Towers in San Gimignano
I think this is the day that really soured my wife Heather on Italy. San Gimignano is a very touristy place that epitomizes hilltop towns in Tuscany. It's noted for its old towers and good quality leather shops. We took a bus from Florence and found ourselves joining half the tourists in Italy that decided to visit on the same day. It was packed but we made the most of it, after having our morning gelato. Heather decided to check out the leather shops in town, and there were dozens of them. She finally found a bag she liked but for some reason that still remains a mystery to me, she didn't buy it at the time. We spent several hours ambling around and actually had a decent time. We decided to head back to the bus but decided to grab a quick lunch first.
We popped into a restaurant that looked pretty good. On the way to the dining room I noticed the restrooms off to the side. I went to the men's room and Heather went to the ladies. I finished and then waited outside the ladies room, and waited, and then waited some more. Four different women came and went but no Heather. I was concerned so I went to the dining room and didn't see her. Now I was getting scared. I looked outside and saw her standing in the street, shaking and almost crying. I rushed out and she just led me away. Heather eventually told me that when she went into the ladies room, the manager (a guy) followed her into the ladies room and forced her to leave. He told her the restroom was for customers only, then yelled at her in Italian and escorted her out. That was so bizarre. Heather felt totally humiliated. She just wanted to leave the town and Italy at that moment. I don't blame her - this behavior was totally unacceptable. And to make matters worse, we left without getting the leather bag!
I took these photos in September 2017.
Towers in San Gimignano
I think this is the day that really soured my wife Heather on Italy. San Gimignano is a very touristy place that epitomizes hilltop towns in Tuscany. It's noted for its old towers and good quality leather shops. We took a bus from Florence and found ourselves joining half the tourists in Italy that decided to visit on the same day. It was packed but we made the most of it, after having our morning gelato. Heather decided to check out the leather shops in town, and there were dozens of them. She finally found a bag she liked but for some reason that still remains a mystery to me, she didn't buy it at the time. We spent several hours ambling around and actually had a decent time. We decided to head back to the bus but decided to grab a quick lunch first.
We popped into a restaurant that looked pretty good. On the way to the dining room I noticed the restrooms off to the side. I went to the men's room and Heather went to the ladies. I finished and then waited outside the ladies room, and waited, and then waited some more. Four different women came and went but no Heather. I was concerned so I went to the dining room and didn't see her. Now I was getting scared. I looked outside and saw her standing in the street, shaking and almost crying. I rushed out and she just led me away. Heather eventually told me that when she went into the ladies room, the manager (a guy) followed her into the ladies room and forced her to leave. He told her the restroom was for customers only, then yelled at her in Italian and escorted her out. That was so bizarre. Heather felt totally humiliated. She just wanted to leave the town and Italy at that moment. I don't blame her - this behavior was totally unacceptable. And to make matters worse, we left without getting the leather bag!
I took these photos in September 2017.