Sienna is yet another cobbled street town with cathedrals and churches, divided into districts according to birth and no matter if you move or stay your district of your birth is your district for your life.
The main event for Sienna, in the square, is the horse race conducted July, August with a horse from each district.
Cathedral - not exactly simple in style or size
Each area has a symbol - for example a dragon - and each area has its own church. ( No, we didn't go to all of the churches!!
The "she wolf" symbol of Rome
Italians enjoying their "stand up" coffee. Would never catch on in Melbourne!
Cathedral - not exactly simple in style or size The "she wolf" symbol of Rome 
In the afternoon we went on the optional tour to the hill top town in Tuscany, San Gimignano which was wonderful !
This village with its towers has remained intact since 14th century.
It was featured in a movie that we've seen a couple of times "Tea with Mussolini " starring Maggie Smith, Cher and Judi Dench. There used to be many more towers ( about 70 I think) but only 14 now.
While there, our tour director gave us free gelato at the best gelato in the world and this is me with the " world famous man"
In the meantime, Diana ( the lady on tour who my sister Jenny taught) became bewitched by a beautiful dress and was asking what we all thought. Two Portugese ladies passing by suggested George ( Clooney) had married the wrong woman. We all thought Di looked fantastic but she couldn't decide which colour to buy so she bought both the colour she had on here and the black! Just as well there was only a choice of two! We ( and may others) had great fun with the model of the day. The store owner/ worker was in fits of laughter with Di and the wonderful dilemma she faced.
While there, our tour director gave us free gelato at the best gelato in the world and this is me with the " world famous man"
In the meantime, Diana ( the lady on tour who my sister Jenny taught) became bewitched by a beautiful dress and was asking what we all thought. Two Portugese ladies passing by suggested George ( Clooney) had married the wrong woman. We all thought Di looked fantastic but she couldn't decide which colour to buy so she bought both the colour she had on here and the black! Just as well there was only a choice of two! We ( and may others) had great fun with the model of the day. The store owner/ worker was in fits of laughter with Di and the wonderful dilemma she faced.
San Gimignano is a magical place and sometimes when we see so much beauty and history we find it hard to believe that we're actually lucky enough to be really, really here and really, really seeing it.
Jonathan with our wonderful Tour Director. Why was he so wonderful? Because he was born in Queensland! Denis, you might know his family as he comes from Toowoomba originally - Tim Pendlebury. Now lives in a small village in Poland with his wife who he met in Paris. How about that? Not only that, Tim keeps up to date with all things including ( wait for it) the trades of the Brisbane Lions in the latest round!!
I doubt we will ever go on a Group Tour again - not really for people like us who are independent of thought and requirements but a good way to get to and from places on a planned itinerary.
However, San Gimignano is a beautiful, beautiful place and the memories of our visit I will treasure for a long time.
No comments:
Post a Comment