Italy: Surprising Siena

We hadn't planned on travelling to Siena, but cruddy mountain bike rentals in Monteri led to us finding a new adventure. The morning started with a bus ride... and buying tickets in a town where no one speaks English and we don't speak enough Italian, proved to be a real challenge. Somehow, we made it, even with a bus transfer in Ciciana, only to discover what may be my favorite city in Italy. (The 3 professional-looking photos are courtesy of my favorite: Lonely Planet.

The town is immaculate. It's situated on this hill with the most incredible views and vistas. We started our tour at the Duomo:

The striped black and white marble pillars, topped with the dark blue night "sky" and gold stars, is the most gaudy but gorgeous combination you've ever seen. And the inlaid marble floor was just beautiful. It's only on display in September, so we felt so honored to get to see it. Patrick and I decided the entire cathedral was very "art deco"... before it's time! Someday, I'm painting a bathroom just like it!

From there, we wound our way through the tiny cobblestone streets to the Palazzo Pubblico:

We shared lunch on a sunny step in the plaza and people-watched. All around, mounds of gelato beckoned us inside little shops. The aromas from the Caffe's lured us in to taste espresso... and orzo (not my favorite). We took this picture of the butcher for our friend Tim, who LOVES meat:

This is just a beautiful ceiling we saw. I've decided I like the "folk" art most:

I'm so glad we made this side trip!