This ancient fountain in Sienna became a reminder for us of where we had come and where we were going.

I have an injured knee so I was fine to walk, but really tried to avoid backtracking our steps and going an alternate way. Even with 2 guys using GPS, old Sienna is confusing to navigate.

But we finally made it to our destination of the square.

We had seen a number of people that morning with crowns of laurel leaves, taking pictures in the square. Sienna has a large university community and it was graduation day!

We strolled around the periphery of the square seeking… lunch (what else)?

We seated ourselves on Il Fantino’s patio

but I caught a look inside (for future reference).

Our lunch was a hit (as they all seemed to be) but except for the fact that D2 had the Capresse Salad I can’t for the life of me remember who had what and uncharacteristically, I didn’t write it down. This is what happens when old people write blogs.

We spent more time in the vicinity of the square, where I came upon this exquisite turquoise onyx horse. I remembered what really made the Campo del Plaza special-twice a year, the square is the scene of the world’s most famous, if not most ancient horse race: Il Palio.

We made our way to the Duomo, the most splendid cathedral I have ever visited. We decided thought that we did not have enough time in the day to really soak up its splendour, so we made arrangements to return the next day.

D2 and I, arm in arm, finished our wander, soaking up the antiquity of the city. Knowing we were to spend the next day in the Cathedral, I think we did some shopping…oh yes WE DID DO SOME SHOPPING!

I purchased a beautiful leather bag and a piece of costume jewelry. I use at least one of them daily and love them as a reminder of that wonderful day.

Kath’s quote: “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.”
– Muhammad Ali

Love never fails.

On this day we decided to drive into Sienna’s train station and take the train to Florence. D and I remembered Italian train service as a pleasant way to travel. With these 2 handsome guys as our escorts, we  were in good hands.

Our first order of business was finding a place to have lunch. D and I loved Giovani’s when we visited 4 years ago and the their pasta was just as memorable. It’s location right on the square in front of the Duomo was superb.

Directly in the foreground is the baptistery which was covered in scaffolding when we visited last. The combination of the buildings and the square itself is stunning and is one of the most visited places in all of Europe.

When D and I had visited Florence previously we missed seeing Michelangelo’s David at the Academie Gallery.

Other less famous pieces were still breathtaking.

And here was the “perfect man” himself. I had seen David when I was in my early twenties and visiting Europe for my first time. I could truly say that I didn’t appreciate the masterpiece the way I did on this visit.

Strolling back to the Duomo, we enjoyed the sun from a different angle of the cathedral.

Waiting in line to enter the Duomo, gave us an up close opportunity to admire the magnificent façade.

As splendid as the façade was, I was kind of underwhelmed by the interior.  The Duomo back in Sienna was far more splendid in my opinion.

While we were in the cathedral, the sun had sunk even further.

Just steps away, you could hire a carriage ride. The ancient and present day advertising struck me with its stark contrast.

We reconvened at Giovani’s again for a favourite Italian cocktail-apero spritzes. We made our way back to the train station and got onto a packed train. As we got closer and close to Sienna though the crowds thinned out.

The evening was another gorgeous one and we ordered salad and pizza to enjoy on our terrace.

Kath’s quote: “Sharing adventures means enjoying them 100% more.”-author unknown

Love never fails.