Wednesday, October 19 - Church-hopping begins

After an enjoyable continental breakfast we retraced our steps back to the city center. 

This picture was taken approaching the end of the car zone.

We revisited Il Campo and decided to explore the streets of Siena a bit.

 

Here Helen & I are sampling some of the local junk food.

And look! A Euro version of a dollar store.

And who needs Dunkin Donuts if there are stores like this?



 The next stop was the house of Sienna's most famous home-town girl, St. Catherine of Siena. 

Apparently the home was much simpler when St. Catherine lived there, as her father was a wool-dyer.  St. Catherine was a Dominican nun who led an ascetic life.  She died in Rome at the age of 33.  I'm told that she is the patron saint of Europe.

Next we were off to perhaps the most famous building in Siena, the Duomo (or Cathedral).  This Tuscan Gothic style church is situated atop the highest point in Siena.

The inside of the church is as over-the-top as the outside.

Practically every surface is covered in Renaissance art, from the ceilings

to the inlaid marbel floors.  (They are apparently are normally covered with protective sheeting, but were uncovered when we visited).

One of my favorite features was the circle of heads of the 172 popes who reigned up to the 12th century.

 

And hardly a pew or kneeler in sight.

Our next stop was the other big church in town, the Church of San Domenico.

The inside of this Dominican church (which St. Catherine could see from her home) is about as sparse as the outside, but it does house St. Catherine's head (on display in a case behind glass) and one of her thumbs (also behind glass).  Her body is supposedly in another church in Rome, except for one of her feet, which is in another church in Venice.  Things were done differently back then, I guess.

Since we were due to be in Venice that night, we made our way back to our hotel.  But not before stopping at that bakery with the donuts to pick up some sweets, which we enjoyed on Il Campo. 

A great way to end a visit to a most enchanting city.

Tuesday, October 18 - The Crayola City

We eventually left the smooth sailing of the Autostrada and slowly eased back into normal traffic.  Although the traffic was never as hectic as in Rome, we were still thankful for the GPS. 

Siena is an ancient city that does not permit normal automobile traffic within its original walls.  (You need a special permit to enter.)  For this reason, we had reservations at the Hotel Porta Romano (http://www.hotelportaromana.com/index_en.php) which is about a fifteen-minute walk from the city center.  We pulled through a non-descript gate and parked in the hotel lot.  As we unpacked, we had our first WOW moment of the day.  This is what we saw when we turned around
:

It was like a painting.  An absolutely incredible view of the Tuscan countryside!  Kevin & Helen actually had this view from their room.   While we didn't have a view, our room wasn't too shabby.

We unpacked, rested a bit, and decided to start exploring.

The walk to the city center was a gradual ascent, but nothing too taxing.  The walls of the old city were impressive.

I found out afterwards that the world's oldest surviving bank is in Siena:  Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, S.p.A. was founded in 1472. 

Passing through the gate, we entered the old city, which looks like something planned by Disney.  (Which I realize is sort of a back-handed compliment.)

Like Rome, the streets are not in a grid pattern, but are a tangled web of streets, alleys and passages.  As we approached the actual city center, we came across this sight.

Naturally, we had to check it out.  And immediately came across our second WOW of the day.



This was Il Campo, Siena's main square.  It's a large open space covered with nine sections of herringbone-patterned brick.

The tower that we first spied was the bell tower for the Palazzo Pubblico, a former palace that now serves as the Siena's City Hall.  

Il Campo is in the shape of a shell, gentling sloping down to the bottom of the "shell", the Palazzo Pubblico. This is the site of the world famous Palio, two races held each year on July 2 and August 16.  Ten horses and jockeys (riding bareback), representing ten of the seventeen wards in the city, compete.  A thick layer of dirt is laid down and the jockeys ride the circle of the Palio three times.  Apparently the whole thing is over in less than 90 seconds.  The winner gets bragging rights for the next year.

There were no races when we were there, so we milled around a bit, along with a few hundred other folks.

By now, it was time for dinner, since we hadn't had anything since out stop at the Autogrill.  After consulting our Rick Steves' guidebook (really, truly, don't leave home without it), we decided to try Trattoria La Torre, a cozy family-run restaurant just off Il Campo. 

What a find!  The father (an older gentleman who didn't speak English) was our waiter;  his wife did the cooking right in front of us in the open-kitchen. 

Later on, they were joined by a younger man.  (A son?)

Our dinner was fantastic.  Through serendipity, Helen discovered that her camera had a "food" setting.  As you can see, we feasted on gnocchi,

 ravioli,

fish, 

beefsteak,

and, of course, selected desserts.

A great meal to end a great day.  In restrospect, probably the best meal of our trip.

We then retraced our steps back to the Hotel Porta Romano to recharge our batteries for the next day of sightseeing in Siena.

Oh, and about the title for this entry?

Apparently this is the color of the buildings surrounding Il Palio.

Tuesday, October 18 - Driving Ambition

After a delicious continental breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and decided to walk (with our luggage) to pick up our rental car from Hertz.  The office was near the Borghese Gallery and from reading the map the 1-1/2 mile distance did not seem too difficult.

