Ode to Italy
September 2007
By Jennifer Johnson
On Friday, September 7, ‘07
We left for a little piece of heaven
Thankfully the trip to Newark was great
We were on time though the plane was late
For take off but we did not care
In Florence we would soon be there
Saturday morning on September 8
Alitalia we were beginning to hate
Our luggage was lost if ever found
Despite that we were San Gimignano bound
Sunday we left for Greve in Chianti
To taste a sample of wines a plenty
What a great way to start a vacation
Thanks to the GPS and “her” instruction
Saturday’s dinner was at Il Castello
Sunday’s at Taverna Paradiso
Monday we explored all of S-G
The Torture Museum was something to see
Tuesday we tried to look for a sign
To get to Volterra (the idea was mine)
We found Colle Val D’Elsa, it was just a maze
When we left there, in the distant haze
Were the “giants in the abyss”
Monterrigioni, a fortress not to miss
That Dante quoted in his famous poem
The Divine Comedy—then we came home
To S-G for more wine and cheese
Neither one of us is hard to please
We never got to Castiglioncello
Another time when the sun is more yellow
To Siena on a gorgeous Wednesday
Had lunch at Antica Trattoria Papei
We drove to the Castle but could not get in
Maybe on Thursday we can fit it in
On Thursday we drove to Cortona town
With walls and hills all around
Lunch at Dardano’s was more than enough
And we left with a full bottle of the green stuff
And the GPS is our new best friend
And we don’t want this vacation to end
In both piazzas market day was today
You could buy anything if you could pay
With cash—from cheeses & tomatoes
To purses, shirts and even potatoes
Friday we went out of the way
To Lucca, what a long, long day
The drive was like being on a snake’s back
But the view and the scenes did not lack
For anything—the town had no hills
Being over the amphitheatre gave us the chills
Saturday was spent in Florence to wait
For our family at the airport gate
Back to S-G for wine and dinner
The red or the white—which is the winner?
Sunday morning had runners in the square
It was damp from rain but they did not care
Then to Monteriggioni to see the wall
Of giant towers very tall
Sunday was spent in my favorite place
Siena, host to Palio, the famous horse race
To the Vecchia Mura for a 5-course-meal
With wine and Limoncello that made us feel
Like we wanted to live in this fine place
Soon reality we will have to face
But not quite yet—Monday we went
To Pisa to see the tower that is bent
Twenty degrees to the left, I think,
Then near Certaldo for a drink
Of a local wine then back to S-G
How we got inside is still a mystery
Monday night’s dinner was not at Paradiso
Up early on Tuesday to Rome we will go
Tuesday was the trip to Rome
We never thought we’d ever get home
We saw the Coliseum and St. Peter’s Square
The Piazza Navona and the statues there
We got on and off and off and on
The open air bus—it was kind of fun
Wednesday to Florence for a scheduled tour
We walked together in a group of four
To the Uffizzi and Ponte Vecchio
Accademia and shopping, high and low
To see Michelangelo’s works of art
Tomorrow is another open air mart
Friday morning we saw a hot air balloon
Then we all gathered together at noon
To drink a farewell glass of wine
Tonight’s dinner in Florence we will dine
And listen to Italian opera song
Then on the plane for the journey long
On Saturday night we will be back home
And start planning the next place we will roam
Greece, Sorrento, Sicily or Capri
What and when and where will it be? |
While in San Gimignano, we were at Attico Duomo, VRBO 75604, for two wonderful weeks. It was the most convenient, beautiful, warm and welcoming apartment anyone could stay in while touring all of Tuscany. The accommodations were outstanding. The view was immense. The location was in the center of town, in the center of all the activity.
Although San Gimignano is a walled city and a visitor cannot park inside, we had access to convenient parking. The hospitality of the merchants in San Gimignano was evident. The owners of this apartment, the Freddi family, assisted us in having the most wonderful vacation of a lifetime. They even called us to make sure that we received our lost luggage (which we did). I will return to Attico Duomo and San Gimignano, in the heart of Tuscany, before long.
– Jennifer S. Johnson
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