I wake about seven today but don’t feel like walking. Rick does though, and he heads to Petroio on his own. When he returns he says he saw a terra cotta factory along the road and stopped to watch them a bit. In the meanwhile, I hang clothes outside to dry then Chris, the girls and I go for capuccini and pastry, followed by a trip to the local Coop to see if they have any cereal Becky would like. Did you ever meet a kid who doesn’t like Frosted Flakes?
When we return, Becky decides to go to the coop, as in the chicken coop, for eggs. We walk down to the pool, then I Sammi and I follow Becky quietly as we tip-toe to the coop because the big white dog “is watching us.” The coop is in the dog’s fenced domain.
The nest holds five eggs. We take three and leave two in case Allison wants to venture there later on. Back at the house, I scramble them for the girls as Chris toasts them some bread for breakfast.
We gather our things and set off a little after ten to meet Cristina in Siena. Mark tells us of two possible routes, back roads via Asciano or towards Sinalunga and the Siena Bettole Racccordo. He warns of the first route because those prone to motion sickness may not be too comfortable, and the second route because of the possibility of creeping along behind a truck in those areas where the road is not yet two lanes.
We opt for the second route until about Montisi. It’s a crisp, clear, gorgeous day and Chris promises to go slow so we pull over to let Rick know we changed our minds and are going with the scenic route. Of course, with all three kids in the back of our car, I’m not sure how well this will work. How did that happen anyway?
Now it’s just a matter of playing dot-to-dot driving. We navigate Montisi, Trequanda, Asciano, then pick up signs for Siena. The route has incredible vistas and must be spectacular in the spring and summer when crops of wheat and sunflowers grow in the fields.
We wind through some towns (Abra, I think), but there’s always a blue sign saying Siena when we need it. We even pull over to shoot some shots of Siena in the distance and hope for another closer view but never find it.
Eventually our route drops us briefly on the Raccordo. From there we follow signs for Siena Est. I see other signs for different portas but I tell Chris to keep going following sings for Porta Pispini and when we physically see the porta, we turn right along the outside of the walls. At one point we had gone under an overpass, which Chris assumed was the walls, and he kept wondering how we were driving inside the city walls one minute and outside the next. I explain to him, sometimes they’re city portals and sometimes they’re just overpasses.
We drive along the Via Peruzzi for a few minutes following signs for San Francesco. Finally, we see the lot on our right. Coming from this direction, you pass the exit to the lot first. We pull into the lot and notice it’s at least two levels, one covered. We park on the top since our car baking in the sun is not an issue on what must be the coolest day yet. Earlier, Mark told Rick and Chris that the temperature is going to drop today. And later, Cristina confirms it when she says they’re expecting a five-degree drop in temperature that night. They both turn out to be right.
Anyway, we leave the cars, taking our parking ticket with us because later we will have to pay at the cashier by the escalator before returning to our cars, and we search for those same escalators. Chris goes down to the lower level of the parking deck and Rick walks up the road, towards a gas station and a bend in the road, which we can’t see around, just north of us. He gives us the “thumbs-up”, and we catch up to Chris who had been heading in that same direction after seeing a sign on the lower level.
There’s a bathroom at the bottom of the escalators, which Becky and I both use. Then it’s up, up, up, through the city walls, which Chris points out to the girls but to which the girls seem completely unimpressed. Then we pop out finally (after several different escalator rides) into an alley, at the top of which is the Church of San Francesco.
We don’t have time to pop in though because we must meet Cristina in a few minutes by the fountain in the campo. We follow the signs for the Campo through the winding streets and our phone rings just as we enter the Campo. It’s Cristina. We see her a few seconds later behind the fountain as there’s a wedding in front and Chris waves our contraband of Nestle Chocolate Chips in the air so she’ll recognize us.
Cristina’s not how I pictured her but I definitely like this way better in her cowboy boots, jeans and flannel shirt, by the way, I’d kill for my flannels right now. She looks how I’d look on any fall morning.
Cristina starts by giving us a brief tour of the campo. She points out the wedding party in the center, toying with the groom. We’re unsure if they’re about to get married or just finished getting married in the city hall. She also mentions how the Sienese walk around the Campo in the direction the horses run, clockwise, while most tourists (at least Americans) walk around the Campo counterclockwise, in the same direction our horse races are run. Just another way for us to reveal we’re Americans (as if opening our mouths weren’t enough).
