Siena - ambienza

Walking back to the underground car park

we came upon local people

including students just out of scuola media (middle school)

who provide a nice context to photos

of roads and buildings

Siena - Orto Botanico

The university is in one corner of the city

and the Faculty of Environmental Science

boasts a hillside botanical garden of which this is a tiny corner

Siena - Il Duomo (the Cathedral)

It is an astounding monument,

with the polished and sparkling look that is characteristic of the whole city,

She (below) had posed for friends with a beautiful bunch of grapes;

alas the grapes fell from here hand,

and now she has approximately two bunches

and one (posed) sour expression

The pavement mosaic work includes drill-holed images

(click to enlarge any photo)

Siena - the kiss (il bacio)

on the cathedral (duomo) steps, beside the baptistry

uno bacio

Siena - Il Campo

Siena is a proud city of great character, but with touristic focus which we seek otherwise to avoid.

We went first to lunch with a view of Il Campo, where the Palio is run; information here, wonderful little movie here. Now, midwinter, mainly locals, taking the sun at lunchtime or going about their business.

To Siena

To go to Siena, we went quickly up the Autostrada del Sole.

To return we took the ancient Via Cassia SS2

- such history...

The photo above from the autostrada (Firenze = Florence);

the photo below shows the loveliness of the Tuscan landscape along the Cassia