Escape To Tuscany 2011: Steam Trains and White Truffles

November 13^th Don and I spent the day on a steam train excursion to San Giovanni D’Asso to attend the town’s White Truffle Festival. The Steam Train was fun and we travelled for 3 hours through the Crete Sensi south of Siena. When the train arrived at the tiny station we climbed the hill to the town and walked down the main street to an area reserved for those of us on the train who had signed up for the special lunch offered that included dishes featuring white and black truffles. The food was delicious and there were so many courses I lost count. The wine flowed freely and everyone had a great time. Afterwards we explored the town a bit and then heard music so we walked towards it to discover a female percussion group making their way down the main street to the town square. We listened for awhile and then made our way slowly down the hill to the train.

The trip back to Siena seemed shorter and we arrived just as the sun was setting. We got a hotel room and stayed a few nights in Siena. Our impression of the city is that it is very commercial and very expensive. The Duomo is spectacular both inside and out. The streets in Siena seem to be a jumble and the hills are incredibly steep. We ended up parking the car inside the old city at a public lot and it cost us 60 euros for 2 days. The hill we had to climb with our luggage was unbelievable. We got lost several times as well. Siena is not a favourite destination for us.

I have not been able to post new entries to my blog lately because the internet point at the hotel is not working and the one in Pienza is closed. At the best of times, internet access and even cell phone reception here is sketchy which is incredibly frustrating. I did not expect that communicating would be such an issue here. The Italians seem to accept this and when a call is dropped they just shrug their shoulders and call back or move on to something else. This would never be acceptable in North America.

There are far fewer people around now and on occasion when we have visited small hill towns it seems as if we are the only ones there. The trees are changing colours and the vineyards are shades of gold and crimson. The olive harvest is still in full swing and new oil is available everywhere. I find it has a slight peppery taste. Yesterday while driving through the countryside I noticed a vineyard being prepared for winter. The vines had been removed from the stakes and wires and laid on the ground to be covered over with compost and soil as protection against freezing. This reminded me of home where this is common practice as Canadian winters are much more severe than in Italy. The weather here has been unusual, having hardly rained in the three months that I have been here. Farmers are concerned that the winter winds will further dry out the vines. Hopefully this will not damage the vines or next year’s crop. That would spell disaster for the locals who are already struggling with current economic conditions here. It is not an easy life for them here. Don has remarked often how difficult it must be to work the farm land here as it is so hilly. Many tractors here don’t have wheels, they run on tracks like tanks and still it is remarkable that they don’t tip over while working the incredibly steep hills.