Our almost daily routine was to get up for a 7am breakfast and then a bus ride to a hill town within about 90 minutes of La Romita. Our first excursion was to San Gemini (also written Sangemini), which had interesting architectural scenes as well as views of an impressive valley. I've found it fascinating to find the construction and restoration sites. Because of the twisting, narrow, and ancient buildings and streets, all sorts of interesting techniques and tools have been created. There are tall, tiny cranes that attach to walls; barrow-sized dump trucks with rubber tracks; special come-alongs and hoists; and always tools for working with stone. Emergency vehicles are scaled to fit, too. Linny and I saw a miniature fire department in action in a similar hill town in Spain. The old town is not large at San Gemini. I wandered passageways in search of interesting arches and doors before settling into an umbrella's shade by a cafe on the main square. I did the latter reluctantly because a group of 20 Americans easily takes over the space of the locals. We may bring tourism euros, but we're still disruptive in such small, familial spaces.