They say that Rome is built on seven hills and I'd say that we traversed at least three of them on our walk.  Add in small sidewalks, cars and scooters scattered about and cobblestones underfoot and, in retrospect, a taxi may have been a better idea.

Actually, it was more like a two-mile walk since the office was located in an underground garage and we overshot the entrance since we did not see the sign.  Luckily a vendor at a local stand pointed us back in the correct direction.  (I got the impression that she got asked the question quite often.)

After filling out the necessary paperwork, we took posession of our transportation for the next nine days, a Volvo V60 D3 Diesel Wagon.  Very sexy, great power, but sadly, limited on cargo space.  We managed to get three of the bags in the back and jammed the fourth in the back seat between Helen & Kevin.  We hooked up the GPS (having ordered the Italian map module before we left) and were on our way.

Let me just say that driving in Rome IS EXACTLY AS CRAZY AS PEOPLE SAY.  Driving up the ramp to exit the parking garage was analgous to a pinball being propelled into a pinball machine.  Madness!  Narrow sreets laid out like spaghetti that has been dropped on the floor. Roundabouts appearing now and then.  Random cars coming from all directions.  Swarming motorscooters, too.  Practially non-existent signage.

Actually street signs do exist, if you know were to look for them.  They are embedded in the sides of buildings located at intersections.  While this isn't an actual street sign, it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about:

Now realize that they don't seem to be always located on the same orientation at each intersection.  (For example, placing them always on the building on the NW corner.  But being Rome, there may not be a NW corner!)  Imagine being swept along in the traffic flow, trying to avoid being clipped by a Smart car or Vespa while frantically looking for a sign.  And it goes without saying, that the signs are not lit up at night.

As I said, we did have the GPS.  So we hung on the unit's every instruction.  "In 30 kilometers, enter roundabout."  All was fine until we missed our first turn about ten minutes into the trip.  No problem!  We just followed the recalculated route, which seemed to be taking us into some sort of residential area.  "Turn left."  We did and immediately found ourselves on some sort of jogging/bike paths, with startled pedestrians giving us the evil eye. 

With apologetic grins, we backed out and followed a new recalculated route.  Thankfully, we we soon on an arterial street, then an expressway and finally on the Autostrada on the way to Sienna.

By the way, here's a video that I found (I didn't make it) that gives you an idea of what driving in Rome is like.  htttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAadQhHknNk.  One clarification: the scantily dressed ladies that occasionally make an appearance are apparently independent contractors.

The Autostradas are wonderful.  They are very similar to our tollways.  Grab a ticket when you enter and pay when you exit.  But without a GPS, they can be confusing as highway numbers are not posted and the signs list the next (major) town on the route.  I will give them credit for painting the upcoming exit information on the lanes well in advance of the exit. 

Another similiarity are the Autogrills.  These are similar to the Oases that you see on the Ilinois Tollways, that is, gas stations with limited auto services and food stations.  Snack bars are more like fast food places, while an Autogrill is a full-service restaurant.  I had heard in a podcast that the food in the Autogrills was quite good as it was prepared by serious cooks using local ingredients.  We put it to the test, by stopping at an Autogrill about an hour out of Rome.

We dined on fettucini with broccoli and tomatoes, gratin of spinach and prosciutto and Coca Cola Light (the Italian version of Diet Coke.)  All for € 13,60.  (Under $10!) 

After a quick comfort stop, we hopped in the car and continued on to Sienna.

Monday, October 17 - Night moves

We finally got back to our hotel after 6:00PM.   After resting and washing up a bit, we decided to go out for something to eat.

During our meandering on the night before, we passed by a cafe near the Temini station that was only a few blocks away.  It was a typical neighborhood place that served drinks, pizzas, paninis, etc.  We decided on some pizzas and a calzone, along with some beer and soda.  Just the ticket.

Then we were off for some late-night sightseeing.  Our destination?  One of the most iconic sights in Rome, the Trevi fountain.

Even with a map, the convoluted street layouts proved to be difficult to navigate at night.  But eventually we found it.

Which brings me to WOW moments.  Italy is full of WOW moments.  You will be walking along in some non-descript area when you may turn a corner, or just look up, and say WOW!  That's a WOW moment.  One of Colleen's favorite WOW moments was when she exited the subway on her first visit to Rome in 2000 and was confronted with the Colisseum looming up right in front of her.

Trevi is another WOW moment.  One moment you're meandering down a street, then you round a bend and there it is.

 
(If you were paying attention, you may have heard the cascading water ahead of time.)

The fountain is not free-standing;  it's slapped up against a building.  We willingly joined the throngs of tourists and locals milling about in front of it.

Custom says that tossing a coin into the fountain will ensure that you will return to Rome.  As they say, "when in Rome", so

Our coins joined the estimated 3,000 Euros that are tossed into the waters each day.  (The coins are collected to benefit the poor of Rome.)

Another long day was drawing to a close, so we started walking back to the hotel.  And then it happened.

The second gelato stop of the day!
 

Monday, October 17 - Ashes to ashes.....

