here is the interesting tale of,
Directions: help was not as helpful today..but was made up for by being funny....my destination only maybe 13kms away: Monteriggioni.. I wanted to make sure that I would be sent the less car trafficy way so I pointed out the land marks on the map of my intended route... one man said 'your not in Monteriggioni now, your in Siena...' he really thought that I thought I was somewhere else... I thanked him for that advise... then later a man let me know 'that it was far away'... 'yes, thank you I know that'...'at least three hours!!'.... 'great thanks... but can you tell me the direction?' answer: 'it is very complicated'.... again I thanked him and I tried to find someone less obtuse...i did... news paper stand man... got me on track...then a while later another news paper man almost got me off track again... it felt wrong so I asked construction worker guys and yes, off again to right direction... just to be clear I was trying to avoid walking on hwy 2 which makes asking directions more complicated...everyone here like in the usa seems to only know how to get places by car...i am actually a bit surprised as to what a car culture italy is …. I had early lunch still with in the shadow of Sienna... the man at the bar-cafe was very clear and helpful with his directions... and I really did get on to a quiet road..it was still a car road but nothing compared to what i'd dealt with for the last two days... all was mellow.. I passed through two towns that looked like the suburbs of sienna...modern homes.. and signs of further expansion soon to come...
then the road turned one lane and went through thin woods... giving me shade... it was a sunny day...then finally already nearing four..cuz I had a lot of breaks.. I see what looks like castle walls... I miss-guess thinking that "oh, this is just a castle that is probably next to the town I want to go to" ...but no...sure enough the town was the castle... on top a not so steep hill...surrounded by a giant wall of fortification with lookout towers (perhaps had i dont, oh a bit of homework i might have known that..but would that not spoil the fun of discovery?)....was the smallest town I had yet gone to stay in... I was concerned about lodging... since it was a tiny town.. I bet it has less than thirty houses... all the businesses were just for tourists..wine shops, restaurants, ice-cream pallor, cafe..
there was one small church and next to it tourist information and museum... I went in asking for lodging...well this is the Franciscan way pilgrims route and I actually got a dorm room because I am a pilgrim... got my fourth stamp too...i should say the hostel was totally self serve, in that it must still be early in the season, i was the only overnight guest.. in a room with five beds..and i had to get the keys from tourist office lady...everything was clean and safe feeling... this town was totally my speed, for how i was feeling..... a town that I could explore, including climbing the castle wall and visiting the small church in half hour... showered and had a nice meal.. which I should have photoed but I was so hungry I had inhaled before I thought of it..ricotta manicotti with a pumpkin and walnut sauce... mixed salad with diff salad herbs from those blends now popular in usa..so nice to have diff taste.. and artichoke salad.. delicious and in my belly... I was in my room by eight and in bed by nine thirty... hoping to sleep a gazillion hours!(not tv for a change!) and i di sleep at least nine hours
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