Today we went to Sienna. After some illegal driving through the streets of the walled
city, we got rid of the car and walked into town down streets like this
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that had adornments like these
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on their walls.
Next we walked to the Duomo seeing first the baptistery
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where ceiling pictures like this
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can be taken if you have this
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for help. Of course, the real thing
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comes out better.
We paid our 1000 lire and listened to the commentary
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at high speed. Then we decided to help them
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and refill their holy water urn.
Next we decided to do fancy photography framing people in the archway
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since it took so long to ascend the stairway. We entered through the holy door
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and were careful to obey the rules
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though we did take pictures of the phone booths
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outside the gift shop where we got this
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prized specimen. After a few final people pictures at the Duomo
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it was time for lunch.
On the way to lunch we ran in to a parade of the winners of the Palio
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on Sunday. Here's our gang at lunch
Jane
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Lucy
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Sarah
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Suzanne (and Jane)
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Benjamin
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and David
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The water bottle was beautiful
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though the label was impossible to remove. The food was good and good looking with
pizza margherita
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pizza with artichoke hearts
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proscuito e melone
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bruschetta
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spaghetti pomodoro
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The espresso benefited from this sugar
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and we captured the waiters
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including ours
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Lucy made a heart from the water bottle ring
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to expand upon her noodle heart of yesterday.
Next we went to the bell tower
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and climbed the first 94 steps to this lady
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who led us to believe that there were 493 steps in all (actually there were only 400).
When we got near the top, we were rewarded with this view of the first bell
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and of the city
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and of Suzanne
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We climbed on
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to reach the real top
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from which we could see the restaurant where we ate lunch
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and more views of the city
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including the Duomo
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the fountain
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and dead birds
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Lucy and Jane took this picture of David
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from the top bell
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We then did the long walk down
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Our last stop in Sienna was at Nannini
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for gelato.
Of course we had to take a few more pictures of the tower we'd climbed
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as we left town for the drive to Greve.
While lost in Greve, we found what we had been looking for for the last few days
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a laundry that would wash our clothes for 12,000 lire for 5 kg.
This helped us find our way
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so that Jane
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and Benjamin
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could have a swim
with Suzanne
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while Sarah finished her book
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We then drove up the hill for dinner at this place
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where fortunately we had brought no dogs along
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so we could be seated
as the sun began to set
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Everyone was there
Suzanne
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Benjamin
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Jan
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Jan
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Sarah
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and Jane
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Sarah took pictures of the table trying to get rainbows
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alternating with pictures of the skyline as the sun set
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and we concluded dinner with pictures of Benjamin's dessert
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