Ya Mule Backpacking In Siena Italy

A h, the glamour of                The thing about rolling hills      backpacking through Europe.     with lots of foliage is they are   Of course, the glamour          simply evil. You can never get a   comes with a price as I found in      grasp on how far it is to the      Siena, Italy.                         top. You keep thinking the top                                           appears to be a few hundred feet   Siena                                 in front of you until you reach                                          it. Then you discover it is just   Siena is located an hour or so        a dip before another upward        outside of Florence, Italy. My        section. The hill up to Siena is   handy dandy guidebook suggested       just such a rolling hill. Throw    it was a side trip that just had      in a road that twists all over     to be made. A medieval structure      the hill like a drunken sailor on  located behind protective walls       leave, and you'll never scoff at   on the top of a hill. The central     a moped again.                     area was generally closed off to                                         cars and it was a taste of true       Getting in touch with my inner     Italy. Who was I to argue?            mule, I began to climb and tame                                          the great beast. As I trudged      As I sat on the train, I check my     along, I thought of all the great  backpack for any excess weight. I     people that must of walked up the  had already discarded or sent         same hill throughout history. As   home unnecessary items and was        I stood in the shade panting, I    feeling pretty light on my feet.      thought all of those great people  Next thing I knew, the train had      probably hitched a ride instead    stopped and I was standing on         of walking like me.                flat road next to a rolling hill                                         covered in trees and homes. Siena     After thirty-five minutes or so,   proper was at the top.                I was seriously starting to think                                        about hitching a ride. Of course,  this would mean admitting defeat.     young lady working the desk        The battle between my genetic         seemed hesitant, but I made some   male stubbornness and "this           comment about it being a long way  sucks" attitude was intense. Like     up from the valley. She started    a mule, I kept going. Five bends,     giggling and I had the room.       three dips that I could have                                             sworn were the top.                   I showered and went looking for                                          trouble. Well, trouble that was    Just as I was giving in...a wall.     on a flat surface. In the town     A really big wall. I passed it        centre, I stumbled upon a small    and suddenly was in a large           café selling Mexican beer. Being  parking lot area with tourist         from San Diego, this was nirvana.  buses. Hands on knees, shirt          My inner mule was quickly          soaking, I tried to maintain my       appeased and the hill of death     dignity as the tourist looked at      forgotten.                         me like I was insane. Did that                                           moron walk up here? One even took     Reflecting on my climb from a      a picture!                            historical perspective, I learned                                        a good lesson. It is far better    After composing myself...err,         to be behind the wall than trying  getting my breath back, I booked      to attack it!                      a room in a little hotel. The          About the Author: Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues. Source: www.isnare.com