Siena

Wednesday 7th October

La Spezia to Siena

We left La Spezia (with a very touching farewell from the proprietors – kisses on each cheek from the 73 year old surrealist artist (A Ghioni) who painted murals all over the rooms and his wife/muse/model maybe sometime and wife Diana) at 9.00 am to catch the train - the two connections at Pisa and Empoli went smoothly and my concerns about the Italian train system were unfounded and we arrived at our hotel in Siena at 2.30. The Palazzo Bruchi B&B and Siena is a brilliant surprise. On the train trip here we kept ourselves amused by compiling ten top ten lists of our holiday so far : best location, best views, best excursions, best accommodation, best gallery/museum, best church/cathedral/chapel/basilica/abbey, best palace/castle/fort/chateau, best WOW moment, best restaurant, best food and so far – I am sure we will vote Siena to be top of the list in at least 6 categories – but there is still Salerno/Amalfi Coast/Pompeii and Rome to go, haha.

The proprietor Carmilla greeted us and every thing was perfectly organised – apparently she rents out 6 apartments in the Palazzo as B&Bs – her lodgings where we have breakfast are beautiful with the full works: gold filigree high domed ceilings with frescoes, big wide marble floorways and hallways, old paintings and dressers with Le Sevre crockery maybe to fill the empty spaces. Our apartments are tastefully decorated and want for nothing, with 3 large windows and shutters which open onto a magnificent courtyard where the families play before dinner. The view extends over an old stone wall and parks and gardens towards the ancient city boundary walls - arising in the distance OUT OF THE EARLY MORNING MISTS , all very magical - definitley a 10+.
We went on an exploratory tour of the medieval city with the most, largest and tallest medieval buildings we’ve seen so far, with the best views, best little lane-ways which spiral up n down, best square - full of university students soaking up the sun lying on the red bricks (cars HAVE BEEN BANNED FROM THE HEART OF THE CITY SINCE 1966) so it is safe and comfortable to wander about. It is a university town and there is an atmosphere of youth and energy and a lovely sense that they take themselves seriously (maybe Nicko could study fine arts here for a semester or two) – even Mary considers Siena to be equal to, if not a more pleasant and perfect than Venice. After a great meal and bottle on chianti at a restaurant recommended by Carmilla – where she and the locals frequent, we fell asleep on our perfectly lovely king sized, firm and exactly just right cotton quilted beds.