Making our way out of San Gimignano was a lot easier than getting in. Grabbing a cab from the hotel to the train station really simplifies things. We hoped that our memory of Siena was a bit tinted by the fact that it was unseasonably cold the last time we were there. Our only great memory of our stay in the city was our daily stops at Tuscana Golosa. They served the most fantastic wine and a mouth-watering selection of Tuscan antipasto, including a crouton with cheese and white truffle, which made us addicts of the place. But beyond that, there was also the way we were welcomed by the host, who enjoyed customizing our aperitivo each night to better suit our tastes.
It would be to nobody’s surprise that the reason we chose Siena to start our expedition to deeper small-town Tuscany (with a car this time) was the prospect of going back to the delights of Tuscana Golosa. We arrived in Siena full of hope, thinking we’d do a quick stop by our B&B to check in, and then we hightailed it to fabulous wine and Tuscan Antipasto. Boy, were we wrong! Getting to our B&B was easy, but turns out nobody was home. We had to call and text the owner to get a response, finally. We waited at a nearby restaurant (right on Piazza del Campo, Siena's main tourist spot). After getting the worst Italian coffee I ever had (still average by North American standards) and very summarily made frito misto with a side of Bruschetta, we finally met our host and got our room. A quick phone and body recharge later, off we went to Tuscana Golosa!
Well, our luck from the previous day seems to have lasted a little longer, as we arrived at our intended destination to find they’ve decided to take two days off: Yesterday and Today. As Lenard would explain it to Sheldon, we were attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis (screwed). A fruitless attempt to find a good aperitivo place landed us in two different locations with average Aperol Spritz and finger food.
By now, dear reader, you might wonder when this tale of woe might end and how? Well, two days ago we planted the seed of our good luck by reserving a dinner at Zest, one of the well-rated restaurants in Siena. At our arrival, we were pleased to discover that it’s also a Michelin-rated restaurant. The food was great, the wine was delightful, and we left happy and secure in the knowledge that tomorrow we would be the masters of our own travel destiny.
