Siena is beautiful ,though everyone knows that, my feeling was that it is a bit touristy for me, l actually got sick of hearing the english language everywhere, every store keeper spoke it, and there were tour groups scampering along , following a microphone junkie with some flag to identify their species. Sure the Duome is priceless, and l will need to visit it again, mum was on the ball and lined up half an hour early so we could be the first in, to see it in all its beauty without the interuption of floral shirts and clicking cameras. The library there is not to be missed,l actually liked the floor pieces that they called pavements or grafitti.
The main piazza is well designed and works well with crowds, it slopes down to a single point. the art gallery was terrific, lots of Jesus pictures. The first hospital in Europe is there, now it is the Archaelogical museum, hugh vaults underground, and a vaulted area upstairs with paintings to die for on the walls and ceiling.
We went to the best osteria we have been to, "Gatto e Cane", if you have to do anything in Siena go there, Paola runs it with his wife, and it is absolutely extraordinary, you have about five plates antipasta, soup, rissotto, meats, desert, all accompanied with wines. He is a wonderful host and nothing is too much, he even went out and got me some chinotto to drink.
So Siena was a place that you need to wear earphones playing opera and enjoy the sites without the voices
Now onto Torino, we just got back, spent two nights in the city, a big city, maybe a bit too big for me now, but might cope better in a year, like Siena a bit too much English everywhere.
The best modern art gallery l have come across yet, had 2 Kiefer's, massive Kiefer's, and a group of other masterpieces, the old Fiat factory out at Lingotto is worth going to , just to see the seven Matisse's on the roof gallery and 2 Picasso's, and there were also seven pictures of Venice that bored me. On the roof is where they used to test the Fiats it has a curved track around the roof, like a veladrome, and the building is super cool. Next to this building is another that houses Eataly, a organic style foodstore, where you can have lunch and buy lots of goodies.
So we went to the second best Egyptian museum outside Cairo, we have been to the Cairo one, and l agree, but well worth the trip, nothing better than a mummy and a well made box.
There is the museum of Italian warfare, which you would presume is a small janitors room, but somehow they have made it bigger than what America might have.
Basically the town is full of museums and we will need to go back a few times to see them all, some are on cinema, armory, royal family, science.
Best hot chocolate we have had, and a great hotel, the Grand Hotel, Sedia. The food was good, and better price than Bologna, but that is no surprise now.
The boys have been terrific at traveling, and are getting better, they even seemed interested as l went up a hugh staircase , just to look at a staircase.
Back in Bologna , it is raining, and will rain all week, it rained in Torino.
Might shoot off to Venice this week, and infact a few times, as the Venice Biennale is on. Saw a priest wearing Nikes. Find myself not ordering more than one coffee at a bar, but leaving and getting another at another bar, as it is rude to have more than one coffee, reminds me of the days when l drank.
Saw a copy of the boys poor maths test they had last week, and had to ask the teacher what something meant and what the answer was to 3 questions, it amazes me how l got here!!!!!
Mitchello
Sculptures, Duomo
Duomo, Siena
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