Not talking about Giuseppe Verdi this time, but our amazing tour bus driver. He drove a 10-passenger Renault van (bus?). After picking up Chef John and the rest of our group, we left the Turin airport. There we had our only scuffle. A car came up beside us and for some reason purposefully scrapped along the side of our van with his car. Giuseppe and the other driver exchanged hand gestures and then went separate ways. We were not sure how the driving part in Italy was going to go after that.
But Giuseppe had chauffeured Chef's groups before and I can see why John sticks with him. From that moment on, we were all impressed by his driving skills and soon he became an integral part of our little group. He was a soft-spoken, gentle man, but a fearless driver.
At some point I apologized to Giuseppe for having to pick us up in city center Torino, little did I know that this was the norm in Italy. Most streets are windy and narrow. Ninety degree (or less) turns seemed impossible in our large 4-row commercial size van. Often we were on dirt or one-way roads, with little margin for error.
One must realize (as in France when we visited there) streets were built hundreds or even a thousand+ years ago. At that time the biggest vehicle was a horse-drawn cart and, at the "Mercedes" end, maybe a royal coach or golden chariot. Buildings were constructed with their door steps right on the street. No front lawns, curbs, or shoulders. Cars, scooters, and bikes are often partially parked in driving lanes or mixed in with traffic. On country roads there were mountains on one side and steep drop-offs with no guard rail on the other.
On toll roads, we were all fraidy cats (so glad Chef was in the front row and not me!). Commercial vehicles had numbers on them stating how fast they could go...70, 80, or 90 kilometers per hour. No one got in the passing lane unless they were actually passing. Vehicles all tailgated within a few feet of the next car or truck. It was organized chaos. I often closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, or looked out the side window for distraction. But we all had faith in Giuseppe.
He often used GPS, but many of the places we went to were "off the radar." Only one or two times did we have to double back for a very short distance. Granted some of our destinations he had visited before, but we were still impressed.
Most Italians, even at a young age, are used to drinking wine throughout the day--at least with meals. But we NEVER saw Giuseppe imbibe in wine or any alcohol. This could have jeopardized his job and his passengers. Just one time, when a very special liquor was being served, did he have just a sip to try something he had never had before. The rest of the time it was water or caffè.
We only had one mishap. Going uphill into a dirt parking lot was a hidden metal strip and we bottomed out. It actually tore the step stored under the bottom of the van. So for the last two days we had to step up and down a little farther than usual. G was so apologetic for this, but no human harm done. But poor Giuseppe would have to make a repair when he got home.
We also had some long days, so I'm sure it was tough going for the driver. One day we started at 08:30 and did not get home til midnight. Another day we left at 08:30 and did not get back til 01:30 the next morning. Some of us were snoring in our comfy seats while Giuseppe had to keep alert for all of us.
Sometimes he would join us on our tour activities or meals. Most often he was cleaning windows or the inside of the van or exploring roadways for our next stop. He also supplied us with bottles of water to keep us hydrated and hauled our luggage in and out of the van, sooooo many times!!
On occasion we would ask questions about Italian life and he would graciously share stories. He lives in Lucca (a place we did not visit). Mike and he talked about the Formula 1 Grand Pix. He let us know that Lewis Hamilton had once again won the Russian Grand Prix. Mike and he talked about motorcycles and G was surprised and happy to know that Mike's favorites bike brands are Moto Guzzi and Ducati (both Italian brands).
I know Giuseppe was used to this driving situation, but still we were all impressed with the tight spots he maneuvered through flawlessly. Once I think he even had to close in his side mirror to make a turn.
Kudos to Giuseppe for keeping us safe and sound on our Italian road trip!
Two asides:
We felt sorry for all those big tour groups we saw on the road. Some were even in full-size double-decker busses. Giuseppe said these groups often have to park quite a ways from the actual place they want to see. Can't imagine maneuvering to hear important information or see places of interest up close. And also can't imagine the lines at the rest stops and winery bathrooms. Must be horrible. We learned a lesson here to always check the group size and probably not join one of more than a dozen people.
AND
a huge thank you to L&S and S&K for letting M&D sit in the back row throughout the tour. It was very gracious of you to do that. Mike sure appreciated the best spot for him not to get car sick (besides the front row and we felt that was "reserved" for Chef). Thankfully that extra space around him, did not make him feel closed in and prone to claustrophobia. The ride was more bouncy than side-to-side, so all in all he was comfortable and it saved from being ill. xx
On toll roads, we were all fraidy cats (so glad Chef was in the front row and not me!). Commercial vehicles had numbers on them stating how fast they could go...70, 80, or 90 kilometers per hour. No one got in the passing lane unless they were actually passing. Vehicles all tailgated within a few feet of the next car or truck. It was organized chaos. I often closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, or looked out the side window for distraction. But we all had faith in Giuseppe.
He often used GPS, but many of the places we went to were "off the radar." Only one or two times did we have to double back for a very short distance. Granted some of our destinations he had visited before, but we were still impressed.
Most Italians, even at a young age, are used to drinking wine throughout the day--at least with meals. But we NEVER saw Giuseppe imbibe in wine or any alcohol. This could have jeopardized his job and his passengers. Just one time, when a very special liquor was being served, did he have just a sip to try something he had never had before. The rest of the time it was water or caffè.
We only had one mishap. Going uphill into a dirt parking lot was a hidden metal strip and we bottomed out. It actually tore the step stored under the bottom of the van. So for the last two days we had to step up and down a little farther than usual. G was so apologetic for this, but no human harm done. But poor Giuseppe would have to make a repair when he got home.
We also had some long days, so I'm sure it was tough going for the driver. One day we started at 08:30 and did not get home til midnight. Another day we left at 08:30 and did not get back til 01:30 the next morning. Some of us were snoring in our comfy seats while Giuseppe had to keep alert for all of us.
Sometimes he would join us on our tour activities or meals. Most often he was cleaning windows or the inside of the van or exploring roadways for our next stop. He also supplied us with bottles of water to keep us hydrated and hauled our luggage in and out of the van, sooooo many times!!
On occasion we would ask questions about Italian life and he would graciously share stories. He lives in Lucca (a place we did not visit). Mike and he talked about the Formula 1 Grand Pix. He let us know that Lewis Hamilton had once again won the Russian Grand Prix. Mike and he talked about motorcycles and G was surprised and happy to know that Mike's favorites bike brands are Moto Guzzi and Ducati (both Italian brands).
I know Giuseppe was used to this driving situation, but still we were all impressed with the tight spots he maneuvered through flawlessly. Once I think he even had to close in his side mirror to make a turn.
Kudos to Giuseppe for keeping us safe and sound on our Italian road trip!
We felt sorry for all those big tour groups we saw on the road. Some were even in full-size double-decker busses. Giuseppe said these groups often have to park quite a ways from the actual place they want to see. Can't imagine maneuvering to hear important information or see places of interest up close. And also can't imagine the lines at the rest stops and winery bathrooms. Must be horrible. We learned a lesson here to always check the group size and probably not join one of more than a dozen people.
AND
a huge thank you to L&S and S&K for letting M&D sit in the back row throughout the tour. It was very gracious of you to do that. Mike sure appreciated the best spot for him not to get car sick (besides the front row and we felt that was "reserved" for Chef). Thankfully that extra space around him, did not make him feel closed in and prone to claustrophobia. The ride was more bouncy than side-to-side, so all in all he was comfortable and it saved from being ill. xx
No comments:
Post a Comment
If you have visited any of these places, we would love to hear your comments. Or send us recommendations of places we should not miss.