Siena

We spent the night at Camp Darby.  After checking in we drove to Livorno to drop off keys to an old apartment in Livorno that we needed the elders to open up so the gas company could read the meter and close the contract.  Friday morning we had breakfast at the local cafe and then drove to Siena. We met the Les at the church in Siena.  I had to deliver some cash to him to reimburse him for mission expenses he had put on his personal card.  Then we walked up to the center of Siena.

 Some of these doors are very large.  The door knob is over my head!

 I will spare you the door knobs and knocker in this post.  But, here is an old torch holder.

 There are 19 neighborhoods or contradas in Siena.  Each one is very distinct with names and boundaries. Here is a boundary marker up on a building that we are now entering the Bruco or Caterpillar contrada.

 Another torch or candle holder

In the Piazza del Campo is this lovely fountain. 

Across the piazza is the Palazzo Pubblico or municipal building and bell tower.

Three of the 6 of us decided to climb to the top of the bell tower while the other three toured around the piazza.  This piazza is the location of the annual horse race where each of the 17 contradas enter a horse.  During the horse race there are over 100,000 spectators in the center of the piazza to watch the horses race 3 times around the piazza.  There have been doing this for over 400 of years.

 It was almost 400 steps to the top, but  the view was fabulous. 

 Here is a closeup of the Cathedral with its bell tower.

 Each of the three of us got up our nerve and had our picture taken sitting on this ledge.  While the ledge is very wide it was very scary to hoist yourself up on to the ledge back wards knowing how far it was down.

 A view of the countryside looking south of Siena from the tower.

 This is how high we were! 

 On the way down.  There were 4 different observation levels.  Here are the stairs going down from the top to the next lower level.

 Here we are about one third the way up.  Can you can see the other three senior missionaries?

There they are!

 

 Next we went to the large cathedral. Very large and ornate.

 Then we went to the museum that had many of the original statues and gargoyles

 In the baptistery there was another very interesting gargoyle

 The Baptismal font

 Very ornate.

We also went to the crypt which is under the cathedral.  There was a completely different feeling there.  Along the walls were many frescoes all about Christ and his life and teachings.  While in the cathedral and baptistery the decorations were about man and fancy decorations, in the crypt it was about Christ.  I liked it.  

 Of course Siena is a big horse town.  Here are some horse rings to tie up your horses.

 Here is another contrada marker.  The forest.

 Here is our group.  The Keeffers, Lees and Sister Harmer.  The basilica San Dominico is in the background.

 How about these shoes?

 On our way back to the church I sow some great horse rings.

Wisteria.  This was in bloom in many locations here in Italy.

After we got back to the church the Lees took us up to their apartment where we had a fabulous lunch.  I think it was the best pasta I have had in Italy yet.