A BIRTHDAY EXTENDED
I've been light sensitive my entire life. I call it the thin eyelid syndrome to explain why I sleep longer in the winter than I do in the summer. Sunlight is like a cock's crow for me. The light wakes me up and once I'm awake it's pointless to try to get back to sleep. Even though last night's celebrations had gone well past the witching hour, this morning's dawn light magnified it's power with a blanket of pure white fog giving me no opportunity to find again the darkness of sleep. The brilliance of the sun's power reflected off the dense fog was more than I could withstand.
I knew I would probably be the only up making anything other than my pajamas necessary to go out on the patio overlooking the valley where I could watch as the fog slowly burnt off.
The original plan for the day had been to have everyone in their cars by ten and on the SS2 to Siena. Under the influence of last night's alcohol we asked Alessandro to make a reservation for us at the famous Bogago restaurant in Siena, a two o'clock reservation for eight. That morning guests slowly started to rumble and one by one started pouring cups of coffee and finding seats in the sun. No one seemed to want to take the role of leader and organize the exit. By close to noon Rick, Emmy and JoHannah had decided to bail and the rest of us divided into two cars leaving a third car back at the farm for the three unable to find the energy to even fain interest. Mathematics struck again, this time involving keys and remotes. Each apartment had a front door key and a remote for unlocking the iron gates allowing them egress and re-entry from their property. Each car, obviously, also had it's own ignition key. The problem was since Laura and Eric were staying in the same apartment as JoHannah, Roby and Adam, although having their own car keys they were both sharing a gate opener. Stefania and Alessandro had escaped the disorganization and already left for their various appointments. When we were ready to leave it was decided that Eric and Laura would leave with their car, car key and gate opener and Adam, Roby and I would leave in Adam's car, Adam being the only one who could drive it because it was a stick due to the rental confusion back in Rome. This left Rick, Johannah and Emmy with our car, car key and remote opener for our gate. Eric and Laura left first. Does anyone else see the math problem here? Adam, Roby and I had a car and car key but no gate opener. We couldn't switch cars since Adam was the one of us who knew how to drive a stick. We were prisoners locked up in heaven. Finally after a few phone calls to Stefania she was able to get ahold of her cleaning woman and had her come up to unlock the gate for us so we could escape.
Siena was a student of architecture's dream. For Adam this meant wondering the city his eye attached to his camera photographing details and storing memories of architectural history in his already extensive cerebral encyclopedia. For Roby it was gelato.
For me it was walking the curving streets without a GPS available on my phone nor a map in hand. I had until two o'clock to find the restaurant, an hour and fifteen minutes. It shouldn't have been a problem but of course it was.
The restaurant was supposed to be near the Duomo, an easy architectural icon to spot, on the via della Galluzza. Using my nose to point me in the right direction I circled the Duomo and kept circling the Duomo, a feat not to be attempted by the physically impaired. The terrain of Siena is anything but flat.
I counted over ninety steps on one side of the Duomo and a slope so steep you had to hug the wall for fear of side down it on the other side, an option I considered on the third time around. Finally I stopped at a hotel and asked for a map that the concierge was happy to give me but when I tried to ask him to locate the via della Galluzza he was more confused then I was. By now I was almost 20 minutes late, sweaty, something I try to avoid at all costs, and still unable to find the restaurant. When all else fails an unmanly cry out for help is the last resort. I stopped a shopkeeper and finally someone pointed me in the right direction, a right out the door then a left down a roller coaster of a street and there it was. I now have the strongest calves of anyone I know.
Lunch was a bit of a disappointment but I wanted to eat light. My baked cheese pie with a cream and walnut sauce was plenty and it was fine.
After lunch we did a quick tour of a few more streets, picked up the obligatory gelato and headed on home.
Rick, missed his gift opening the night before falling asleep before we had a chance to pass out our gifts. Today we reconvened around the outdoor dining area and gave him his opportunity to have his day.
There was glassware from Holland, leather from Italy, ceramics picked up in Rome, a spa day in Bagno Vignoni and a mended jacket that had a moth hole I darned closed for him as my gift.
What's a day in Armena without a massive dinner and a beautiful sunset? This night was no exception.
Rick and JoHannah wanted to learn how to make Laura's pasta with mushrooms and zucchini. Cooking lessons were held in the apartment's kitchen and served on the veranda at nine,
a civil European time to dine. Bon appetito!
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