Siena Break

From Florence we took a bus to Siena, another old city that still has medieval walls surrounding it. From high up, this is one of the views. A great sunny, clear day made this spectacular.

That good view didn't come for free, we had to climb up and down this tower, one narrow, spiralling staircase all the way. At 88 meters, this is the second tallest tower of its kind.

Pictures can't really do this place justice so here's another one. Alps (I think) in the distance. Siena is elevated in comparison to the surrounding lands, good for medieval warfare...

Lunch break. Assorted meats including, salami, Italian bacon, ground chicken liver and beef gall bladder. A little unusual but a local delicacy. Veal for the main course and a caramel custard for desert.

Historically, Siena and Florence have waged war for an eternity. The two city-states fought for control of the Tuscan region for centuries, and there is still a great deal of pride and bitterness involved with this past conflict. At lunch in Siena, we mentioned to our waiter we were staying in Florence. He looked agitated and wasn't as friendly after that.

Of course, Siena has a church. Although unfinished, it has the second largest dome only to Saint Peter's in Rome.

Later that night, we went to the Enoteca Italiana, basically a wine library that is maintained by the national government. A great idea... Can we start a beer library?

For more pictures of Siena: https://picasaweb.google.com/118239697569233938659/Siena?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJLF_Iy1jpPHaw&feat=directlink