“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber
“Travel lightly. You are not traveling for people to see you!” – Wilfred A PetersonMurph found a really great apartment for us to spend the night in Siena. We were in the center tower on the top floor on a corner.This was our amazing view!The apartment was fullyequipped with modern appliances.But what really excited us was a clothes washer & dryer! 😉“Can’t I just stay here all day and night?”What a great view of Il Campo! First layed out in the 12th century, this square is the heart of Siena, both geographically and metaphorically. The only town square where people stretch out as if at the beach!
Siena has 17 historic neighborhoods, or contradas—each with a parish church, well or fountain, and square—each contrada plays an active role in the life of the city. Each is represented by a mascot (porcupine, unicorn, wolf etc.) and unique colors are worn proudly by residents. These drummers, leading the parade, belong to the Goose contrada.And this lamp hangs in the contrada of the Goose.This is the Duomo di Siena – 13th century cathedral that is both beautiful during the day…and at night.The inside has captivating stripped columns…and a gorgeous dome.We took a tour among the rafters… ducking our heads.We loved being up in the dome…and along side the angels that standon the face of the cathedral!From the top of the Duomo we had an amazing birds eye view of the surrounding countryside!Murph and Brittany weren’t done with climbing yet though. Off they headed to the city hall with its 400 steps.Fresh as a daisy, right?I decided to take in the ambience below and enjoy the campo. That’s me on the right of the fountain, waving to them up in the tower.It’s really hard to capture the size of this campo and it’s difficult to imagine, but twice a year those contradas that I’ve been telling you about compete in a world famous horse race, the Palio di Siena. A horse from each contrada races three times around the elliptical shaped town square and the winning horse (with or without his rider) gains the honor for the following year.It’s not a very large campo so we tried to picture 60,000 screaming fans. Must be a wild scene!
We were awakened around midnight by the sounds of a twelve piece band and lots of cheering. The Goose contrada had won the Palio about a month ago and now have bragging rights for the entire next year. They parade around the town and remind every one of their victory as often as possible. I spoke to a local and he showed me a video of his winning contrada (the Rams) at their church, singing their praises to the Blessed Virgin Mary – their patron saint.
What a perfect place to stay and immerse yourself in Siena! You have captured the spirit so well. We were there in early May, your pictures and experiences bring it all back 😊 💕
Murphys on the Move 
The Duomo looks incredible! ❤️
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The Duomo looks incredible! ❤️
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What a beautiful place to visit! Murph always seems to find the best spots for you to stay. Being right on the square plus a washer & dryer, amazing 🤩
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enjoying all your pics! Hope you guys are having a wonderful time!
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So glad you’re with us!
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Love Siena. The horse race is extremely brutal. And the horse can finish without the jockey and still win.
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What a perfect place to stay and immerse yourself in Siena! You have captured the spirit so well. We were there in early May, your pictures and experiences bring it all back 😊 💕
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