DATELINE: Siena (3)

Busy day today.  First thing was off to the bus station to buy tickets to San Gimignano tomorrow.  We're taking the whole day to stroll this almost totally pedestrianized hill town.  Us, and probably 5,000 others, but that's just the way it is.  We are also looking into going to Buonconvento on Friday.  The woman who owns the apartment stopped by this morning and told us what a delightful place it is so, following her lead, we'll check it out.  After milling around the bus station looking for the proper stop for tomorrow's bus we set out for the train station.  Fortunately it's all downhill and about 30 minutes later we found it.  TRAFFIC NOTE:  Italian auto traffic is thick and fast but cars always stop at pedestrian crossings although not necessarily for jay-walkers.  If you're at a proper crossing spot and you even LOOK like you want to cross, drivers will stop.  Even motorcyclists.

We found the station, checked out the trains from Siena to Vicenza, bought our tickets for the Monday departure.  We go first to Florence, then to Padua, and finally to Vicenza.  Caught a cab back to the apartment and thought about lunch.  Mr. C was all for eating "in" and I was all for going out.  I won this round and here's where we went.

If you're ever in Siena we can't recommend it highly enough.  It's tiny - no more than 24 seats - and quite charming inside.  We both loved what we ordered.  I had a caprese salad with such juicy, sweet tomatoes and smooth, creamy mozzarella, and an order of polenta smothered in porcini mushrooms.   Mr. C ordered beans and pasta with mussels in a light bean sauce with red pepper flakes.  A mezzo of house red, a bottle of fizzy water.  It was so yummy.  We left feeling that our 35 E was well spent.  A little shopping on our way back home to pick up some coffee, some prepared eggplant parmesan for dinner, another bottle of fizzy water.

This little street was on our route home.

And this one, too.

We put our purchases away then went out again for the IHT and a gelato.  Limone ~ so refreshing.  As long as I have my insulin handy I'm set!

Limone on the far left

 Then back home for an afternoon of reading and relaxing.  This is the street entrance to our apartment.

Tomorrow, news about San Gimignano and whatever else happens in this glorious place.