"Siena"

Trip Start Jun 06, 2008

Trip End Jun 24, 2008

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Flag of Italy Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Thursday, June 19, 2008

Between the excitement of the opera, and the anticipation of going to Siena, I got maybe an hour and a half of sleep, but I forced myself out of bed and we left on time. DH got us there with no problem, found a parking garage, and by 9:00 we were on the escalators headed up into the inner city, which is still surrounded by a wall. We thought we were used to the steep streets of Tuscan hill towns, but Siena's streets make them seem like a stroll in the park! If you can handle climbing the hills, then it's well worth the effort. Our focus this morning was going to be the Duomo area, with the museum and the main cathedral. We had a few minutes before anything opened, and chatted with a lovely university student who spoke very good English. She asked where we were from, and when we told her "Texas", she said "Yes! Walker, Texas Ranger! I watch it all the time on Italian TV! I love Texas!!"
By now the museum is open, so we start there. Basically, it's full of artworks from around the city that were pulled from the original sites to preserve them from further deterioration or damage from WWII. You can climb a spiral staircase that takes you to an outside observation area for a fantastic view of Siena and the surrounding countryside. This all took about an hour and a half, and after a snack of bruschetta and spinach ricotta pie(we didn't have breakfast), we went to the cathedral (duomo). The turistas are out in full force by this time and the church is crowded and noisy. Well worth it, though, to see the different works of art and the architecture of the church. From there, DH and I head to Il Campo, the main square of Siena. I've seen more American tourists here in Siena than anyplace else, and most of them are clutching a copy of Rick Steve's travel guide, just like I am! Here is the replica of the Fountain of Joy and we spend a few amusing minutes watching the pigeons trying to get a drink from the water spouting out of the wolves' mouths. You see a lot of wolves around - Siena adopted the wolf as its emblem as a way of thumbing its nose at the papacy. Siena legend claims that the city was founded by the son of Remus (of Remus and Romolus fame - remember the twins raised by a she-wolf and later founded Rome?) and thus the popularity of the wolf.
Leaving Il Campo, we spy a gelato shop and aim that way. After all, it's been several days since we've had any! As I walk in, an American woman and her teenage daughter are begging dad for some euros so they can get some, too! Trust me, gelato is hard to pass up, especially when you find a shop like this one that makes their own. Instead of being packed into a nondescript cardboard tub like American ice cream, the gelato is transformed into mountainous swirls of artistic delight and decorated with fruit, nuts and/or chocolate, depending on the flavor. Mama mia, it's good!
Now Dave and I have had a little respite, and continue uphill for some more sightseeing. Next stop is the Baptistery, which was built to support an overhang of the duomo. More fabulous artworks, and we're feeling pretty sated with culture by now. Dave won't complain, but I can tell these hilly cobblestone streets have taken their toll on his knees...

Fountain of Joy, with thirsty pigeons

it's time to hit the road and go home to Chiusdino.
Tomorrow will be a day of relaxing and preparing for our departure on Saturday for Florence, our last stop before we go home to Texas. Casa Emilia has been a haven of beauty and tranquility which I'll remember always - especially the cuckoo bird that talked to us every morning from the valley below (not from a Bavarian clock)!
Dave and I have been faithfully recording our blogs in Word, awaiting the day once again where we find internet access. Hopefully, Florence will be that place.
Ciao from Tuscany!