San Marino - Florence - Siena bis Castiglioncello

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I am sorry, but the translation takes always a lot of time. This text is mostly translated by the Google Translator. I know the translation will be not the best, but I need to save time. I hope you’ll understand it.
Cheers
Gordon

09.06.2013

Hi there,

sometime in the morning we came out of the bed. By 13 clock we had to be gone from the campsite. I once again enjoyed the beautiful shower. Then packed stuff and just looked again over the internet. To item 13 clock we went off and paid our bill. Almost 90 euros for 4 nights. With us one night when our car just stood there, was also adopted.
But we stayed for a while in the visitor parking area and have set ourselves again to the restaurant. Julia has not seen what the internet and I’ve been drinking a cappuccino.

Then we was on the road to the south. Along the Adriatic Sea. The goal was Gatteo a Mare. A small coastal town that Julia knew from before and wanted to visit again. In the meantime, however, the place has developed over the last 10 years into a tourist site. A hotel at the other. And where no hotel has space, there is a gift shop or other business with junk. We went short down to the beach. Julia was brave and is with her feet in the water. I once touched it with the hand. Is quite enjoyable. But we had no time for swimming. The water had not a good visibility. It wouldn’t be great to snorkel in it. Then we turned a lap time in the village, eaten an ice cream and left the village quickly again. The aim of the day was finally San Marino .

San Marino, a fly s*** on the map. Approx. 30km from Rimini and in the middle of Italy. It did not take long until we were there. And like it has pushed us to the mountain titanium. Here is a Giant fortress on the mountain. In this even today people live and of course also many souvenir shops, restaurants and other tourism industry is based. But authorities are also located here.

We have reached the place shortly after 7pm. It was still a little light, and so we had a quick look around. Then the search for a nice place to stay over night. We found a car park nearby (P8). Which we liked. Front view of the country and right behind us the huge city walls. Totally awesome, again :) At night also no parking fees, so we left it to chance. If nobody is telling us to go away then we were lucky again and a great place to sleep.

10.06.2013

Hi there,

we was lucky. No policeman shooed us away at the night. Julia am still concerned with regulations a parking ticket at 8 … and then we have continued to sleep. :) At 10 was the parking ticket expired and we needed a new one. Then I also got up and we started to explore the fortress / city.

First, we was in the souvenir shops. Buying Postcards of course. :) Then again run through the streets. Look here, look there, uphill, downhill. In a cathedral, we looked inside and then came a short rain shower.
At the end of the tour we visited the Museum of Torture. Real sick shit …

In between times we talked about anything and there came somehow this “Your mother” jokes in my mind. It then came to me, “Your country is so small …” come to mind are … this time we were constantly busy to invent “Your country is so small …” jokes. Such as
“Your country is so small, that the tourists have to stand on the border in a waiting line.” (San Marino has an area of 60 km ² and 32,000 inhabitants.)
Or
“Your country is so small, that the neighboring countries have to donate the view” (60 km ² … from the mountain you can see more Italy than San Marino ;))

Sorry Love San Marino citizens :) But there are still more small countries (by which we are also still get through). Lichtenstein we already had, San Marino now. Come Monaco, Andorra and Gibraltar (although I’m not sure yet if that is a separate country).

After the city tour we went on towards Florence. Inge again refused the service. But it was because she had no maps of San Marino. Later she took over the leadership again and led us along country roads towards Florence. And through beautiful countryside, again. First through a valley and then back again into the mountains. I made videos of it, but I can edit only after the trip, as I have no equipment for it at the moment. Anyway, we drove on a small road through the mountains.

After a little eternity we left the mountains and came to Florence. It was now almost dark. Our goal was in the middle of downtown. Actually, even in the pedestrian zone. The museum Ufizi. Where the famous painting “The Birth of Venus “ by Sandro Botticelli is. This is a highlight of the trip, which Julia wanted to see.
I’ve just drove as Inge told me. An mistake. She led me directly to the city center of Florence. Not a good idea! Traffic-calmed zones, small mini lanes, pedestrian, darkness and no plan where to go. Pure stress factor.
And then we couldn’t find any parking space. Back again and still found no parking outside. Taken a wrong turn and we’re back in the middle. All one-way streets. No chance to escape.

