Inside Tuscany Tours

Driving in Italy Part II: Navigating

2009-06-08T10:59:00.003-06:00

Navigating

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Finding your way from one place to another is more than reading the map. Our American experience tells us to find specific road and to follow the numbered road signs to our destination. In Italy that doesn’t always work.

The roads in Italy have numbers—far and few in between. The Italian practice is to point to the next town or towns. Rather than finding a sign that points you to State Road 222 on your way to Siena, you’ll find a sign labeled “Siena” with an arrow in that direction. It may or may not be State Road 222. Of course, there are usually multiple ways to a city and you may find yourself on another road. If you find that you are not on the road that you wanted but the signs still point to your destination, you’re OK.

Thus, reading the map is important, because not all roads to a destination are a good choice. Some may be narrow and winding and slow while others are well kept, wide and more direct. Look at the map and be aware of where you are so you can follow the best route. I was working my way to Sant’Antimo in the Val d’Orcia. I knew that I had to follow signs to Montalcino. I found a sign, turned right, and within three miles I left the paved road and was suddenly on a narrow, rocky, and dusty gravel trail. I had no idea where I was on the map or how I got there. I knew that the last sign I saw pointed to Montalcino, so I kept going. Although rough and curvy, the road led me to incredible panoramas of the Val d’Orcia that few people get to see. Unfortunately, since I didn’t know how I got there or where I was on the map I haven’t been able to repeat the beautiful trip. Tuscany is small and eventually you’ll wind up somewhere you can find on the map.

Driving in Italy Part I: Autostrada

2009-03-21T11:23:00.000-06:00

DRIVING ON THE AUTOSTRADA

First, I’ll take care of the autostrada, the high speed, excellent tollways that whisk you up and down the length and breadth of Italy. Though similar, it is not the same as the interstate highway system in the US. It can be confusing and complicated because there are a lot of new procedures to learn.

What about speed? On the autostrada, fast is the rule; however, there is a speed limit, 120 kph (about 75 mph) and the majority of cars obey the law. In fact, the police often set up radar traps and use automatic cameras attached to a pole to take your picture if you go by too fast. There are cars that will whiz past at 140, 150, or even close to 200 kph, but these are the minority and usually large Mercedes, BMWs, Alfa Romeos, Maseratis, and the like — cars built for speed. However, I have been passed at more than 120 kph by tiny Smart cars.

One of the rules is that the left lane is used only for passing; there is no cruising in the left lane. Once you’ve passed a car or truck, move immediately to the right. You have to glance frequently in your rear view mirror when in the left lane. I’ve glanced in the mirror and seen a car a mile or so behind me. Suddenly the car is behind me, flashing its bright lights meaning “Get out of my way you cazzo!” You’ll wind up watching your rearview mirror more than looking out the windshield. It is not unknown for a car to move up and get your attention by bumping you. If you can’t stand the pressure, stay to the right and match the other car’s speeds. But then, to make it more complicated, Italian drivers have a couple of ways around the move right rule.
For example, don’t assume that lane markers divide cars. Some drivers seem to think that it is a guide that their car should straddle. Since the rule is to move right after passing, some cars will begin to move right with their turn signal flashing but suddenly get stuck straddling the lane marker. This is a way of following the “move right” rule, but also holds the position in the left lane so it can’t be blocked in from entering the lane to pass. Another gimmick is the constant flashing right-turn signal light. The car will pass with the signal flashing and then stay in the left lane with the signal flashing, implying that it is moving right, but reluctant to give up its position in the left lane.

You might be thinking, “OK, I’ll just stick to the right lane.” However truck traffic is extremely heavy in Italy, except on Sunday when truck drivers don’t drive. If you want to make even reasonable time, you will need to learn to move left to pass the trucks, which are usually limited to 90 or 100 kph, so you needn’t drive too fast. When you see trucks ahead, move over to the left as soon as possible so you don’t get blocked in by the trucks and the passing cars. Since all cars are moving left to get by the trucks, the speed in the left lane will be far from obsessive.

The exits are well marked and they are important to watch because access to the autostrada is extremely limited. Unlike in the US, exits are often 30 to 60 km apart and only major cities have their own exits, smaller towns and cities share an exit with several other towns. Sometimes there are so many names on an exit sign that you’ll pass by before reading them all, so just watch for the name of the place you are going to. It’s deceptive because the place you are going to may be another 20 km down the highway and you can’t imagine there isn’t a nearer exit. I had driven in Italy several time before finally figuring this out. One Sunday I was on my way for a quick visit to some cousins in Montepulciano. As I zipped along, I saw a sign indicating that the next exit was coming up was form Montepulciano, but I rapidly glanced at my map and thought that the “real” exit must be further down — that there had to be a Montepulciano exit. I wound up driving another 50 km to the border between Tuscany and Umbria. I had to exit, pay the toll, turn around, pick up another toll ticket and return to the original exit for Montepulciano. Moral of the story: believe the exit signs.

The opposite situation can also occur. The nearest exit for a town may be further on past where the town lines up with the highway.

Space is at a premium in Italy so the exits are short and narrow and appear before you expect them. A sign marks that indicates 1000 m (1 km) distance from the exit is only a bit over ½-mile away. Begin slowing down and preparing then. The exit cuts to the right quickly, putting you on the shoulder, which is now an exit “ramp.”