Getting off the bus, we met up with our guide and entered the ancient city at the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance.  (Nearest the Amphitheater, Pompeii's version of the Colisseum.)  For about two hours we were scampering over the stone streets, enthralled by the history that was all around us.

The weather was perfect as we discovered the "highlights" of the town.

• An early version of a "fast-food" restaurant
• The largest villa in Pompeii
• Bakeries
• Temples
• Even a brothel (Sorry, no picture.)
• A public bath

And looming over everything was the spectre of Mount Vesuvius, the reason for Pompeii's notoriety.

Halfway through our tour, the guide announced a rest stop.  Conveniently, we had just come across a most unexpected sight:  a modern-day combination refreshment stand/souvenir shop.  So that's where we had our first gelato in Italy!

It's hard to imagine that about 20,000 people lived here, many of which perished on August 24, 79AD.  But there are some gruesome reminders.  The occupants who died that day were buried under the volcanic ash.  Over time their bodies decomposed, creating cavities in the hardened ash.  The archeologists figured out that by filling the cavities with plaster, they could create molds of the Pompeiians in their last moments.  There are two such "statues" in glass cases that are on display in what remains of the fish and produce market.  But if you look closely at the picture below, one poor soul has been assigned to a storage area along with other commonplace artifacts recovered from the site.

It truly was a most informative and fascinating tour.  I highly recommend reading up a bit on Pompeii if you have the time.  Here's a good start:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii.

So then it was back on the bus, back to Naples to pick up the other group and then a three-hour trip back to Rome.  (With a "rest stop" at another gift shop along the way.)

Monday, October 17 - The touring officially begins!

After a few hours of sleep, our sight-seeing began in earnest.  We had made arrangements ahead of time to take a day-trip to Pompeii and we were expected to be up and ready at the crack of dawn. 

The tour bus was scheduled to pick up up way early (6:30am?).  So early, in fact, that the hotel staff had not yet completely set up the continental breakfast.  We managed to scarf down some things and then went out to meet the bus.

Once we got on board, we were chagrined to find out that we were lumped in with another group that was going to Naples for the day.  This meant that we had to go to Naples (which was on the way anyway), drop off the Naples group and then continue on to Pompeii.  This Naples pickup/dropoff added about two hours to our total travel time.

On the bright side, we managed to get a brief view of Naples.   I will admit that we only saw the port and a small portion of the downtown area, but we were not impressed.  Very congested and not very clean-looking. Since the city is supposed to be the most-crime-ridden in Italy, we were glad that we were on the bus.

The driver did make a brief stop along the Bay of Naples.  As you can see, it is very scenic.

Back on the bus and then a brief "rest stop" at a "factory" that produces cameos from sea shells.  We didn't bite.

Finally, we arrived at the modern city of Pompeii.  Just in time for lunch.  We joined another tour group at a local restaurant.  We were served soup, pasta and pork medallions.  Not too bad.

Back on the bus and finally we were at the Pompeii!

Sunday, October 16 (Rome)

After clearing customs and picking up our luggage, we hopped in a cab and arrived at our first destination, the Hotel Corona. We agreed to take about two hours to unpack and rest a bit, before officially starting our grand adventure.

We decided to take a cab to the Colosseum/Forum area and immediately were faced with gridlock.  There was some sort of festival near the Colosseum, which involved closed streets and traffic re-routing.  Welcome to Rome! 

Once we did arrive, the lines to enter the Colosseum were pretty long, we decided to visit the Palatine Hill/Forum first.  The Palatine is where the emperors lived.  The remaining ruins are still majestic.

The Forum was Rome's civic center  The remaining ruins don't even hint at what a lively and bustling place this place was. 

It's really incomprehensible that we were walking along the same pathways that Julius Caesar, Nero, Caligula and others once trod. 

Then it was off to the Big Enchilada, the Colosseum (or Colosseo). 

Again, it's hard to imagine the history and events tied to this place.  Thanks to a tip in Rick Steve's Italy 2011 guidebook, we bypassed the huge general admission line and found ourselves inside.

While it is a shell of it's former glory, it's still impressive.  It's hard to imagine the spectacles that were staged here and the thousands of lives lost (human and animal) as entertainment for the masses.  (Mental note:  re-rent Gladiator after we return home.)

Thanks to Helen & Kevin's son, we had podcasts of selected Italian sights downloaded on an iPod.  So the four of us just plugged in and got our own personal guided tour of the Colosseum.

After a short cab ride back to the hotel and a general freshening up, we decided to explore the neighborhood and go to dinner.  Dinner was at a local family place called LaMatriciana around the corner from our hotel.  I decided to try something new for dessert, Panna Cotta.  (Sort of a cooked creme custard.)  I was hooked!

We were up for some more exploring and decided to walk a bit around the neighborhood.  We explored the main train station, the Termini.  (Sort of like the Chicago Metra Station on steroids.) 
Walking back to our hotel, we discovered that we were staying about four blocks from the last hotel we stayed at when we were in Rome in 2000.

So, we reluctantly called it a day and returned back to the Hotel Corona and go to sleep.  (After being up for almost 36 hours.)