A Saunter in Siena

Push open the double wooden doors of our apartment to yet...another blue-sky sunny day. Today we had decided to catch the local bus to Siena, 1/2 hr away. It is an easy half hour passing mostly through green countryside.

We knew that there was a well preserved Renaissance city centre and two dominant towers. Upon arrival we headed for the tower on the skyline. As we noted when we first arrived at the station 5 days ago, Siena is hilly. The old centre of the town has many semi-circular streets criss-crossed by steep alleyways. Before we came to the civic plaza I had bought a pair of shoes! The civic plaza is a huge paved shallow bowl-shaped space. After a quick look we then walked in the general direction of the Duamo/Cathedral. Time for coffee and cake. Annie, my accent must have been bizarre when I asked for a macchiato so we ended up with "an American coffee" with a small quantity of milk. It was OK.

Bought the ticket and joined the crowd for the Cathedral. The marble floor was a highlight of this edifice. Besides the beautiful geometric patterns, there were many large pictures etched into the huge floor space. Obviously the crowd was a little exuberant as a message came over the loud speaker..."Attention. Attention. Silenzio."

We then wandered back to the first plaza and decided to climb its tower. Tony rang on Lana's mobile just as we bought the tickets. Hope you have all coped with the looming storm!!! Obviously the tower was a lot of UP. A variety of steep narrow steps and many squashes against the tiny landings to let others descend. The view from the top certainly gave you a great perspective as to how Siena fits into the landscape. Although it it the usual mass of apartment complexes in every space available, it is actually quite green and the lovely Tuscan countryside is within easy access.

After a pizza and wine late lunch, it was back on the bus to Colle. We whiled away a bit of time just people watching in the calm Colle piazza and then, you guessed it, the tunnel and the lift. We bought a selection of delectable pastries from the trendy pasticceria here in Old Colle and then happily retired to the apt. There is wine in the fridge and chicken/veggies to cook. All is good.

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The bowl shaped plaza and the tower that we later climbed. You can just see Lana on the left, in shorts.

Marble on the floor of the Cathedral. The son of Remus supposedly founded the city.

View of the Cathedral from the tower.

Motorbike sales MUST be healthy, surely!

 

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