Our day in beautiful Siena!

Today we left Sansepolcro around 8 a.m. for a day trip to Siena, another Tuscan jewel only about two hours away. The ride was amazing. We had a charter bus so it was much quieter and more spacious than most of our travel modes, and the scenery along the way was amazing. Unfortunately the window glass always messes up pictures I take on the rode - or else I would have taken some shots of the majestic views I saw all morning. Who would have thought bus rides could be so romantic and aesthetically pleasing.

Upon arriving I immediately fell in love with the place. There were trees everywhere - something I have missed greatly of late, for Sansepolcro, with all its beauties, is lacking those big, tall, richly colored trees that I love so much back home within its city walls. There is plenty of greenery to be had, but it mostly consists of flowers in windows and vines on walls. Lovely, but not the kind of greenery I'm most especially fond of. There's nothing like a big leafy tree for company on a summer afternoon - it's the best place to read, journal, think, etc.

But I digress ... one of my favorite first looks of Siena was of a gorgeous fountain surrounded by shrubs and stoney pavement. It was already getting to be a warm day, and the splashes of the water provided a delicious sound for the ear.

As we got closer to the heart of the city, the magnitude of its hilly terrain became more and more apparent. To my right I could look out and see the tops of the highest trees, but if I looked a bit lower a huge drop revealed a small family garden and mountainside homes in the distance.

After a brief bathroom break, the group carried on to the main piazza in Siena, passing delightful little alleyways and tiny shops at every turn. Some side roads offered peeks of new wonders yet to come, including a shot of the Duomo and several glorious churches. However we had to keep our wits about us and not get too sucked into the beautiful views because like most Italian towns the cars are free to ride through the streets like bicycles!

Before long we reached the piazza - which, according to travel guru Rick Steves, is the most beautiful piazza in Italy. I only wish my photos accurately explained just how enormous it is, or at least, how vast the wide open space is in comparison to most piazzas.
Locals and tourists alike sat down on the bricked pavement and just soaked up the beauty of the morning. In the background local school kids splashed each other with water, chasing and laughing and goofing off to celebrate the end of the school year.

Our next stop was Siena's immaculate Duomo, similiar to the one in Florence but even more beautiful in certain ways. While the Florence Duomo was far more arresting and dumbfounding, the smaller Siena version had a charm and simple beauty to it that was more inviting. I loved the green doors :)

I was in awe yet again at the incredible ceilings the Italians were able to construct. I craned my neck to take in as much as I could, fighting to find places with good lighting so I could get a decent picture (flashes are almost never allowed because they aren't good for the paintings and are obtrusive in a holy place).

After the Duomo our tummies began to rumble so we decided to take a break and eat some lunch. By then it was getting so hot that ice cream was absolutely necessary to get us geared up for our next challenge ...

... the Museo dell'Opera with its tall, winding staircases that led all the way to the top of the lofty building. Hillary, Joy, Gesina and I all made it to the top in one piece (though it got awkward whenever we had to pass the people making their way down - it was a tight squeeze for one person much less two!) and thoroughly enjoyed the glorious views that awaited.

As you can see, it was well worth the effort! It's hard to tell in the picture, but from atop the museo we could see for miles and miles, and the beautiful Tuscan mountains and valleys made for a breathtaking view.

We also got a great look at the Duomo, a next door neighbor to the museum. Too bad that stupid crane ruined the shot! I wanted to push it out the way for my picture! And as you can see, the clouds, once again, were positively gorgeous.

If you think clouds are the same all around the world think again - the ones that float above Italy blow ours out of the park. The skies are also much bluer and the horizons more expansive. You haven't really seen a sunset (or sunrise) until you've seen one in Tuscany!

Here's a shot of the piazza and a good portion of central Siena from the very top of the museo tower. Unlike Sansepolcro, many of the building are of similar colors, mainly tans, browns, and whites, and all of the rooftops look the same. Isn't that bell tower gorgeous? Sansepolcro had one (as most piazzas should), but it was bombed during the second World War. We almost climbed it, but ended up being too short on time (plus it cost 7 euro just to climb it!) to actually attempt the trek to the top.

To top off our marvelous day, we were joined by Rebecca Lewis, a fellow Meredith sister (and English major) who is spending her entire summer in a nearby castle - yep, you heard me right, castle! She is living with a family and working an awesome summer job - teaching their two children English! We were excited to get to spend a couple of hours with her and exceedingly jealous of how well she fits in with the natives.

I asked her what I could do to fit in more and her first suggestion was, "Dye your hair brown!" While that would of been helpful had I done so a few weeks back, it would be a dumb move to pull right now since we'll be heading to Switzerland and Austria at the end of next week :) I should fit in much better over there! However, I might make use of her suggestions the next time I visit ... the constant stares are now officially old. You'd think they had never seen a blonde-haired human being before!

Well that's all for now ... Joy and I need to get working on the reservations for Austria, Switzerland, and France!

Much love and many, many baci!

Bekah