After a Perceived eternity, then we have found a place in front of a hotel and get hold of a car park there. We decided to go to visit the city center by night. If we’re here already, after all the stress.
So we were still quite a large round through the city, down to the river. We passed also already the museum and knew where to go next day.
On the way back we got ourselves a pizza to go, just before the restaurant closed. Back at the car we then eat the pizza and talked a bit. After that we wanted to build and stay in the same place too actually, even if the place was in the middle of downtown – more or less.

But then Suddenly a police car came. Shortly thereafter, another team transporter. The police was just standing around. Somehow they did not seem to really know what to do. We were a little confused now, waiting and see what happens. To park there is not forbidden.
Then 2 police cars came and stopped right in front of us. And suddenly there was a squad of about 25 police officers in front of our car … and ran over and behind us into the next street side. :o … We are waiting. And Julia fall asleep in the passenger seat.
After about 20 minutes they came back and said goodbye to each other and one by one car drove off … until all were gone. What they have done we don’t know. We then built on, however, and finally went to bed around 1:30.

11/06/2013

Hi.

Unexpectedly quiet we slept in the middle of Florence. In the morning, the place was, as expected, filled with life. The bus had a stop directly in front of us and many people (most probably tourists) ran through the streets.

We joined them soon. Again through the streets we was walking yesterday night already. Today, however, in the light and with a lot more people in it.
I realized much again from the time when I was here on completion of the classroom before. Also raises a few old memories that were long disappearance.

We reached the Uffizi Gallery very quickly and had to quickly find here a huge queue in front of the the entrance. …. Like in front of almost every attraction in Italy But since we really wanted to come in here, we presented to us. The display told us that we will queue for about 2 hours. Great!
So I quickly ran again through the streets in search of a restroom and found it finally in a restaurant. Back Julia was still in the same place in line. Nothing had moved. Only every 15 minutes they let purely a few visitors in.

Then I sent Julia going on, so she could see a little of the city and I waited in line. It could still take some time.
In the end we got away with just over an hour wait. Then we went – after a security check like in the airport – finally into the Uffizi. Who does not know this … it is a huge and famous collection of paintings and statues. Photographing strictly prohibited. Each room was guarded by 1-3 guards.
Within the Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli. The work for which we, especially, were here. In addition, many famous paintings of Italian and International painters and all kinds of statues.
We spent in the art exhibition around 2 hours, before we were through and had seen everything.

Then we went on – more or less – a direct way back to the kangaroo. It was still there and in one piece. Good! :)
After another sweaty journey from Florence out we went on to Siena. Here is a cathedral which Julia had also visited many years ago. It is completely striped black and white.

About 18 clock we reached the small town on the west side of Italy. Again, these mini lanes, but not so crowded as in Florence … fortunately. We found a parking space right at a roundabout in the city center. But there was nothing going on. We went for a walk, to find the Cathedral already and visiting it in the evening. After 10 minutes of walking through the city, we then found it. Is indeed difficult to see such a huge cathedral. Moreover, a black and white striped. :)
Of course it was closed. From 10:30 to 19:00 it is open (for 6.50 euros). Unfortunately, we were there only 19:30. But even if we had previously been there yet, we want also still have to watch a bit of time.

So we are back through the city back to the car. We went in a supermarket (Conad) shop that was near the roundabout. It was now about 20:30, but it was still open. So we are pure and have looked here and there which added to the cart. Until eventually the man ran out of the information by the market and told everyone that she has yet ready to close the market now. We were almost through already. Just quickly wrap up drinks.
At the checkout, the cashier asked me in Italian if I want a bag (which are there not around, the cashier has it). I have not understood the same and he asked me again in English. I told him yes, two please.
Then he whispered something to the other cashier and finally came the type from the information to the conversation and chimed in with a. They were all grinning and the whispering. Julia told me later, when we were outside, they have blasphemed through us. He had to make us several times pointed out that the market does close and we still continue shopping. The cashier said that we are a little handicapped. This kind of rudeness … I have repeatedly noticed in the last few days in Italy, even without understanding what people are talking about. Sometimes it’s just rudeness, sometimes it borders on racism and sometimes both. Of course, not everyone is so, but some here.

