such a great tool to bring the appropriate perspective.  All of us now had that perspective and after chuckling for another few minutes, decided that we should head down to the local cantina for some evening nourishment.  What a lovely place we’re in.