Siena
3 nights at B&B San Francesco
First day in Italy - view from the back window of B&B San Francesco, in Siena.
Where DID she get those sunglasses??
San Domenico, Siena - the one with the grisly relic: St Catherine's head!
San Domenico from afar.
OK, bit of guide book stuff: Siena is divided into 17 quarters ('contrade') which compete in the famous horse races ('Palio'). Each 'contrada' has its own emblematic animal or bird .. such as a goose ('oca').
Siena's magnificent Duomo, completed in the 1390s.
The gilded west front of the Duomo, reflecting the dazzling sunlight.
Interior of the cathedral, swarming with tourists.
Figure in inlaid marble ("one of the 10 Sibyls of antiquity"), one of many set into the cathedral floor - almost an acre of carvings.
The great west window of the Duomo.
Duomo Baptistry door. I digitally removed some tourists from this photo, to give a clearer view of the base to the columns.
This chap was in the Baptistry, I think. Reminds me of J.K.-P., a certain tenor in Bath ..
From the cathedral museum, there's a narrow spiral staircase up to the top of the Facciatone ("big facade").
View from top of Facciatone.
The cameraman stays perfectly still .. until you put some money in the bucket, when he turns the camera handle for a while.
View through a doorway - a flight of stairs painted with an image of New York's Empire State Building.
This one was on the building housing our B&B. Reminds me of Banksy.
Evening colours.
End of our stay in Siena. 'Allontanarsi dalla linea gialla!'
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