Siena

We caught an early morning, uncrowded train out of Manarola to start an multi-segment trip to our next destination, Siena.  There were some tight connections, but fortunately, everything went smoothly.  Siena is probably the largest Tuscan hilltop town, and it was certainly one of the highlights of our trip.  The town is known for it's vibrant inter-neighborhood rivalries that center around a couple of horse races they have in the very large town square.  Flags, statues, and engraved placards on buildings let you know which neighborhood you're in. 

We spent a full day, plus another couple of half days mostly just wandering around the old city to our hearts' content ... mostly into remote corners away from the crowds.  As usual, there were lots of narrow streets going up and down and every which way ... with limited cars (residents and taxis only?).  And we crossed paths a few times with some neighborhood-based youth drum corps that were marching through the city, with the beats echoing all around!  We also took a small-group walking tour (the only one of our trip), split about half and half between the town itself and the duomo.  We gained lots of insight into the horse races (who knows if all if it is true), as well a better understanding of what we were seeing in the duomo.  Overall, the stay was very relaxing for us.  And (surprise, surprise) lots of shades of brown!

The main town square - Piazza del Campo

Quiet Street

Entryway

Wall adornment

 

Porta Romana with art installation

Quiet Street

Neighborhood marker

 

Bowls for sale

The Duomo Facade

Evening View

 

The Duomo

Nativity Scene at Basilica di San Francesco

Rooftop detail

Neighborhood Decoder Chart

Neighborhood Statue

Ancient Pool

The Duomo Interior

Busts of Popes, The Duomo

Door detail

Park Art

Neighborhood Pride

More Photos

Random Ideas and "Insights"

• Apparently, the Romans tended to build their towns in the flat valleys, while the Tuscans built theirs on the hilltops for defensive purposes.  Maybe the Romans were a little complacent about their enemies!
  

Random Scenes

• Upon our arrival at the train station, we took a taxi to our hotel on the other side of the city.  Good thing the driver was honest, because we had a 20-30 minute crazy ride up, down, and around through narrow streets with pedestrians and other cars.  It was all kind of mind boggling.  He could have been taking us anywhere, and we wouldn't have had a clue!
  
• We wandered into one church (Basilica di San Francesco), and interestingly found the interior populated with many (100?) nativity scenes, made by artists all around the world.  Very nice!
  

Sleeps

• Hotel Athena (nice)