A Dose of (sur)Reality

Senatus Populusque Sienus. "The senate and people of Siena". Even though the city borrowed this slogan and image from Rome, it is not totally unjustified. Siena was founded by Senius, the son of Remus, one of the twins in this statue.
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The Italian region of Tuscany is a stop on many travel itineraries. It is home to the popular destinations of Pisa, Siena, and Florence. Outside these large cities is the charm of the countryside and its small villages such as San Gimignano, Volterra, and Montepulciano. But everywhere the cuisine is present. Whether stocking up in a Sienese supermarket or dining in a non-English speaking, family-run restaurant overlooking the Abbey of San Galgano, one cannot escape the savory simplicity of the breads, beans, oils, and wines. For some, this region functions as a temporary escape from reality. The living history of Florence’s Renaissance is a reminder of energy, faith, or new frontiers. The surreal beauty of Tuscan anonymity is a break from clutter and confusion, from timelines and to-do lists. Homelands and hometowns are normally not graced with such reminders or absences, yet my visit was most reminiscent of home. A handful of New Mexicans, a fairy-tale villa, and simple pleasures saw to that.

No camera tricks here. The old city streets of Siena are this curved and narrow.
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I spent nearly two weeks in Tuscany. My intention was one, but that quickly changed when I was introduced to my accommodation and the gracious people providing it. I met Irene and Christopher a year ago in New Mexico just before this grand adventure began. It was then they invited me to the villa they knew they would have. I expected scenic. I hoped for rustic. I never dreamed of princely. I was presented with not just a bedroom but an apartment suite. The bathroom, kitchen, and living room provided more than enough space and privacy, but I usually opted for company and conversation. True to Italian custom, this usually came during mealtime. Therefore, the stretched dinner table and nearby fireplace was our chosen hangout hearth and the equally grand kitchen the source of spark.

From our remote palace we sought out the less-traveled Tuscany.

The living room and kitchenette of my personal apartment in the Tuscan villa.
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From this modern-day palace we sought balance. Countless hilltop villages with storybook charm sat within an hour’s drive or less. The tourist havens of Florence and Siena were just beyond. However, the villa itself was an experience which should not be short-changed. Some days we’d pick a point on a map, a blurb in a guidebook, or a hill on the horizon and seek out the less-traveled Tuscany. On other days, we’d lace up the runners and stroll around the big cities. But my favorite days were those without agenda, vehicle, or clock. They were jogs past vineyards and farmhouses guarded by small armies of kenneled dogs. They were afternoons changing reading locales from fireplace to terrace to poolside back to fireplace. They were early evenings trying to discern water from sky in a puzzle of Venice’s Grand Canal. And they were the struggles of not spilling wine as normalcy’s forgotten silliness overcame us.

My gracious New Mexican hosts during one of our home-cooked feasts (clockwise from left): Irene, Joey, Courtenay, Kendra, and Christopher.
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Our Tuscan villa was two-fold novel. It was unique, and it belonged in fiction. However its greatest gifts were not Italian. They were things normal backpacking did not provide: clothes hanging in a closet, meals cooked for more than one, and conversations with friends from home. New friends are precious, but old ones are irreplaceable. My Tuscan tale was completed when I was joined by one of my closest friends from California. The last time I had seen Amanda, she was still a world apart. Her life was busied with responsibilities I had long left behind. Now, however, she was realizing travel dreams of her own, and, fortunately for me, they temporarily aligned with mine.

The view to which I woke each morning through my east-facing bedroom window.
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Despite our natural reluctances, we left the serenity of the villa for some unseen sites in Florence and the unvisited city of Pisa. On a day trip with the New Mexicans, I visited some of Florence’s larger offerings. We saw the central gem of Renaissance art, the Uffizi Gallery, as well as the architectural marvel that dominates the city skyline, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo). The intricacy of this church’s exterior is complemented (and perhaps overshadowed) by the scale and uniformity of Bruneschelli’s dome at the central junction of transepts, apse, and nave. Amanda and I supplemented these sites with visits to Piazza della Signoria just in front of the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio. Here sits the finest collection of Renaissance sculpture perhaps anywhere in the world. Although he is only a replica, David’s glare scares off any would-be Goliaths from the entrance to the palazzo. To his right , it is Neptune perched atop a 15m circular fountain that steals the show. And lining the piazza to his left, the one-time platform for public ceremony, the Loggia della Signoria, now shelters such treasures as Cellini’s Perseo and Rape of the Sabine Women.

The Tuscan villa in all its front facade glory.
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Two more churches lured us in before we caught a train to Pisa. The Church of Santa Croce was built just years before its more famous sister in the Piazza del Duomo. It wasn’t until almost 600 years later, however, that it got its look-alike face lift. Thankfully, the interior remains largely unchanged, save for renovation work, because of the who’s who of memorials. Dante, Michelangelo, Galileo, and even more recent Italian heroes such as Enrico Fermi may steal the eye and camera flashes, but the now-faceless Florentine tombstones beneath the feet are close seconds. Santa Maria Novella has no famous residents nor architecture to trump the city’s other churches. What it does boast is the best collection of Renaissance frescoes. Perspective and brilliance triumph here. The muted tones of Chiaroscuro and flat images of Gothicism have been replaced with a complete color palette as well as the third dimension.

An unassuming swingset which requires a bit of coordination after a glass of wine...
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Our final stop in Tuscany was Pisa. Once one of Italy’s great naval superpowers, this city is now best known for one of the world’s great architectural blunders. Arguably the most famous tower in the world, the Leaning Tower has had a remarkable history. Its soil began to shift just after three of its eight tiers had been completed. Various attempts were made to arrest the shifting soil, but none worked. The building was finished with a slight curve in order to compensate for its angled appearance. It was eventually accepted that this tower would forever lean until gravity and its unstable foundation determined its demise. However, ten years ago the tower was suspended while soil from its high side was removed and the lean was reduced to a stable state for several more centuries.

Our backyard pool. Despite its slightly above zero temperature, it was far too inviting not to get in.
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Pisa’s tower is naturally what gets the most attention, but it should not be the only thing. Apart from any stunning craftsmanship, a building 4m off the perpendicular is bizarre and, therefore, bound to receive loads of attention, even if its neighbors are equally impressive.  What many people may not realize is the Leaning Tower is but a supplemental structure. It is one of four components on one of Italy’s grandest piazzas. The Piazza dei Miracoli is an eternal trophy commemorating a victory over the Arabs in Sicily. The quartet consists of a majestic cathedral and three side pieces: the baptistery, the campanile (tower), and the cemetery. While all four components are visit-worthy and wholly beautiful, it is their collage that is so memorable. Unlike the cobblestone streets of Florence and Rome or the slinky canals of Venice, this piazza distinguishes itself with a lush grass carpet beneath its feet and a view of the old city centre rather than from it.