Italia 2017 - Siena Super Cosmic Posts 1 of 3

Yes, Siena, the great rival to Firenze. We were only there for a day but what a day. There was so much incredible stuff that I've had to break it down into THREE POSTS. This is the Hollywood super spectacular of all posts!!!!!

The major event was our visit to their Duomo/Cathedral. You never know what you are going to find when you got to these places. Parma was totally unexpectedly cool. Firenze was a dud. Siena...well if it takes two whole posts just to cover it, I suppose that speaks for itself. In this post I am going to focus on our getting to the Duomo and its exterior.

We started out by saying we thought we'd try to take it easy today. I guess you've read enough of this blog over the years to know that when Wife and I make that comment, it means less than dust to the cosmic powers that be...not to mention our own sense of self-control. But in self-defense, this time we kind of got blind sided.

We had had a great nights sleep the evening before even though we had totally over did dinner. I mean we pigged out on meat and drank a whole bottle of wine between us! Usually that would mean no sleep. Not in this case.

We started out by going to a part of the city where our B&B manager said we'd be able to see a panorama of the city.

Still catching the light and shadows on the way even in the bright morning

The light at the panorama point was just too bright but we decided we'd come back in the evening and catch the setting sunlight (Post 3 of this series). But we did unexpectedly find the Basilica Sant' Agostino.

There was some cool art work on the doors

Unfortunately they didn't allow pictures inside. Why is beyond me. They allow them at the Duomo. I did squeeze this one off on the sly. Probably have condemned myself to some circle of hell because of it.

To get to the Duomo from Sant'Agostino you go down a big hill but fortunately they've installed a series of escalators to get up.

Some street scenes on the way to the Duomo

Really a yarmulke on a street barrier?

And then to the Duomo

To go into the Duomo, you buy a ticket that includes the Cathedral Library, Crypt, Baptistry, and Museum (you will see most of these goodies in the next post).

When we got to the Museum, they told us we had to go up to the top and work our way down.

Get to the top and they say you have to go see the 'panoramic view'.

You wait ten minutes because they only let so many people up to see the 'view' at a time.

They you start going up these incredibly narrow, winding, steep Medieval stairs, up and Up, and UP, and UP. And there is no way you can turn around and bail because it is too tight and their are people both in front and in back of you. 

But finally you get there and it is pretty spectacular

The panorama

The Duomo

The Piazza del Campo

The Blogger

And on the way down in the Museum

Gargoyles!

Got to have these put on the Tower.