Entry by guest blogger Lee Robinson
Why
is Siena a mystery to me? It seems I always find myself there at night,
and almost inevitably get lost trying to find a parking lot. However,
once there it’s worth all the craziness of frantic traffic.
This
time, as usual, we are late but find a lot and hustle to meet Giorgio, who owns
a great Italian tour company which features customized and sometimes exotic
tours. As we are late we hurry navigating the dark medieval streets
past San Domenico twisting and turning with me tapping the ancient cobblestones
with my cane until we burst into the magnificent warm light of the Piazza dei
Campo. The proportions, history and magnificence of this enormous sloping
piazza with its din of activity, never ceases to amaze.
Allegra
had met Giorgio dell’Artino a few years ago at a travel cocktail party in
Boston, and quickly picks him out of the evening crowd. The Piazza dei Campo is
“the place to be” for the Sienese as well as the tourists; and, after quick
apologies and introductions, Giorgio quickly leads us to a favorite restaurant,
Guido…just a short block from the Campo. An enormous box of fresh porcini
greets us on a table at the entrance, indicative of the freshness of the dinner
to come. Guido is clearly a restaurant popular with local businessmen,
and apparently celebrities as well. The walls are adorned with black and
white photos from wainscoting to the ceiling with “people in the know”.
Dinner
is not disappointing and is truly delicious, the company excellent, along with
a shared bottle of Scansano diMorellino Riserva and lots of friendly
conversation about the economy, who’s traveling, and the tease of hot air
balloon rides, Ferrari drives, and the fascinating Etruscan villages in the
hills above Tuscany’s sand-dune shore.
Thank
you, Giorgio, for a fantastic night in Siena!
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