Where did we park?

Siena is a charming well-preserved Medieval town that features a spaghetti bowl of narrow streets winding up and around the hillside around its central town square...or at least that's what we read in the guide book. We were looking forward to the history lesson, but the weather had other plans.

When we arrived in Siena, we didn't really pay much attention to where we parked, because it was a main parking lot for the area. Well, that was just dumb. When we left the city center, we realized that all the streets look exactly the same and there were no maps or street signs. We ended up walking for an hour in the cold rain with a broken umbrella. It was pretty darn sad. We did eventually find the car and released a huge sigh of relief.

Siena, where all the streets look the same.

I made a bet with Grant before we left that I would only bring one pair of shoes on this trip. I won that bet and now wish I had lost. The shoes I brought are lightweight and have mesh on the top. Great travel shoes, right? I discovered in Siena, that when it rains, they become amazing sponges that gladly welcome the water into my shoe where my sock greets them with a second level of absorption. All day, I had a totally soggy pair of shoes. I will never travel with one pair of shoes again.

Siena was beautiful, just too cold and wet for very many pictures. Here are a few from the day (mostly inside shots).

Watch tower near the cathedral.

Cathedral (Duomo) and bell tower.

Ceiling in the baptista.

Front of the Duomo.

Duomo altar.

Duomo floor. Yes, even the floor was a piece of art.

The city is literally a museum in itself. We just wish it was a little warmer so we could have lingered.