Not Quite Italian: Saturday, Nov 23 San Miniato Truffle Festival

10.38am

With one minute to spare I'm on the train to San Miniato. Luckily I found my way to Binario 3, and the train for Livorno. The paper schedule said Binario 1 but something changed today. Luckily I understand the system otherwise I would be on the next train in one hour.

This morning Alessio printed out the whole daily schedule for SMN to San Miniato. This will be a 35 minute train ride to the San Miniato-Fucecchio station, which is accessed by the Firenze-Livorno line. I also bought a return ticket this morning, so I have no worries about that. The cost is 5€ 20 each way. The train leaves about every hour.

Unwanted Gypsy assistance was present at the first ticket machine, so I had to find another automated dispenser to use. I think I've seen this gypsy before. A pleasant young woman, she stands right at your side and corrects your typing errors with her own taps on the keyboard. She explains the system. She talks non stop and I could understand her. I'm sure she had a partner pick-pocket in her distraction game. I was too short of time to let it continue.

At the second machine, the normal older man beggar came up pleading. I just shook my head, no eye contact. I didn't want to understand him.

The territories must be clearly marked out for each group. Since I recognized both the gypsy and the beggar, it makes me wonder who am I not seeing. SMN train station is a world of its own.

This train carriage is a newer model, fully automated with a screen showing time, outside temperature and the stops ahead for this line. I can see my stop is after Empoli. I won't need to check my own map.

If one doesn't know the geography, a map is a necessity which allows for a bit of relaxation. I'm always watchful for the entire duration of each trip. There are cultural and countryside scenes to observe, which make traveling interesting.

I see the train is .06 hour in ritardo! (Late)

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It's evening and I'm now waiting for the 5.24 (17.24) train arriving from Livorno, with a stop here at San Miniato-Fucecchio and traveling onto Firenze.

The station is tiny, but there are two automated ticket machines inside and a biglieterria (ticket office) which is closed. I arrived here, on the city bus, which was direct from high up on the hilltop in San Miniato down to the train station in San Miniato Basso. I had my money out to purchase a bus ticket from the driver but his portfolio was empty. He told me he would pay. That is what I heard, but translated more freely, I'm sure it would have meant 'the ride is on me.' He looked a little harried. These three weekends for the Truffle Festival have kept these buses constantly running. No car traffic is allowed during event hours.

This morning when I boarded the bus going up the hill, I felt like crying because I easily understood 'un euro cinquanta' the quick response from the driver when I said I needed to buy a ticket. (1€ 50) I did try to buy a return ticket, but that driver told me to buy it on the trip down.

Tonight's bus was filled with African immigrants, going home for the day after trying to sell trinkets of little plastic red cornicelli, at the festival. I wonder how they afford today's work. I saw no one buy anything from them all day. The bus trip alone was 1€ 50, each way from the station. The ladies carry their content young children tied to their waists, once with a tight binding and a second time with a warm blanket.

I looked up the significance of the cornicello in Wiki.

A cornicello or cornetto, Italian for "little horn" or "hornlet", is an amulet worn to protect against the evil eye. In the Southern Italian Dialects, it is called cuornuciello or variants thereof.

We're all early for departing trains and everyone is waiting inside the little station. I prefer to wait outside in the fresh air and a good thing too! I've just discovered the train heading to SMN arrives on binario 2, across the rails from where I'm standing.

It's dry but overcast and it hasn't rained today. Because it's autumn, the sun is setting early and it's dusk.

I saw suspicious man in the stairwell when I started down into the underpass so I came back out. A drug user for sure.

One of the African men asked if I was ok, when I returned back. I told them I saw a man who looked dangerous. They relaxed and then tried to sell me a trinket. They weren't overly aggressive like the gypsies. But they do have a system.

I noticed today they try to make a personal contact first, like asking where you are from. Or, they try to put the trinket in your hand as if it's a gift.

Today several young men approached me with a high five. Another cultural experience. I had to lookup high five to better understand it.

I've never had this trinket experience. Usually in Firenze or Cremona, the African immigrants are selling umbrellas or kleenex on a rainy day. In Firenze there are designer knock-off bag sellers or the evening hawkers of brightly lit toys which launch into the air.

At least thirty people are now waiting here on binario 2 and the automated announcement has just given us warning that the train is approaching. I clearly understood and it was not spoken slowly. If only I could speak as well. If only I could understand every conversation as well.

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I'm on the train, an older style regional train. I saw a new book by Tim Parks last night which chronicles his train commute and travels. I need to reconsider buying it here. I had thought about not spending the money but now I might not wait.

The stop for Empoli. I've been there twice to sit in on classes Alessandro taught. I'm missing him a lot today.

I spent nearly 5 hours today walking around San Miniato at the truffle festival and capturing some wonderful pictures.

I was hungry when I arrived and bought a Gorgonzola-truffle with honey panino (a warm just baked roll). It was fantastic. I then sampled my way all day, eating salami, cheeses, spreads, all infused with white truffle. I also sampled olives, candy, hot chili condiments. The entire town smells of truffles!

I purchased a package of two foot long stalks of fragrant dried oregano from Puglia, delicious disks of roasted pistachios on sweet base from Follonica and two crushed almond candy cylinders filled with Nutella.

I took pictures of truffles and bought one bottle of truffle infused oil for myself. One walnut sized truffle weighed in at 47€ (The exchange rate for dollars is hovering at 1.4). For Marina in Cremona, I bought a package of rice and dried truffle for making risotto.

I took a great picture of a violinist playing for tips. He arrived this morning on my bus.

I love books and saw for 12€, a book on truffles. As I reached to get a better look, a big hand handed me a book. Ahh! The author! His face is right on the cover. I love this book for many reasons. It's dual language, full history and recipes. The author signed the book for me. A nice man, with his young daughters helping out with the stand. Write me if you have any questions he told me. Italian men can be so charming.

The panorama looking down from this hill town is stunning. It's a colorful palette of fall colors. I saw persimmons and pomegranates just waiting to be picked. Some of the pomegranates had already exploded open and looked inside out, picked clean by birds.

Outside a realtor's office I took pictures of three wire houses, covered in ivy. I checked for housing costs. Rents looked reasonable at 600€ a month. Houses were less affordable. Every time I read a story about someone finding the perfect fixer upper here, I know they all have one thing in common: money and lots of it. Alessandro knew my dream was to live here. He made me realize money is the key. It just can't be done in this day without it. And so I try to experience what I can of normal life here. I don't want to be a only a tourist.

I paused inside the church for a few minutes and lit a candle.

Today, it's bus only access today for the town. All lower streets were barricaded closed to prevent car access up to San Miniato. The truffle festival takes place for three weekends in November. I've been lucky to be here for the final weekend. I read many families make their living from the truffle season.

At the end of the day these posters were being distributed to merchants, in support of helping disaster victims who lost so much during flooding which took place in Sardegna earlier this week.

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It's only 35 minutes for train travel from station to station. Combined with the bus trip and wait time, travel time to San Miniato takes about 1.5 hours, each way.

After arriving at SMN I took the long long walk back to the hotel, window shopping along the way. I stopped at Kiko for lip gloss, then Feltrinelli Libreria (bookstore). I was happy to find two new Marco Vichi books, plus I bought three audio books, including Pablo Nerunda reading his own poetry, book included.

My last stop was just slipping into Conad grocery, near Ponte Vecchio, at 8.15. Shops close early because it's dinner time! With tangerines, yogurt and milk in hand, I arrived back at the hotel at 8.30.

For dinner, I ate a panino of porchetta with truffle (focaccia), tangerine and yogurt.