About every 30 to 50 km you’ll find a rest area, usually complete with fuel and small bar or café. Larger rest areas have cafeterias and small convenient stores. Don’t worry about finding the cheapest gas, the price of gas is government controlled so the prices at the rest areas don’t differ much from towns and cities. You wouldn’t want to leave the highway for fuel anyway, because you’ll have to pay the tolls, find the gas station, and then enter the autostrada again — inconvenient. Watch the road signs because if you have to go to the bathroom or need gas, don’t get caught zooming by the rest area because it may be 30 to 50 more km to the next one. Rest area stops do not let you leave the highway. Some rest areas are simple picnic areas.

One of the mistakes I made on my way to Montepulciano was reading the map. I saw what looked like an exit nearer my town. However, it was a rest area, not an exit. If I’d looked carefully I’d have seen that indicated on the map.

The autostrada tolls aren’t cheap. Most Italians will not use the autostrada to go somewhere nearby, taking the local roads instead. It costs about €10.00 ($14.00) to go 100 km. The toll stops are almost all fully automated without any human presence. When entering the tollway a pole spits out a ticket. When you exit, small stops will have automatic “tellers”. You stick in the ticket and it tells you the cost and then you use a credit card or cash. The machines give change for a variety of euro bills.

Speed limits slow and the number of lanes grows as you approach major cities. Speed often goes down to 60 to 90 km while winding your way around the city. As a tourist, your best strategy is stay in the right or center lanes as you look for you exit.
When entering cities like Rome or Milan, the tollway stops suddenly a bit outside the city to collect tolls. The periphery around the city is free and if continuing to travel beyond the city you’ll eventually pick up the tollway again on the other side, stopping for a new ticket.

Watch the labels above the toll booths. A few accept cash with a person. Others take credit cards or cash, others take only cash, and still others take only the express toll transponder.

The atuostrada is always under repair and delays are inevitable. On the whole, the autostrada is in excellent condition with few potholes and cracks. The advantage of taking tolls is that the Italians use the money to keep the road under repair for a couple of reasons: first, you are paying a lot for this ride and deserve a good road surface, and second, the government can be held responsible for repairs if your car is damaged because of bad road.

What does all this mean? First, plan ahead. Study the map and learn the exits that you need to use. Second, take your time and don’t get stressed out. Missing an exit is not the worst thing in the world, simply drive on, turn around and come back. Third, when in doubt, stay to the right. Fourth, you are in Italy to learn and experience another culture, enjoy it, laugh and learn from your mistakes.

See more about my Tuscany: http://www.insidetuscanytours.com

It All Comes Down to the Bread

2009-03-21T11:05:00.000-06:00

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE BREAD

“French.”

“Italian.”

“French.”

“Italian.”

After a recent trip to France and Italy, Jill and I disagreed about which cuisine was better. We argued about wines, regional differences, sauces, snails, mussels, and mushrooms. We discussed the merits of foie gras, steak Florentine, wild boar sauce, Beaujolais, and Vino Nobile. The options are endless; but, I explained, the deciding factor was the simplest of foods — bread.

Bread. The staff of life. Whether made from wheat, barley, rice, or potato flours — unleavened or leavened — bread is common to all cultures. People get angry when they can’t get bread (see the French Revolution).

French bread is a feast for all the senses. Round and golden, with a hard, crispy crust that belies the soft, delicate interior. Once torn open (you tear French bread, never cut) it releases an enticing bouquet of wheat and yeast, leading to taste that dissolves slowly on the tongue.” We’ve shared many simple, economical picnics of French bread, wine, and cheese.

Italian bread also has a hard, crispy exterior — and there the comparison ends. Flat, no more than a couple of inches high, the exterior is pale and sickly grey. When torn open, there is little bouquet, in any, and a table full of crumbs. Far from melting in your mouth, it turns into a paste that clogs your throat and must be washed down with water and wine.

Initially I thought that I’d purchased a day-old loaf. So I stopped by the bakery first thing in the morning, yearning for fresh bread with the same soft and melt-in-your mouth interior. The pallid color hadn’t changed but I was convinced that the bread had to be fresher. I bought a loaf and eagerly returned to the apartment where I tried to tear off a piece — no luck. So I used a serrated knife and started to saw back and forth — and saw and saw with crumbs flying all over the table like sawdust. The morning’s “fresh” loaf was the same, stale and dry. Maybe it was just a bad bakery? I tried other bakeries with the same results and after about 5 loaves it dawned on me that they came out of the oven already stale. In fact, it was probably already stale when it was placed in the oven. It doesn’t help that the bread’s wrapping is porous cellophane and often kept in paper bags in homes.

I wondered, “What is going on here? How can a country with such great food make such crummy bread?” I later found the answer at one of our lengthy Italian dinners at my cousins’ home in Arezzo. Luca was sawing pieces of bread for the dinner table, crumbs shooting out like sparks from a sparkler. Luca and Raffaella began talking about Italian bread and declared that the Tuscan variety was the greatest bread in the world and all of Italy. I struggled mightily to keep my jaw from dropping and having the homemade ravioli fall out.

Then, in low voices, they told me the secret to Italian bread — salt. Well not really. The secret is that they don’t use salt in the bread dough. And there it was, the key. Lack of salt leads to its insipid appearance and flavor, explaining why it gets stale so quickly, and why you never see a loaf more than two or three inches high.

Remember basic Italian bread survival tips. Travel with a chisel or small saw and make sure that you order a liter of water or wine — preferably both — to wash it down.

For more on my life and tours in Tuscany: http://www.insidetuscanytours.com