Bonus: Siena

As much I love Italy, I had no urge to revisit any of the biggies we ticked off on our 2001trip.  Going to Rome and Naples was mostly to take my nephew Ian around.  Today we found ourselves transiting through Siena, half curious, we decided to give a brief spin.

Not that Siena was devoid of tourists back in 2001, today it was brimming with visitors.  We hardly had to look at our maps.  From the bus terminal we simply followed the crowds to the Campo.  While John enjoyed the lively atmosphere, I felt uneasy, way too many money extracting activities for an otherwise classy place.  Alas, like any heavily touristy place, it is very easy to leave the crowds behind.  We took off walking on one of the lesser streets off the Campo.   That was the end of crowds, so was the charm of Siena, the Campo and the Duomo.  Whew, we didn't miss anything by not returning....

We follow the crowds from the "bus station" and after 5 minutes arrive at one of the ramps down to Il Campo.




No rain today. We step out into Il Campo, one of the top public spaces on the planet.






In 2001 we climbed the 400 steps of Torre del Mangia; this time no -- 10 Euros pp is steep.




The fountain at the top of Il Campo adds to the charm.


We head over to the Duomo following the Rick Steves walking tour.


The Duomo, with its marble banding and soaring facade, definitely catches the eye.






The back to Il Campo to eat our picnic lunch, people watch, and soak up the sun.


Then we take a self-guided "viewpoint" walking tour to circle back around to the bus station. Looking back to Il Campo.




Looking over some modern buildings to the countryside.












Oh, and inside San Domenico.