Siena

It has taken a superhuman effort on the part of my fellow traveler to not load up on the acres and acres of shoes, jewelry, and clothes available here in Italy. Bags are her kryptonite though and, on that front, she will not be denied. After hours of research, she has narrowed her choice down to something made by and old couple that has been making leather bags by hand for over 50 years. The shop is in Siena and it is no coincidence that we are headed there today.

Aside from old men making leather products, apparently there are a couple of sights worthy of our attention is Siena. The first is the Duomo. Started in the 1200s when Siena was at its economic peak, the original plan called for building the largest basilica in the world. Before it could be completed however, war and the plague dried up funding for the project and a significantly scaled-back version was finally constructed by converting the original transept into the nave and apse. Seeing it today, it is difficult to imagine the grandeur of what they had in mind to begin with because even the junior version is stunning.

Also worth seeing is the Piazza del Campo, the central square that is unlike any other we have seen so far. Shell-shaped and sloping down like an amphitheater to the Palazzo Pubblico, we can’t help but stretch out in the sun and watch daily life go on around us. We’re not lucky enough to be here at the right time but, twice a year, they cover the Piazza with sand and host the Palio, a horse race pitting the various districts of Siena against each other for bragging rights.

It is dinner by the time we have seen all we set out to see and, after a nice meal by the city gates, we stop at a small gelato stand for dessert. After stopping at literally dozens of gelato shops during our journey, we’d say it isn’t possible to find bad gelato in Italy. But you can. What we’re served has the consistency of Fred Meyer sugar cookie icing and seems unusually warm. We can’t eat it, but are intrigued to understand what it actually is and determine whether it will melt. This photo is from T+2 hours.