Our first stop was the Saint Dominic Basilica, a short walk from the Stadio. It was a peaceful and quiet and seemed like a place of worship (not just a place for tourists). They had relics of St. Catherine of Siena's head and thumb; kind of creepy really. From here we made our way to the Duomo.
Siena is a super cute town and was really crowded. We spotted a great place to stop for a snack (coffee, sandwiches and pastries) with clean bathrooms and places to sit. We arrived at the Duomo and all marvelled at its beautiful exterior. It is simply spectacular!
We paid our entrance fees and went inside. I used the Rick Steves tour to guide us but we all parted ways to marvel at the beauty on our own. I was tempted by the audio guide because it looked to provide much more detail but really just wanted to absorb the place. It was crowded but the majority of people were respectfully quiet.
The floor mosaics, the busts of the popes, the Bernini Chapel, the Michelangelo statues, and most of all, the Piccolomini Library were all spectacular. Hubby and I agreed it was the most spectacular Cathedral we've ever seen. I didn't want to leave...
After a few more photos, we made our way to the Campo and climbed the Torre. It was quite the hike but worth it for views over Siena and the countryside.
Afterwards, we made our way back to the Stadio to our car.
We drove back to San Gimigniano and meandered around that cute town, doing a little shopping along the way. We stopped for drinks with a nice view.
More walking about then we stopped for dinner at the excellent Cum Quibus restaurant. It was a more traditional and formal setting than Le Vecchie Mura with good wine, good food and excellent service.
Back to the B&B for our last night in Tuscany.
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