Back to the Piazza Gramsci, consulted a map at the street, and headed down the hill in the direction of the Siena train station I thought was right. As I kept walking on, walking on, it turned out to be too far away from the Piazza Gramsci to walk. It was well outside the city center and took me about 20 minutes to get there.

At the bus ticket office, I found the bus on this day would only go to Montalcino which is one bus stop before Pienza. So I got no choice but to take that bus to Montalcino. Not again… Anyway, at that point I assumed somehow that there would be a bus or a taxi available in Montalcino. As there was neither bus stop sign nor destination to be found, I waited for my bus carefully looking out for it in front of Siena station. And soon the blue bus came that says “MONTALCINO” in front. Left for Montalcino at 4:45PM.

Arrived in Montalcino. It was about a one-hour bus ride from the Siena train station. This town too is located on the top of the hill (or rather, the top of the mountain) like other Tuscan towns, but I found it smaller than San Gimignano. There were steep slopes and stairs all over the place.

I soon started looking for a taxi to get to my hotel in Pienza before it got dark, but could not find any, nor could I see any car in sight in the center of Montalcino. All I had to do was call the Pienza hotel I was supposed to stay and tell them that I was on my way but got stuck in Montalcino. So shockingly however, my cellphone had NO reception in this area! I then looked for a public telephone, but I could not find any public telephone there either. What do I do?! How could I possibly get to my hotel in Pienza without phone or taxi?!

I went to store to store explaining the situations I was facing. Though very few people there understood English, but as I showed them a copy of my hotel booking in Pienza, they roughly understood what the problem was. A wine store manager suggested that I should wait in front of the Palazzo Comunale at the main piazza, the Piazza del Popolo, but no taxi showed up although I waited there for about 15 minutes. Since the main street was so narrow, it was so doubtful whether any car would come into this street. It was getting even colder and windier. I resumed to visit several stores to ask for any solution. It was almost 7:00PM. What do I do? What do I do? I was almost panicking. And finally a lady at a clothing store helped telling me that she had just seen a tax driver and she knew where he was now. Then she kindly took me to a store nearby where I finally found a taxi driver! He looked like the God to me. I explained him what had been happening and asked him for a ride to Pienza. He was very friendly and spoke very good English. We walked 5 minutes to the parking lot where his car was parked.

I proceeded at last, heading for Pienza! Quite relieved indeed! On my way inside the car, we conversed a lot while I was looking out the window. Our car drove through the amazing rolling hills of Val d’Orcia or Orcia Valley. I was totally awed by the grandeur and beauty of it, and it has become the most unforgettable view in all of Tuscany!

So after a 20-minute drive, I reached Pienza. It was so quiet and peaceful. It was 8:00PM already when I checked in the hotel. But soon I went outside and ran chase the sun setting over the Val d'Orcia. There was a cat glancing it over near me. I saw her on the next day also. I guess she lives there.