Am I there yet??

Coming into Sartunia (I think)
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Friday Nov 24th:

Let me say that yesterday was better than today.  But I suppose not everyday of this trip can be the greatest day ever. I had high hopes for what I thought was going to be a somewhat large beautiful resort type of town built around these gigantic inviting hot springs.  Not quite.  There are 3 towns all pretty much laid out in a long Y and Saturnia is at the bottom end.  First, it is pretty yucky out, I’m starving and I can’t find a hotel anywhere that is open.  Seems like from 1-3:30 even the front desk of hotels close down.  And of course it’s 1:30 and I’m here….

Those are the hotsprings from the road
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After driving the endless winding road a million times I make my way down a long driveway as advertised to be a Bed and Breakfast.  It looks lovely and desolate.  I wander until I see live human beings – I totally interrupt them in their home as I peer in thru the living room window, and of course language is problem number one.  The woman tells me to sit and calls someone else.  Another woman who speaks some English arrives (the owner) and tells me they are pretty much closed down since it’s not the season but I can stay with no breakfast and no heat.  Maybe I didn’t mention that on top of the yucky day it’s freezing out.  (for me) She is being so nice and I don’t know how to say no thank you.  She shows me the room for $38 Euro – great deal if you want to freeze with no food and a bedroom that looked as depressed as I was feeling.  My mouth smiled and said thank you, and my body was screaming to get out of there.  Long story a bit shorter, I went and found some late lunch, a coffee and under the cloak of darkness put 10 euro on the bed and left to find something a bit more cheery and maybe to include a bite to eat in the morning.

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Now its 5:30 and I had passed the “Saturnia Spa and Resort” a hundred times so I thought maybe since it’s off-season I could afford it.  I had to page from the huge gates, they let me in and 5 minutes later I was at the reception area.  The Lamborghini should have been my first clue that off-season or not it’s not for me, but I’m a glutton for punishment.  I walk up to the front desk and ask how much.  $240 Euro a night – not to include access to the hot springs.  Get Out!!

So now I’m writing from my new found B&B in Saturnia proper, where a lovely old Italian grandmother who spoke no English but my spirit was instantly connected to her and I somehow understood every thing she said.  She showed me my very pretty warm and snuggly room, huge bathroom, huge shower, and full breakfast for a very reasonable price.  I’m feeling much better.  She tells me where to eat so around 8 I make my way to dinner.  I think it was honestly the most fabulous meal I’ve had thus far.  I had no idea what to order but understood “Ravioli” so I just pointed.  The staff was overly consumed with either the fact that I had jeans and a sweatshirt on or that I was “just uno” as I had to explain 3 times.  Either way the hand made oh so light, melt in your mouth ravioli was perfect.  I then asked my waitress to choose a dessert for me and what arrived was a chocolate triangle filled with nuts and coconut and other good stuff sitting on a plate covered in I think sweetened condensed milk and chocolate shavings.  ABFAB!!

After the hotspring experience I’m leaving Saturnia tomorrow for the coast.  Orbetello I think?