We were sad to say goodbye to Rome. We really had a wonderful time in the eternal city. But off to Siena we went, and I survived the bus portion of the trip. My Tran Italia agent with the good sense of humour was right. It was fine. In fact, more than fine. I think we saw more from the bus than we would have from a train, although the first part of the journey on the train was pretty darn fine too.
Breakfast on the outdoor rooftop terrace one last time.
We immediately began our usual wandering as soon as we arrived in Siena. It is a perfect town to explore on foot. We headed for the Piazza del Campo where the famous horse race the Palio di Siena is held. There weren't any horses, but there were bikes.
We met these four great young men who were having a wonderful time. It made my heart sing to listen to them. They were on a seven day tour (they need to retire so they can go longer ha ha) and you can tell from looking at them that it was going well. I didn't want to let them go. It felt positively therapeutic to talk to them.
Next stop, suitably rejuvenated, was the Duomo. This is a five step process, and the wonderful young woman at the ticket office gave us terrific advice. The tickets are good for two days, and she suggested we visit the church itself and the viewing platform immediately as all the bus tours had left for the day and we would have a better experience. She spoke four languages (I asked) and was very engaging. Then she suggested starting with the museum in the morning, as the bus tours lined up for the church. Worked a charm.
What an amazing place. It is in our top three churches. It is absolutely beautiful.
More to come tomorrow. The wifi is very slow, possibly because we are at the top of a very ancient tower in a charming B and B, the Antica Torre. Great people, great breakfast, great location, great room. The tower was built in the fourteenth century. The ceiling is amazing.
After touring the Duomo it was time to head out for dinner. We went to a charming spot recommended by a friendly cab driver and had a most enjoyable evening. We were seated next to a couple from Quebec City, Michelle and Chantelle. We really had fun getting to know each other and comparing notes. They too had been to the Vatican and felt the same way as we did about their experience. We had lots of laughs.
The next morning we returned to the Duomo to start at the museum and visit the baptistry and the crypt. All experiences were remarkable.
We climbed to the top of the arch. The sun hadn't burned the fog off yet...we didn't think about that until we were at the top. Duh.
Keith has tried to explain relics to me several times, but they still seem a bit creepy to me. This guy would be perfect on the front porch for Halloween.
We spent the rest of the day walking and walking and walking, making little discoveries along the way. In the late afternoon, after a day that had started out foggy, then turned sunny, we went back to the room for a rest. We had no sooner arrived than the sky opened up and it absolutely poured. So we cracked a bottle of wine and watched the rain bounce off the red tile rooftops. Our timing was perfect!The storm was dramatic but short lived. We headed out to dinner, however we were both tired, got as far as the local grocery store and decided that good cheese, prosciutto, grapes and wine would make a fine picnic in the room. A lovely relaxing evening. Florence tomorrow.
