Travels With My Sister ~ Milan to Cortona

Planning the trip is part of the pleasure. For those of us who enjoy the choices and challenges of travelling independently, the internet is a godsend as long as you work to specific criteria, remember to convert foreign currency prices to Oz dollars, and watch the bottom line for assorted ‘city taxes’ and ‘booking charges’ before you present the plastic card. Another thing I’ve learned to check is the distance from airport to city; Milan’s main airport is a forty-five minute drive from the city, which translates to A$100 by taxi! However there is a very plush bus service for A$13 –if you are not too weary after the flight to find it.

My criteria are mainly location and price. Central location means higher price, generally speaking, but there are gems to be found in back streets – for our overnight stay in Milan on arrival in Italy, I found a small 2-star hotel just 2 blocks from La Scala and the Cathedral: small bedroom and a shower recess that was a challenge to tuck our bottoms in to close the door, but spotlessly clean, and with a delightful breakfast room with stained glass windows and very comprehensive breakfast included in the price.

 

The next day, onward by train to Cortona, via Florence; we had checked our timetable and bought tickets online, but nearly came undone in Florence where we had to change trains with fairly tight timing because Cortona doesn’t have many trains on Sundays – and found that tickets ain’t tickets, only vouchers that have to be processed at confusing machines on the very crowded station. So Sis did the processing while I wrestled our luggage towards the waiting train and sweated until she came running down the platform with a couple of minutes to spare! The trains are VERY punctual.

 

Our first sight of Cortona from the train was thrilling. High on a hill, the mellow old buildings appeared to be painted on the patchwork green and brownish landscape, a quintessential Tuscan portrait. We were driven to our apartment by the owner’s English-speaking friend (a real bonus) and I was torn between loving the scenery and worrying about the quality of the apartment I’d booked online – it’s one thing to live with my own decisions, but another to feel responsible for Sis – what if I’d booked a real lemon?

The owner and a crowd of curious neighbours were there to give us a warm and confused Italian welcome, and as soon as we made it inside my worries were dissolved in the huge grins of delight on our faces – it was magic! Old, 2-storey stone, with 2 bathrooms, bedrooms beautifully prepared with ironed, embroidered linen, fully equipped kitchen and lounge furnished with antiques, shuttered windows framing the view of Tuscan farmland. First impressions? We were speechless.



Sampling Cortona’s local produce



Ensuite bathroom, Italian style



 

We couldn’t wait to get out and explore the town, which is small and easy to navigate; well, as long as you can push your legs and lungs up and down the steep streets and winding laneways! Shopping for fresh food was a delight, and we were like a couple of kids playing house, so delighted to have our own little pad to cook snacks in and just live to our own timetable instead of being in a hotel.



The view from my bedroom!



 

So we settled in for 2 weeks, and spent our days walking, eating, drinking, shopping, exploring. We found the sanctuary where St. Francis went for retreats, a massive stone building where there are still monks spending retreat time gardening and maintaining the place – one of them chatted to us and found me an English version of the history of the Sanctuary.

We hired a car for a few days to explore the countryside; I was promptly and undemocratically appointed driver so had to take the challenge of left-hand driving amongst some of the craziest drivers on the planet. All went well until we drove on to the ferry to go to Elba: the attendant beckoned me to one side and directed me to drive up the 45 deg. ramp to the upper deck for tiny cars, and I swear the ramp was no wider than my dining table- I was paralysed for a moment, just can’t do this, help! But the cars behind me had no mercy and nor did the attendant, who ran up the ramp backwards in front of me, urging me on – did he not realise he was in imminent danger of being crushed as I was terrified of losing revs and stalling on the bloody ramp! Terrifying.

We survived, and loved exploring Elba with its history as the place where “The Emperor Napoleon took early retirement”(Lonely Planet quote). His house and garden were open to tour, and well maintained, decorated with horses’ head sculptures (he missed his battle ponies) and pictures of bees (apparently the royal symbol of his court – who knew?). Some wonderful trompe de l’oeil wall painting of drapes that looked so real you wanted to touch them. Apparently the man basically ran the island and lined his pockets with local industry, and then escaped in plain sight while the English administrator was away for a week!

 

Evening in the piazza

Most days, we just enjoyed being temporary locals in our village; we felt disgracefully superior towards the bus tour groups who were dropped off for a few hours and martialled together by flag-carriers while we sipped and munched in our favourite cafes! In the evenings we watched the locals gather and chat, the women strolling with children while the old men gathered in their corner of the piazza where they seemed to have exclusive use of the seats to argue loudly, gesticulate, and drink beer.



Cortona - the house used as a set for‘Under the Tuscan Sun’




There were a couple of typically Italian adventures, such as the day we took the bus to a nearby town for an annual market, then waited over an hour for the bus home – only to be told (eventually) that on this market day, buses don’t run from this stop! No notices, just cancel the buses! Local knowledge takes a little longer to pick up, and you can get frustrated, or just laugh at yourself and walk to the other side of town to catch the bus – that’s independent travel.

Helen