Burnt Siena
Trip Start
Sep 01, 2009
1
16
Trip End
Nov 30, 2009
Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Along the way Vilmo did his usual duty of providing us a tour of the Tuscan landscape. We drove through an old castle that served as a resting place for travelers through the area long ago. Now it is a very expensive hotel. We pulled through the courtyard and out the small stone archway. As we weaved and bobbed along the rocky Tuscan road, I watched the array of colors passing out the window. Vineyards drifted by the color of traffic lights fading from green to yellow to red. Tractors plowed their bumpy land and winds tickled the fall leaves from their place in the trees. Vilmo made sure to drive us by a very special spot in Tuscany as well. Here up on a hill sat a close cluster of cyprus trees huddling together surrounded by the golden yellow hair of the fields. This particular spot was special maybe just because it was made famous by postcards and books on Tuscany as a pure scene of the landscape. Who knows why but it felt special for us to see it.
It took us an hour and a half to get to Siena and Vilmo never left us feeling bored the entire ride. He pointed out each set of buildings telling us who he knew that lived there and what its importance was to their area. He told us stories about his name and the other Vilmo Barbi living in Milan who stole his name. When we arrived in Siena, Vilmo told us to go to Plaza del Campo and eat at the restaurant on the square with cheap pizza then take a nap on the square like he often did. He dropped us off by a cathedral with a very tall tower shaded by a tree. Where he let us out there was a perfect view of the city. We looked out through the space between the cathedral and the nearby building to see the domino stacked houses and striped Duomo tower sitting in the distance. All the buildings had maroon roofs and facades the color of brownish red leaves as fall nears to winter. We waved goodbye to Vilmo and took off down the brick and creamy cobblestone path with Kuzyo. Our mission: find the best gelato place in Siena.
The path before us was narrow and sandwiched between tall brunette buildings snaking around the winding streets. Unfortunately it was Sunday so the majority of shops were closed. The famous and affordable gelato shop that Kuzyo led us to was also closed but not just for Sunday, for the entire winter season. We stopped often to snap pictures of the unique figures projecting off the buildings such as distressed looking stone faces with their mouths wide open or the meek little stone sheep holding metal rings in their hands.
We arched upwards along the path and found ourselves facing Palazzo Salimbeni with its three sided square of creamy white facades. This building houses the medieval headquarters of Monte dei Paschi di Siena, one of the oldest banks in existence and it still operates today. Tents were set up in the square in front of it conducting diabetes testing. We passed by gelato shops and on the corner a famous bakery Nannini had lines of people crowded around its bar sipping espresso and eating panforte, a sort of fruit/nut cake, and fluffy powdered white cookies named Ricciarrelli. We don't stop it at this moment but pass on to the next square. Here we find a man spray painted gold in a suit and controlling an old video camera. Emily places coins in his cup and he winds up the camera. The bank behind him with stone lions acting like gargoyles guard the entrance, projecting above the door. A stone column sits in the square above our heads with the wolf and Romulus and Remus sucking on its teat. It is said that the son of Remus founded Siena. At the back of the square is a small church. We scuffle along the path, passed clothing shops and places selling souvenirs and trinkets.
Finally we reached the busied steps leading to the Piazza del Campo. We walk down them and face the oyster shell shaped arena and all the cafes with outdoor seating along its border. At the center sits the red brick town hall with the tall tower overlooking everything. We cross the square to a gelateria and each purchase the three flavors of our choice. Then we seat ourselves on the shell and devour our gelato before lunch. Kuzyo has to meet up with people so we walk her back to her apartment then wander around. Emily and I find a cathedral with services just letting out and buildings that make up one of the Universities. Down the path we find a great view of all the stacked buildings in their redish brown shades along the hill. Once we get back to the Piazza del Campo we stop in a fast food/buffet place to eat and laugh at how similar it looks to Olive Garden. Following lunch we snap pictures of the piazza and the fountain facing the townhall with scenes of jesus and god and pigeons standing on the stone dogs heads and dipping their beaks in the water for a drink. We wander up the road away from the piazza and find more tourist shops to buy postcards and a pastry/wine shop to buy cookies for Vilmo. Eventually we reach the Duomo as the sun slips lower in the sky. Through the arch we see the pinkish tower and side ahead. A childrens book sale is happening in tents on the square. The duomo has to be the most unique I've seen in Italy so far. Its easter egg pink surface and black and white striped column interior separate it from any other typical cathedral I've seen. We marvel over the details of ornate arches and carved stories on the face. My camera dies before I capture any pictures. Its closed before we get a chance to tour the inside, but we get to watch as the sky transforms into an electric blue and pink behind the Duomo.
Vilmo picks us up and takes us to Nannini for espresso and hot chocolate and buys us some cookies to accompany it. Then we take the long ride home.
