 September 1 When I was growing up, I collected stamps. Some of the most colorful stamps were those from a place called San Marino. Even as a youngster, I wanted to visit the country that produced such interesting stamps. Today, more than 40 years later, I would see that wish come true.
The Republic of San Marino is a very small country completely surrounded by Italy. Originally established on a hill, in recent times (i.e., since 1463) it expanded to include some villages on the slopes as well. From a distance, San Marino looks like something you might see illustrated in a Tolkien novel, towers perched atop a cliff rising steeply from the coastal plain of Italy. This is no fantasy, however, what you see is real. When we first glimpsed it from the south, Meredith said "We're not going there, are we?"
We left San Marino after the "battle" and found our way back to Assisi on a modern highway that took a more circuitous route through Rimini, Cesena, and Perugia to Assisi. |
There we went. A sign welcomed us to San Marino and lots of signs pointed to parking. The back (western) slopes of the hill were more accommodating, but still a trek. Once parked, we walked UP (of course) into town. One of the first items we saw was the crossbow stadium. Seems as though the Sammarinese have used that weapon to defend themselves many times in the past and have dedicated some of their precious real estate to an archery field. No one was shooting when we were there.