Day 6 San Gimignano - Abbadia d'Isola
Actually, it was my intention to reach Monteriggioni today, but it turned out to be Abbadia d'Isola, some four kilometres before. Reason: no beds left in Monteriggioni. Fortunately, I pick up hot info like that from the other pilgrims I meet.
The disadvantage is that there is not much to do within walking distance. The restaurant nearby is fully booked tonight. The hostel where I stay serves nothing. But on the other side of the road is a gas station with a small bar. So I can get a bag of crisps and a bottle of beer for the evening.
The advantage is that I have plenty of time to figure out tomorrow's sleeping situation. It will be Ferragosto, a bank holiday in Italy. And the day after, the 16th, is Il Palio in Siena, a biennial and insane horse race that will have the whole city packed.
And since Siena is my destination tomorrow, that is going to be very difficult. The hostel employee made some calls for me, but could not find any hostels or monasteries with an available bed. Time to check out Booking and Airbnb.
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I want a bench, in the shade. And a cold beer. Mama mia!
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Checking in for a place to sleep at the Convento Sant'Agostino in San Gimignano yesterday was a bit of a challenge. Three ladies arranged the registration, put a stamp in my pilgrim's passport and had quite a few questions. I moved along obediently.
Until we came to the subject of sheets. I don't need sheets, because I have a sheet bag. I needed a lot of mime to explain that, apparently without success. Until one of the ladies cranked up Google translate and typed in her impression of my pantomime.
"Shitbag!" she shouted triumphantly. I immediately burst out laughing. She got confused and showed me the screen of her mobile phone. It said "sheet bag". It was indeed the correct translation. I kept on crying from laughter. Another pilgrim, who had joined in a minute later and did speak some English, explained the difference in pronunciation to her in Italian, grinning widely.
The sheet bag of San Gimignano, a new relic.