Friday May 13th, 4:05 AM- Torrita Di Siena
It’s 4am and I finally have awaken from the “nap” I decided was best to take upon my arrival at the hotel rotella just outside Siena. This newly restored farm house is situated at the top of a massive lush, green hillside with a view that is breathtaking. My window is open, and the spring air flows in with the melodic sounds of the symphony that resides here. Birds sing through the dense trees and seem to pay homage to the starry night sky. The air is rich and sweet, yet altogether fresh and simplistic. Rows and rows of grapes line the manicured pastures, while quaint farmhouses dot the vast open spaces. Green stretches out as far as the eye can see. It is more beautiful than I had prepared for. The cobblestone streets that curve and disappear behind the stone shops and villas. The flowers that spill down the side of windows. Even the drive up to the hotel from the cheerful owner seemed fast, mystical, effortlessly charming.
One gets the sense immediately that life here is on a different clock. A Narnia of sorts. There is no Starbucks, no Kinko’s, not a sign of a CVS styled pharmacy. There is wildflowers, sunlight, and statues to greet me instead. Nothing is familiar, and yet it feel strangely like I’ve finally come home. A place that makes me feel as though it has a heartbeat all it’s own. As if watching me and silently bending to my self discovery. Italy is constant in its majestic awe. I continually say to the pleasant host of my hotel, “There are no words…..”
