Will be waking up in Orvieto, touring the city, picking up a car, and driving to B and B in Tuscany for 5 nights.
He will have his birthday “observes” with his friends before we leave for vacation. Thoughts on how we could make the actual day special ?
BnB is where in Tuscany ?
Monteriggioni perhaps, with its atmospheric 13th-century ramparts (reconstructed in the 19th century) for aspiring knights to clamber over, plus a small armour museum with chain mail and helmets to dress up in.
Looking like near Siena
you have to start down playing birthdays so when a kid becomes an adult s/he won't remind people of a birthday or feel miserable when there is no one around that remembers or knows
Definitely let him pick out things for the day. Choice of meals (as much as possible) and maybe some dessert that is a local speciality. (I remember some cookies from a tiny bakery in Siena that were amazing...)
Maybe let him purchase a souvenir to mark the day? I celebrated my most recent birthday in Costa Rica. All I had special was a slice of cake, but just knowing that I was celebrating in such a different location made the day so very special for me!
Siena has a Torture Museum...
Seriously, I like the Monteriggioni suggestion, it's very close to Siena. But either let him research some things to do, or choose from your selections.
Maybe a hike in Tuscany? It looks like it's possible to walk from Siena to Monteriggioni along the Via Francigena, although you may or may not want to do the whole thing.
you have to start down playing birthdays so when a kid becomes an adult s/he won't remind people of a birthday or feel miserable when there is no one around that remembers or knows
What a sad philosophy on the passing of a year! Even if one can only celebrate one's own birthday, it is far better than the alternative! Everyone deserves a celebration!
Our son (now 22yo) turned 12 when we were on a trip to the Dordogne area of France, and we did a number of the things mentioned here. He got a special pastry for breakfast, and we gave him the total choice of what to do that day. We did tell the waiter where we had dinner that it was our son's birthday, and they brought out a small cake (torte) as his dessert, with a sparkler, and the owner of the restaurant sang the French version of "Happy Birthday" to him. It was special!
What does your son like to do? There are tufa caves in (below) Orvieto; I've never been in them, but he might enjoy those. Depending on where in Tuscany you will be, if he likes castles or walks/hikes, there's a old ruined castle in the woods south of San Gimignano, called (appropriately enough) Castelvecchio.
Enjoy!
What a sad philosophy on the passing of a year! Even if one can only celebrate one's own birthday, it is far better than the alternative! Everyone deserves a celebration!
Sometimes as we age, we find that nobody is left around us who gives a flip that a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary has taken place. I've often thought of volunteering my services to people who want/need a birthday card to mark their special day. I love birthdays. I'd do (almost) anything to help people remember why it's a special day.
In this crazy world we should be thankful for every day really. Without a significant other I am not one for big birthdays. Sometimes I mark the occasion, other times I don’t bother. No expectation means no disappointment.
... but if you’re writing a cheque, it’s in less than 3 weeks.
Well, this would make for a memorable day: leaving Orvieto drive to nearby Bagnoregio, park near the pedestrian walkway, and walk to the tiny ancient stone hill town of Civita di Bagnoregio, which you cannot reach except by walking. You could have lunch, or maybe birthday cake, there. This is, or at least was, Rick Steves's favorite hill town in all of Europe, I believe. It is not everyone's favorite spot, but it certainly is unique and would be special and memorable. Then drive into Tuscany.
"Buon Compleanno " to your son! My daughter turned 13 in Italy. We spent a memorable afternoon in a very small Italian town getting her a birthday cake, as we did not know the Italian for either birthday or cake. I'm sure whatever you do he'll enjoy, but do try to find a cake, my daughter still remembers how delicious it was ( meringue and hazelnuts)