We are then back to the car. In the parking lot we could not stay overnight. So new car park for the night. Although we had seen on the way a nice one. However, it was something outside of the city and without any Wi-Fi. We tried our luck at a McDonalds parking lot. Of which we had heard that they always have Wi-Fi for their guests. In Italy, unfortunately, not really. There was free Wi-Fi, but that was with a login. To get the data, you have to register with an Italian SIM card (mobile phone). We have not. And so there was no internet for us at McDonalds. So we then drove to the parking lot which we had previously seen.

A nice big parking lot just outside the gates of the city, coming from Florence.
There were already two campers there (from Greece). We simply placed behind it, about in the middle of the parking lot. Building up our car and Julia fall pretty soon asleep. I had to write a few lines finally about the trip. I haven’t done it for days already.
Just before I was about to go to sleep, I’ve smoked one. And just in time, the police came and placed himself under the nearest lamppost. What now? Since they do not come over, I just got back in the car, lights off and waited a few minutes. Maybe they just did just break. Eventually, I just closed my eyes and fall asleep as well.

12.06.2013

The night was not good. Because of the police I slept in full gear. Eventually I woke up because I was sweating. Back asleep and later woke up because I was freezing. I felt in the morning like a piece of…
Julia had already come rather out of bed and came back from somewhere and said “Overnight, they have set up the signs ‘campers 20 Euro’ in the night ‘, ticket booth, and WC”. Of course they have not. Last night was it all already there. We have not seen it on the huge parking lot. Especially since it was on the other end.
I then booted again to the newly discovered outhouse. Then we have Mined and went. There are fortunately still 2 other exits without ticket booth (otherwise we would have seen it in the evening). Moreover, we are anyway not a camper, but a van. :)

Then we went back into the town center, on a parking space. And that was a cramp. Worse than in Florence. A small town with a few parking places for to much tourists. We finally found a place in a private car park. 1.80 Euro for the hour the price was still good. When I remember of the EUR 7 per hour in Munich …

From there was it again about 15 minutes walk to the cathedral. This time, the ticket office was open and we set off immediately. The cathedral is very impressive. As I said very black and white striped. All walls. Hard to believe when you can not see (see photos below ;)). We spent about 2 hours in the cathedral. Of course, many photos. Some I’ve attached below.

After the visit to the Cathedral, it went for a coffee (and a good toilet) in a cafe and then back to the car. We wanted to continue to Castiglioncello, close to Pisa. Another place to Julia would like to attend. On the way there we drove through the beautiful Tuscany. Really (and again) a very beautiful landscape. And I wondered how hilly / mountainous Europe. Until now, anyway. Almost every day we drive up and down mountains. And usually with a beautiful landscape.

We then arrived right early in Castiglioncello. We went to first parking lot and went straight to the beach. He looked a little … concreted over and over. Hardly you can find beach, lots of concrete. But not so much hotels as in Gatteo a Mare. It is also only a small village by the sea. To sleep we found nothing and unfortunately reminded us that we didn’t had a shower since Venice. So I asked Inge for nearby campsites. (As an Inge is worth real gold!) 7 km away she was showing me in an area equal to 4 at one place. So we went off.

The first ran. 8 EUR per person and a car for 6 euros. Would then 24 together. But first we had a look at the campsite. Situated on the seafront. Once we have looked at the place. Looked good. Directly behind the beach. WiFi was also available. So back and booked directly … until the lady said the price of 32 euros. Why this now? Since we would sleep in the car, the car would count as caravans. Hmm … that was not the plan and not in our budget. So we are to the next, here’s the same game. Then, the 3rd. A bit into the country side, not directly on the beach. This effectively. Here we have really paid together only 18 euros. And except beach was also all there. Toilets, showers and free Wi-Fi. This, however, only near the bar. But just what was free.

We liked the campsite also very much. A bit in the trees (even squirrels jumping around here). We have the feeling to have landed here a bit at a hippie place. But totally cool. When we asked when we need to be off the next day and the long-haired young man at the reception said ‘actually at 10, but there is just nothing going on … does matter. And if you leave in the afternoon, it does not matter. ‘… Take it easy :)

The only thing that bothers us here is the bar. In the evening is apparently disco doing here … and we are right next to it … But otherwise great visit here :) Our next campsite. Tomorrow we may continue to Genova or we stay here. We’ll see.

Greetings
Gordon