Driving to Distraction…

“A Chinese poet many centuries ago noticed that to re-create something in words is like being alive twice. ”                      ― Frances Mayes, Under the Tuscan Sun

The sheer terror of driving in Italy rivals blood sports such as running with the bulls and squirrel-suit diving. Entering traffic flow from Rome’s Hertz garage to navigate through the anarchy of death-wish motorcyclists, swerving micro “smart-cars”, unconscious jay-walkers, splashing potholes, and maddening directional signage, all harmonize to produce a slow-building panic.

Upon finding l’Autostrada, we snake through verdant hills of Lazio and Umbria offering little relief from gripping road angst. Choices are reduced: meekly subordinate oneself to a tedious queue of trucks hauling loads bound for Slovakia or Romania, or risk the “fast lane” where our underpowered Fiat Punto is bullied by Audis and “Bimmers” lights flashing inches behind the rear bumper, pressing the issue without warning at 90 mph! I steer back to the brutish caravan of truckers only to repeat the process ad nauseum, as the road twists through hills and evaporates in dark tunnels!

The antidote to all this frenzy would seem to naively take a leisurely drive among the woodlands and sleeping vineyards of Tuscany. Not surprisingly, I am reduced to oaths of “never again” as narrow blind curves reveal sports car enthusiasts skidding nightmarishly into our lane. Madonna!

Fortunately the family Agriturismo, where we are lone-pampered guests, offers healing from PTSD (Post-Toscana Scared Driving). We are treated to home-cooked Tuscan meals served by a roaring fireplace. Many of the ingredients for the cucina are della casa including dry Chianti, freshly-laid morning eggs, and tangy olive oil.

Headlines of our week under a chilly Tuscan sun include: a six-hour Sunday “lunch” with friends at their farmhouse in rustic Umbria; wandering strolls through classic Florence; savoring salads with redolent stracciatella and crisp focaccia at mid-day; a seven-mile energizing passeggiata among the terraced hills above Savernano, where we discover a seemingly forgotten Roman footbridge crossing a valley stream overgrown with forest moss.

Photos provide additional texture…

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