Cortona

I gathered my oversized suitcase and heavy carry on and lugged them across the parking lot of the Peretola airport in Florence, and quickly located my rental vehicle, only to discover that the same person who designed the narrow seats on the aircraft had apparently parked the car. After squeezing the suitcase in the back by removing the hatch cover I, by way of a series of contortions worthy of an acrobat, crawled over the gear shift from the passenger seat to the driver’s and was on my way. That is, until I tried to turn the corner to exit the parking lot, only to find cars had been parked willy nilly in such a way I did not feel I could make the curve without side swiping other cars parked with flagrant disregard to the driving abilities of said American driver.

After circling the lot, I eventually made my way out a narrow exit and negotiated the entrance to the A1 Autostrada. The drive south to Tuscany passed without incident although the Italian drivers had a disconcerting habit of passing me at break neck speed then merging back into my lane before they’d cleared my front bumper. There appear to be two speeds in Italy, 20 and 120, and to drive at any other speed was to take your life into your hands! I actually encountered a man driving a miniscule and aged white vehicle so slowly I thought he must have been pedaling the thing!

The town of Arezzo had many signs advertising a McDonalds and its “McDrive”. It seemed a good place to make a pit stop as my blood sugar was dipping and I needed to avail myself of the facilities, however, in spite of ample signage I never saw the place. Apparently, I had McMissed it.

The view of Cortona arriving from Arezzo is spectacular. Perched precariously on a hill, it is a series of warm gold buildings seemingly piled one atop the other like a house of cards. After climbing the steep grade and circling a one way street three times, I was finally brave enough to park the car on a hill and locate a tobacco shop where I could purchase a telephone card with which to call my landlord, Maria, who graciously walked down to meet me. She showed me where to drive into the city walls to drop off the luggage and directed me back outside the medieval walled city to park. There are few areas with free parking so those tiny spaces are at a premium. Unfortunately, they are not always clearly marked as to whether they are free or paid parking so ones makes a guess at it and hopes for the best. I eventually parked, hugged up tight against the city wall…near a sign which warns of falling rocks.

Maria and I had a devil of a time negotiating the steep stairs to my fourth floor apartment, the “mansard”, with the luggage, but where there’s a will there’s a way. The wooden apartment door opened to reveal a beautiful and typically Tuscan room, with beamed ceilings, plastered white walls, and wide, arched windows. The ceilings are sloped as befits the top floor of an old home, and the roof tiles have pictures of diamonds, flowers, and 8-pointed stars painted on them along with a date- 1763! The apartment has funny little windows perched here and there, to include one that looks to be an old arrow slit located in an alcove of my bedroom along with the fuse box. From the living room there is an incredible view over the tiled red roofs of Cortona to the green Val di Chiana valley far below. Maria assures me that views at sunrise are spectacular. I can hardly wait!