The day started early again today, but I opted to send Anil to get cappucino to go and bring back to the flat so I could finish yesterday’s post and have a fresh pear for breakfast.  We were on the road relatively early with a quick stop in Podroia for terracotta. We stumbled onto the Terracotta Museo and saw some wonderful things. The museumitself seemed to be in the midst of a reconstruction, but two elderly gentleman were more than happy to give us a guided tour.  One of them  was the artisan of tiny replicas of area towns.

Next stop, Siena. Despite today’s heat, we did our biggest day of walking yet.  We went to one of two Duomos, and ate lunch on the piazza where the Palio race is run every year.  It was run on July 2nd this year, and you could still see remnants of the race throughout town. 

Next stop, St. Catherine of Siena Cathedral. Stunning does not even begin to describe it. A wonderful precursor to the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. 

Our final stop of the day was at the Monte Olivieto monastery. A Benedictine community of silence and prayer. We stayed for chanted Vespers…an experience of a lifetime! No photos taken inside – sanctity of the space and quickly draining camera battery.