The day was beautiful so we got an early start and retraced our steps to the Duomo, threading our way through the decorated streets past the Prefettura and it's neighbour, the beautiful Facciatone (where even the Wombat was impressed with the view), stopping to check out various cathedrals, crypts and museums, including the Museo dell'opera with the original statues from Il Duomo (which have elongated necks so they could be more easily seen from street level). I can't remember where we had lunch but I'm sure it was delicious...and blissfully cheap by West European standards. Pasta for 6€? Unheard of in Paris!
We then spent the afternoon having a looooong walk around town, taking in the interior of the Duomo (complete with mosaics of the Italian cities, represented by animals like a rabbit (Pisa), an elephant (Rome) and a panther (Lucca)), the Pizza del Campo (with its fountain and numerous places to stop for a drink in the sun) and then the rest of the town. One of the most enjoyable things for me was noticing the decoration on street corners and elsewhere letting you know which Contrada you were in. There are 17 Contrade of Siena, municipal districts, which have animal logos like a worm, a giraffe, a rhino and a dragon).
Siena is a great place to walk, even if some of the hills are a little steep. Walking along the walls and through the back streets presented us with things we didn't expect, great art work and views which seemed they belonged elsewhere, perhaps on a Mediterranean coastline.
Before long, though, the sun was starting to go down and it was time for us to drive to San Gimignano. But not without photographing the largest tub of Nutella I've ever seen! Whoa!
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