September 27 Siena

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Today was a wonderful adventure in Tuscany!! We left the hotel around noon and traveled to the town of Siena, not really knowing what to expect. We arrived to find a beautiful piazza with the famous Duomo. First we toured the Santa Maria della Scala museum. We saw the Comune di Siena, their permanent exhibits, a special Michelangelo exhibit, and a special restoration exhibit. There has been excavation and restoration by the town of Siena in this building. The building began as a hospital and place for orphans to come and eventually be launched into life. This all occurred in the 13th, 14th, & 15th centuries. Then we toured the Duomo (Cathedral), baptistery and crypts. The artwork, portraits, carvings and church were phenomenal. After many hours of walking, we began our trip back towards San Gimignano. We stopped at the very old and small town of Monteriggioni. It was beautiful and very quaint. All of these old towns are up high on hills surrounded by walls or fortresses. This was for their protection in medieval times. We returned to San Gimignano for dinner at a restaurant recommended by our hotel. The Le Vecchie Mura met and exceeded any thing that we expected. We could eat outside or in and the outside space had a panoramic view of the area. This was the best dinner we have had in Tuscany! Even though it rained most of today, we had a wonderful time exploring places near our hotel. Ciao!!

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