Gane una semana en La Toscana
Cerrado
Firenze to Arezzo to Monterchi
This is two stories or more. Two cities, maybe three.
For my 70th birthday, my wife & daughter took me to Florence. Two long- time friends joined us, they stayed at a much more elegant hotel a short distance away, Hotel Accademia. They were devoted fans of Rick Steves. So happens, Rick Steves and a couple of technical people were in their hotel, so they said. They breakfasted with Rick and his friends, so they said. The story sounded a bit contrived but later that day, I saw Rick with 2 guys carrying tech equipment down Via del calzaluoli.
Then the train to Arezzo. We pick up our car at Avis. Then the five of us stuff our baggage into this car. We will spend a week at Palazzo Rosadi. Pedestrians walking by delighted in the spectacle. There was no room. Fortunately, the women were small. We tried to rent a second car but they didn't have one. One woman rode the gear shift, another crammed against the back window. Besides, the trip to Monterchi was a brief one, so we were told. I got directions from one of the men at Avis; my daughter got different directions from the other. Since Arezzo has an antique show on the weekends, we had to go around. Thank goodness, my long-time friend spoke some Italian ... head northwest on Piazzale della Repubblica toward via guido monaco, first exit onto Via Roma, to Via Franceso, to Viale giotto ... etc. Somehow, we made it to Monterchi, hunched and crushed.
Starving, we stop at Marcello Rossi's market. A delightfully robust fellow whose English is as good as my Italian . We connect well. He offers us a liquer and uncooked sausage. Loved it!
Palazzo Rosadi was heavenly for a week. But maybe Dante would agree, the previous stops were more memorable.
-Sandy B. Hicks
San Francisco, CA
