Siena - a day off

Yesterday I had a day off; a surprisingly needed day as the work of the farm is demanding and unrelenting. I took a bus to Siena to explore what is surely one of the nicest towns in Italy. It had not been on my original travel list, but after passing through on my way to Podere Il Casale, I decided that I had to return with more time and more energy. Siena is a winding town built into the hillside. It is a mason’s dream – built of stones and bricks and truly a city that must be explored by foot as there is something to see at every turn. Siena was built during medieval times and possesses much gothic art; it is imposing and beautiful all at the same time. On arrival in the city, started with one of my favorite activities in any city I visit – the supermercado. This one was located across from the train station and was truly there for the locals. I suppose I see the world through the eyes of food – what we eat and how we do it says so much about a culture. This one was beautiful – wonderful produce, an amazing deli with cured meats, many cheeses, olives and other cured vegetables; a lavish fish counter and smaller meat counter; and then aisles of pasta, aisles of tomato products and aisles of olive oil – the essence of Italy. I think like most places, we shop for convenience and Italy is no different – some may still shop at the markets and deal direct with the farmers and producers, but more and more, we gravitate to the store where we can buy it all.
On leaving the supermarket, I took a quick local bus to al centro – the main area of town. I followed the throb of tourists down a cobbled street noting beautiful shops with Tuscan artisanal foods, merino wool products, Italian pottery, gelati and of course fashion – Benetton, Versace and the like. Eventually, I arrived at the piazza - Il Campo – a grand square flanked by restaurants and a massive church. At one side is a fountain so typical of Italy – beautifully carved and unfortunately not available for enjoyment is it was barricaded. I spent a glorious hour in the square just enjoying the sun, reading and people watching. I watched two young girls – probably 2 and 4 – run after pigeons for at least 45 minutes – never tired and never quite catching these poor birds. At some point I decided that I had to find a shop for Panforte – a “fruitcake” that is the specialty of Siena. As I wandered to the shop, I noticed a crowd outside the church, all dressed in white and silver – I soon determined that it was a wedding party – awaiting the arrival of the bride and groom as they exited the church. They were all dressed to the 9’s and never seemed to express frustration or look worse for the wear as they stood in the blazing sun waiting for 45 minutes. Eventually the bridal party emerged – showered with rice (and waiting pigeons) . After snapping a few photos, I moved on to explore the streets.
My next stop was Il Duomo – a beautiful structure with black and white stripes everywhere – my descriptions cannot do justice and will have to await the accompanying photos. Finally, I realized that it was time for lunch and I wandered off in search of the perfect meal – on a back alley, slighty away from the touristy roads, I discovered a pizza shop that fit the bill and had a perfect slice with thin crust, a little tomato sauce, prosciutto, mushrooms and a touch of cheese. It was nice to sit and enjoy it after wandering the streets. Afterwards, I needed something to cool me down and finally had my first gelato – a beautiful lemon one that only made me want more. I decided, I would wander a bit before having another round and had a melon one that was good, but paled in comparison to the first. After 5 hours of wandering, I decided it was time to return home and had a lovely nap on the bus ride back. Of course, I arrived back to dinner – a boisterous affair for 25.