Siena

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Monday we left at 8 am to drive to Siena. This was one place we wanted to be sure to investigate as Ivan and Mariana had both really enjoyed exploring the Estrucan town. It is a walled city with several notable sights including the striped marble cathedral (Duomo) and bell tower, Piazza del Campo (a majestic medieval square) and photogenic narrow streets, beautiful doors and iron gates, and excellent gelato! We parked the car in the Duomo parking garage and set out into the city. Within a few blocks we decided it would be best to split into two groups and agreed to meet in the Piazza del Campo in two hours. Who could have imagined how BIG the Piazza would be and how overwhelming the number of people in it!

Fay and I set out to find photo opportunities in the courtyards, patios, little shops and at the cathedral. We explored several different districts, each with its own shield or flag (panther, tortoise, goose and more!) We found the Piazza San Francesco where one of the several universities is located. They were having a graduation ceremony for the Economics department later that afternoon. Such a strange time of year (for us) to think about graduation. We stopped for lunch, then for gelato. I had double chocolate and raspberry (yum!!!) and Fay had double chocolate and vanilla with caramel (double yum!) By then it was time to head back to the Piazza del Campo to meet Julie, Sarah & Stephanie. When we started that direction we realized we had traveled a bit further than we thought and had to hustle to get there on time. When we stepped into the Piazza we were dismayed to realize that it might be impossible to find each other. There were hundreds of people settled in the square or walking through it. So we picked a spot in the shade and searched the crowds for the gals. First we had to remember what they were wearing so we might recognize them from a distance! After just a few moments, I turned and spotted Sarah’s sweater and started waving to them from across the square. When we reached them, Sarah said. We were wondering how we would find you, and just before we spotted you, I said, “if I were Kimarie and Fay, where would I be? In the shade!” We agreed to meet at the car (much easier) in two more hours and split up again. We investigated the other half of the city, which had much less of interest. Then we decided to head back to the car early for a quick nap. It was great to get out of the sun and shut our eyes for a few minutes. I was able to finish my book and relax before driving again.

We hurried back to the villa after a quick stop in Pontassieve at the Coop and arrived exactly on time for dinner at 7pm. Doriana was already there, of course. But the rest of the gals hadn’t returned from Lucca yet. They arrived 10-15 minutes after 7 and we sat down to eat close to 7:45. It was a fabulous meal with funny stories and good wine. It was much quieter and more relaxed than I was expecting. We thoroughly enjoyed it. And we’re all waiting anxiously for the recipe for the beans and pork roast. The ravioli was filled with ricotta and spinach and served with butter and sage. The roasted potatoes were also served with butter and sage. The beans had a tomato sauce with onion. They were the hit of the evening with everyone raving about them.

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Photos

The BEST Gelato is in Siena!
Double Chocolate and Fragola