Siena, Italy June 17

We made a quick day trip to Siena. Originally, I thought we would be taking the train but it is apparently cheaper and quicker to take the bus. We got up early in the morning and headed out at 8 am. We walked through the city to the bus station which was about 40 minutes away. It was interesting to see the city that early in the morning. A lot of places were still closed, even the coffee shops. I’m used to those opening up at like 6-7am in the States. People were cleaning trash and dirt from their store fronts, and for the most part, it was a lot less crowded.

The bus ride to Siena was pretty relaxing. To get anywhere, so far, we had only walked. It was nice to sit, read, look, and let someone else do the work. The country side was beautiful with the vineyards, forests, and little hill towns here and there. The hills reminded me a lot of the Ozark Mountains in between Springfield and Branson, but chunkier. I took some photos during the ride, but of course they do little justice.

When we arrived in Siena and got off the bus, the vibe was immediately different. No hustle and bustle like the stations in Florence. It was kind of like the Megabus with being dropped off on the side of the road, but a little more official with signs and such. We used the GPS on my phone to find the Siena Duomo. It’s definitely more pedestrian friendly in Siena. There are no designated sidewalks and roads, it’s just all brick. Many of the shops were selling similar things to the ones in Florence, but nothing designer like Prada and Gucci. Everything was much more down to earth.

Craig liked this statue.

Walking arounnd Siena.

We arrived at the cathedral and it was interesting because it was smaller than the Duomo in Florence, but more elaborate on the outside. There was a lot of white marble even on the walkways surrounding the church, so it was kind of hard to see at times. It was like going to the white sand beaches in Florida. Sunglasses would have been a good idea!

It was hard to get all of the cathedral in because you could only stand back so far because of another large building right in front of it.

Upclose shot.

Me in front of the Siena Cathedral.

The inside is indescribable. Within 2 days we saw 3 different churches, which were all magnificent in their own way, but Siena’s Cathedral was the most elaborate and impressive. This church is known for it’s secularism. Apparently, one of the floor panels addresses the religion of Pre-Christianity. This aspect wasn’t apparent to me, but I’m no expert.

View from the Nave.

View from the Nave. It was so much larger than this looks!

The nave’s ceiling was blue with gold stars. It reminded me of a moon watch my Grandpa Schultz gave me when I was younger.

This picture isn't true to the color like the one above, but give a close up view.

View up into the Dome.

If you look back at the first and second interior pictures you can see above the arches there are rows of faces. This is a close up of them. Total, there are 172 saint peering down at you. It was pretty eerie.

This was a chapel set off to the right of the dome it had multiple Bernini sculptures in it.

There were lots of these on the outside, and in the doorway to the chapel.

One of the Bernini Sculptures. So dramatic and elaborate.

Okay! Now we're going to play a quick game! Look at this altar:

Altar you're supposed to be looking at.

Now, one of these is supposed to be sculpted by Michelangelo, and 3 are by his students. Can you guess which one?

A.

B.

C.

D.

 *********Look at all of them! The answer will be at the bottom of the page!

After the church, we wanted to find something to eat. My Grandma Schultz’s favorite place in Italy was Siena, and she recommended a place called, Nello’s. We found the website and address, but when we went there it was a different restaurant. It was beautiful inside, but pretty pricey. Since we didn’t have any confirmation on the new restaurant’s quality we decided to go for some street food. 

In front of the restaurant that used to be "Nello's."  So sad!!!

Trip Advisor had good reviews on a place called La Trofea and it was right on Il Campo (Square). It was a pizza place with dirt cheap prices, but not many vegetarian options for me. I got the magherita, which is pretty much just cheese pizza for 1.90 euros!!! However, the price was definitely how it tasted. So, from now on, I won’t mind spending a little extra for some better quality. Craig was pretty satisfied.

We ate our pizza at Il Campo, but didn’t end up staying long. Within 5-10 minutes of us sitting down and car ran over a bird directly behind me. All I had to hear was women scream, birds flapping wings and a “pop” sound and I knew what happened. I told Craig I wasn’t going to turn around, and thought I could just go on. Craig kept staring at it and children were pointing and staring. So, I had to finish the pizza and leave the square because I kept seeing the area in the corner of my eye even when we walked to different areas. So, Il Campo was short lived for us.

Il Campo. Sit, eat, chat, and people watch!

 

We spent the rest of the time getting gelato and walking around until the next bus came. I accidentally had gelato with Kahlua in it (it was called Jamaica). This was the first time I’ve had alcohol in 5-6 years and did not make me miss it. I couldn’t believe how strong it was. I’m glad it was just a sample and the dark chocolate I ended up going with was the best I’ve had yet. 

Eating gelato, of course! This was my favorite so far. Kopakobana Gelateria. Except for the Jaimaica Gelato!

We came back to Florence and tried to go get my dress at the shop I’d liked the other day. However, they didn’t have new ones in and said they wouldn’t get them until after we’d be gone. I was pretty bummed, but I guess I’ll have to look in Rome. We spent the rest of the night relaxing in our apartment, and gearing up for our final day in Florence. 

*****The answer is A! Look at how the others are so stiff and the cloth isn't as elaborate as Michelangelo's. He's such a special guy.