DATELINE: Siena (5)

My wonderful oilcloth bag had a busted strap yesterday ~ too many heavy bottles of wine, etc. ~ so first thing I went up the street and around the corner to the shoe cobbler's shop to see if he would fix it.  Of course he would!  He sewed the strap back in place, reinforced the other three straps, and it's good as new.  All this is by way of explaining why I didn't have my camera with me when we went out.  After that little chore we went down to the campo to the Museo Civico to check on its hours so we can pay a visit.  That's on the menu for early tomorrow morning.  Back up the steep ramp to the via di Citta and a walk up to a music museum ~ a great photo op that I'll go back to tomorrow with camera in hand.  An additional chore or two, back to the apartment to put things away, and then it was time for the great lunch hunt.  On our way back from the train station the other day we passed a place that looked quite delightful to me, so we retraced the taxi's route and found it.

What a splendid find!  Way off the busy tourist route, quiet, comfortable, delicious.  We shared an antipasto of salami, ham, cheese, white beans, bruschetta and what I think was a crostini<>/i> with caviar.  Mr. C then had ribollito, a thick Tuscan soup made with white beans, bread, onions, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil and a chard-like vegetable.  It's one of his favorites and this one did not disappoint.  I had ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach with a meat sauce.  It was a perfect meal; not too much, not too rich, just right.  All served up with such charm and attention by the delightful owner.

After lunch we strolled home, taking note of some recent decorations on the street.  I don't know if this weekend is a holiday or festival of some sort, but there are now flags everywhere.

I also took note of these beautiful street lamps.

Note the duck!

On our way home I passed this shop selling all sorts of coffee makers ~ electric, stove top, Italian, French, espresso, filter, etc.  Inside are all kinds of cups, pots, trays, and everything else that adds to the art and science of coffee.  Sorry this is not a very good photo but I hope you can get the idea that Italians love coffee and want it made right! 

 In closing today's post, here a photo of our apartment house showing where we've been spending the last few days.  I'd come back here any time!