Siena

Siena. Could Tuscany get any more beautiful? This place reminded me of my sister Jannet. You would have loved it, sis. I can imagine you sitting out in one of the Piazzas reading a book then cycling through the rolling hills to a quaint little cottage somewhere. Wish you were here. Siena (in my opinion) was prettier than Florence, less crowded and to use a word I learnt in my travels, less touristique.

Duomo. Like I said, every Italian city seems to have one but that doesn’t make them any less spectacular.

Colour. The characteristic use of reds, blues and yellows on the buildings complemented the greenery of the hills rather beautifully. Could quite easily disappear into the hills here. Grow a beard, rear geese and make wine.

Haircut. It was time to lop some of the curls. Another week and I would have looked like Jimmy Hendrix. Choppy, choppy please. No round and no taper cut. Maybe he didn’t hear the “no” part but his first effort emulated a style fashioned by Vince Colosimo early in his career. Short on the sides with flowing curls on top and a fringe down to my eyebrows. Bit more off the top please. That’ll do, mate. I’ll bring in a magazine next time.

Campanile (Bell Tower) in Piazza Del Campo. We had to wait 30 or so minutes before commencing the climb. The staircase was tight and windy and certainly didn’t allow for multi directional traffic. It was worth the wait. Sublime panoramic views of Sienna and the surrounding hinterland. What beauty. Postcard perfect.