From the Campo we meander through the streets to Cristina’s Contrada, the Selva. We see the church, but unfortunately cannot enter, the fountain used to baptize new members, the small social club, the area where the horse is kept before the race and various other points of interest all the while, Cristina tells story of this and previous Palios. By the way, I never knew that the flag the winner receives is the Palio, not really the race.
As we walk, I’m completely disoriented by the directions but that’s okay. Eventually, we enter the piazza, which houses the Duomo. It looks magnificent as the bright sunlight glistens of its windows.
Cristina takes us inside, and we meander around. Some of the floors are uncovered – they apparently cycle through the floors so theoretically, if you visit at different times of the year you should see the different pictures. However, on August 15, all the floors are uncovered in honor of the holiday. Cristina also points out the heads that run along the ceiling peering down at you like some ancient watchers. It gives me a chill. These are the heads of Popes, but now I wonder, through a specific time or do they add a head each time a new Pope is elected?
We stroll to another area. I’m not sure if this is a baptistery or not and will check my manuals but it’s an intricately carved piece of marble, with horses and faces. Cristina puts money in the box and lights it up, fantastic, even Sammi seems fascinated by the effort.
After the Duomo, we stroll looking for a place to enjoy some lunch. Unfortunately, the place Cristina originally mentioned is closed, so we head back towards her Contrada, to Antica Osteria Da Divo, which we passed earlier in the day and had some wonderful aromas emanating from it.
They lead us through the main dining room and down some steers into the buca (cave or basement). It’s a bit muggy down there but they have some fans circulating the air so it’s comfortable. Much to Becky’s chagrin, they seat us at two tables, which we’ve dubbed the kid’s table and the adult’s table. Where the only ones down here, so at least we don’t have to worry about the kids being rambunctious.
The food is delicious, we start with three antipasti, which we share, bruschetta with various toppings, mixed meats, and some sort of salad with mushrooms in this phyloey-dough type of tower (a bear to divide among the five of us). Chris orders a Ross di Montalcino (yes which one escapes me), which we kick and I believe ordered another. As a matter of fact, now that I think about it, I think when we order the second, they were out, so the owner brought us two other bottles from which to choose. We let her decide which to serve (hmm … or that could have been before the first bottle – oh well).
Anyway, the girls order gnocchi (for Becky & Sammi) and for Alison, pici. It took forever for our food to arrive, which didn’t bother the adults at all but the girls started to get restless. We try to tempt them with dessert, as we waited for our primi but nothing appeals to them (too fancy). Yet, somehow, they manage to pull themselves out of their doldrums so we can enjoy our meals.
When our meals arrive, they’re delicious. I have parpadelle w/ cinghiale, Steph has a lasagna verde, Chris and Cristina both have pici I believe with lamb and bread crumbs, and Rick has some sort of ravioli. Actually, Rick’s ravioli does not arrive with the other dishes and he has to track down the waitress to get his dish but once it arrives, like all the others, he declares it delicious.
After lunch, we stroll through Siena some more, stopping to buy some promised gelato for the kids. At this point, we unfortunately part ways as we return to the Church of San Francesco and the car park, and Cristina return home to her family.
We make another bathroom break, pay for parking (about 7 €), and walk back to the cars. For the drive home, we opt to take the Siena-Bettole Racordo rather than the winding roads. Unfortunately, it’s not 2-lanes all the way and several times, we are stuck behind slow moving trucks.
Coming at Sinalunga from a different direction, we manage to find our proper turn and wind our way home.
A relatively early evening for us, we feed the kids first (another alternate shape of pasta – though by this time Al rebels against pasta and opts for a bowl of Frosties with milk), while we nibble on some snacks that Steph and I picked up from the local coop (it’s open from 5:30 – 7:30). We had walked over to get some bread, which unfortunately they were out, but we did manage to come home with some olives and another wedge of Parmigiano Regiano, not to mention two more bags of those cookies we love, as well as a large birre for the guys.
About 7:00, I start on our dinner first browning those sausages I’d bought the previous night. You have to love it when the sausages don’t cook down at all. While the sausage browns, I sliced those two large peppers and some onions. Added them to the pan to soften, then we mixed it all together in a pot with the jarred tomato sauce from our welcome basket and the remaining can of whole tomatoes I bought in Rome. It simmers a way for a while and about 8:30 we sit down to some pasta w/ sausage and peppers – yum. Dessert is some left over cantucci and lemon tarte from the night before.
We turned in relatively early after another great day.
