Walking Tour of Siena

Today we took a walking tour of Siena.  It was extremely interesting and confirmed for me the historical rivalry between Siena and Florence.  We discovered that yesterday evening in the Campo, a lottery was held to confirm which 9, of the 17 districts will be represented in the Palio in August.  It is so important to each district to be part of it.  No wonder those that missed out were so dejected.  We have seen footage of previous races, and they are scary!  Thousands of people pack into the centre of the Campo and the race goes on around them.  Jockeys fall off their horses, but the horse can still win!  The horses are kept under guard so rival teams do not nobble them.  It is taken very seriously here in Siena.
We also visited Siena's beautiful Duomo.  Obviously Siena is trying to out Duomo the Florentines.  Part of the Duomo was given over to a library (a collection of illuminated books with the words of songs for the choir, in large calligraphy).  The marble flooring had numerous depictions of stories from the bible.
We find that we need a siesta, during the hottest part of the day and as it costs to sit down at a cafe in the shade, we go back to the hotel for a read and to get off our feet for a bit.
After some retail therapy, a lovely seafood risotto and a stroll it's time to think about our next stop, which is Perugia, the capital of Umbria, Italy's 'green heart'.

Ciao

















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Colosseum, the Forum and the Palatine Hill

Image
It was another relatively early start for us as we had to be at the Colosseum before 9am for our 3.5 hour tour.  The weather is hot so we were glad it was a morning tour.  Our guide was an archeologist and we were very grateful when she took us to an entry point away from the teeming crowds of people lining up to get a ticket.  It was an excellent tour and helped to dispel a few myths (Christians were not fed to lions at the Colosseum) and clarify what is known and what is still conjecture.  It is a massive structure, even today and enough of its original features exist for you to imagine how it would have looked and operated.  The platform to indicate the floor of the arena is really helpful and the example of wooden pulleys and ramps to bring gladiators and animals up from below was great. The Forum was also interesting we were able to see where Julius Caesar was cremated and the various basilicas that still remain.  On the Palatine Hill, we saw where ...
Read more

Last Day in Roma

Image
Our last day in Rome was relatively leisurely.  We strolled to the Trevi Fountain which was lovely, but very crowded.  We then walked up Michaelangelo's steps behind the gigantic Wedding Cake Memorial.  We were once again near the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus, which meant we had a long walk back to our hotel.  After a rest we walked the Corso for some retail therapy and then found a local place for a drink and dinner.  We have enjoyed our time in Italy but look forward to seeing everyone at home.
Read more

Roma

Image
Today we left the Amalfi Coast but not before a lovely meal at the restaurant just next to our hotel.   Our travel to Roma Termini was uneventful, apart from the local express train from Sorrento to Naples.   The platform was packed with people going to visit Pompeii, but when the train arrived, only the first and last carriage doors opened.   It was a mad scramble to get on the train and then, with our luggage, file back through the train for some space!   We have come to expect the unexpected. Rome is much the same as it ever was, but we notice that drivers seem to now obey lights and pedestrian crossings. Tomorrow we will start exploring in earnest. Ciao 
Read more