High Mileage

People tend to take vacations and visit the wine areas of the world in summer & fall. We decided to tour the Tuscan countryside during the Christmas and New Years holiday season.  Our goal, besides gathering comments and opinions on the recent harvest, was to experience the holiday focus in Italy.  If you never considered a winter trip to Tuscany, you miss the chance of a much more up-close and truly personal visit. A winter trip versus a summer one offers several trade-offs.  On the plus side, the off-season has no crowds so driving the countryside is great.  In fact its possible to stop almost anywhere to capture that special photographic moment.  Local people are much more approachable and have time to chat, giving you the opportunity to really learn about local culture and customs.  Even waiters, cooks, and property owners seem more friendly and willing to spend extra time with you.  And that amazing villa you’ve dreamed of renting is truly affordable.

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Maybe this should be called “Cities For Dummies”.  I bet nobody else ever had this problem?

In the days before GPS we navigated by instinct, and maybe used a map.  So what happens when you’re driving in Italy and enter a small town either by accident or possibly on purpose? During my early days exploring Italy I decided to check out a few towns in the Tuscany area.  Most are quite small, picturesque, and easy to navigate.  For some reason my wife and I decided to see what might be in Empoli…maybe a good lunch spot. So in we go headed for “centro” which is always the city center.  Nice town but bigger than we thought.  And lots of 1-way streets.  Nothing appealed to use foodwise, so I said “let’s head out to the countryside and find a good locals place to eat”.  Besides if we had to go all the way to Lucca, that’s the food paradise of this area.
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When you travel to a European country do you learn a few words of their language? Why not? If someone from France comes to California (probably to visit wine country, not Disney) do they expect us to greet them in French? Or even expect us to understand what they are asking for unless they speak English? So then why do most American travelers view people in France as rude and unfriendly because they refuse to communicate with us?  Hence the term “ugly American”.
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In my opinion, most all American drivers have no clue how to really drive.  Very few understand the basic rules of the road and show absolutely no courtesy.  It seems the style here is poke along making use of every distracting toy we all possess, with almost no attention paid to actually driving.  Food, water, drinks, cell phones, music players, and personal hygiene activities occupy most of the time behind the wheel.  And all traffic lanes are fair game at any speed. So are American drivers prepared to drive in countries where a more aggressive style is prevalent?
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Rome, and most European cities, have very charming sidewalk coffee bars and cafes.  Locals use them a lot.  On our very first trip to Europe in 1993 we decided we would become a local.  Along the Via Veneto is a famous place called the Cafe de Paris.  It’s a small coffee and snack place with a stand-up coffee bar and cute tables along the Veneto that’s been in many Italian movies over the last century.  Good looking pastries and authentic Italian coffee, including espresso.  We wonder in trying not to look like tourists, and point out 2 pasties for our pleasure.  And we order 2 cappucinos to wash them down with.  Can’t quite get into the espresso habit just yet.
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