Thursday May 23 Asciano
Summer has arrived…finally.
Temperatures in the low 20’s and not a drop of rain and to wake this morning to
a blue sky was perfect. Doors and windows open just enjoying it. A leisurely
start, chatting with the fellow campers and using the supplied water to do some
washing…my daily chores.
Continued south on the double
laned motorway with views out to the coast. It was about 80 kms, and initially
lots of potholes but it did get better. Took E78 towards Sienna which was a
great road with not much traffic. So many typical Italian towns perched on the
top of hills overlooking the valleys. Ian had been doing some research last
night and found the town of Asciano that had a good spot for overnighting. The
drive in on a lesser road proved to be one of the best we have been on, driving
along a ridge with great vistas of the rolling countryside on either side. Sadly,
there were really no places we could stop with Ruakiwi to get a good view so I
had to grab what I could through the window. I’m realising that a small vehicle
is what is needed to really get around, and this is certainly not the roads to
be cycling on…or at least for us! But we are very much enjoying soaking up the
atmosphere of this region. The fields have patches of bright yellow and also
red poppies everywhere
Found the parking spot after a 3
½ drive which is in a carpark and only a short stroll from this very old
Etruscan Village. After calling at the
information centre we went for a stroll through town, with its old buildings
and local people doing their everyday shopping. It was very quiet for a start
but soon the shops started re-opening from their lunch break, at 4.30!!! The
Italian break seems even longer than the Spanish. Spotted a really nice
ristorante so have decided to take ourselves out for an evening meal tonight
and experience the local foods. This is not a tourist town. Will write about it
in tomorrow’s blog.
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| Poppies everywhere even on roundabouts. The blue is from the dirty window!!! |
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| Wondering the streets of Asciano |
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| Local wines on display in the street. |
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J & D