Living the High Life!





Jo at the Duomo

Siena is another beautiful Medieval town that Italy specialises in.  It is quite different to Perugia - bigger, more bustling streets and a faster moving crowd.  The main street is kind of like an old stone outdoor Westfields with nicer and more interesting shops mixed in with the fashion and shoes.  We have had a lot of fun and done quite some damage to our wallets wandering through the streets and buying the things that have caught our eye (or is that eyes?) in the brightly lit shops tucked into the stone buildings.  The best shops are the artisans' and traditional bakers (we have sampled some of the wares here - just for cultural purposes of course) as well as the food shops selling every sort of sausage and cheese imaginable.  Wine is a big thing here as well and we have also felt obliged to indulge in it (some amaretti and grappa made an appearance as well - what could we do it was offered as a gift after dessert?)

  
Siena has been all about UP.The first day we were here we visited the Duomo and before we even went inside the Duomo itself we had climbed up to the top of a huge wall that had been originally intended to be part of the duomo but had never been finished because of the plague. (we also saw the crypt and the baptistry but that was down) The Duomo was stripey inside and out, and the highlight was the library full of huge illuminated musical manuscripts.



view from almost the top



Today we climbed the Torre del Mangia (tower at Il Campo) all the way to the very top...102m high with many many many steps. Just as we got to the top the bells struck noon - scaring the living daylights out of us!! We also toured an amazing Palazzio that is now the Siena Academy of Music - lavishly decorated with artworks from mostly Sienese Artists. (I now know there is such a thing as the mannerist period - Jen).Famous musicians do master classes here - we are almost sure the guide said Scarlatti gave a class - only 3 students were allowed to attend!  The original owner of the palazzio (unpronounceable or spellable Italian name) is credited with discovering Vivaldi!

We have acquired both sculptures and prints for our art collections as well as adding to our Italian fashion collection (our feet were cold).

jo's next car, handy for Bondi's narrow streets

We have eaten "tipica" Sienese food - we highly recommend Pici and Ribollita (not together). We are still concerned about the lack of olives, but are hoping there will be some in our future...