Bella Tuscany.

I’m finally here in Tuscany, and it’s just breathtakingly beautiful. My hotel is on top of a mountain looking out over the vineyards, and it’s serene and perfect. But getting here… not so much. My google directions got me about three minutes from the Hertz agency before I became completely lost.

The street signs tend to be stone plaques on the corner of buildings. While I can admire the artistic effect, it makes it really difficult while driving. I looped back around side streets and through the same roundabout several times, then made it onto the correct street. The next turn stumped me though. I finally saw a sign for Siena, so made a frantic turn – frantic only to me, because turn signals seem to be COMPLETELY optional for Italian drivers. So do lane markers, when they exist at all.

I followed signs for Siena, but somehow ended up on the autostrada toward Pisa. NOT where I was trying to be, but it got me out of Florence and let me figure out where I was on the map. Tuned out I was only about 15-20 km out of my way, which I easily made up by cutting back through a couple of smaller towns. It turned out to be a beautiful drive. Once I relaxed enough to let go of the damn steering wheel and BREATHE, this was my reward.