ROME TO SIENNA.
When planning this holiday nearly three years ago, Sienna was on the must do list after skipping it last time. That was the greatest of mistakes.
We chose to come by bus, as it passed through some interesting towns,and we thought the slower speed would enable us to get a better look at Tuscany. We also thought we would have no difficulty getting to the bus depot from our hotel in Rome. Mistakes numbers two, three and four.
Firstly the bus to Sienna is the Senna Bus. Get it? The Senna bus goes from the main station at Turbutino, not Turbutani and 90kph on the autostraze means 125kph.
Arriving in Sienna they told us to walk to our hotel, “It is just straight on and uppa”. Mistake number five and after rounding the Duomo and being confronted with 28 steps straight upppa, probably 6 and 7 as well. Never mind, said Pete have map, consummate skill at street.O, can’t be too hard to work our way around. Mistake numbers 7 to 41. Ilze found a tapestry shop so when I said that I didn’t know where we were she said that she didn’t care and went inside. I then remembered basic orienteering skills and that I had Margi’s northern hemisphere compass in my bag. Find north, take bearing , thumb on map, look for attack points. ( No international symbol for giant Duomo with pink and white marble). Finally had time to realise just what I was walking past and discover why it was only the first mistake that mattered.
What a treasure is Sienna. (It rhymes so I couldn’t resist).
I am sitting in what was once an 8th century monastery. Our hotel is the Chiostro del Carmine. The cloister of the Carmine Monks from the Chiesa next door and boy they did not rough it.
There are not enough words to describe it and it has been a tough day so I will let the photos speak for the moment and let Ilze try and find the right words tomorrow.
Mistake number 42. We are only here for 5 days but then that is the meaning of life.
Pete
dipidydoo 