L'ultima volta a Siena

We came back to Siena for a couple days. Our Road Scholar group was doing an olive oil tour and monastery tour that sounded fun.

We also decided that once we head to Rome in a couple days we'll stay in Southern Italy and won't be coming back to Siena.

There is a butcher shop around the corner from our apartment. I've enjoyed buying steak there several times. The two butchers are super friendly and always happy to chop up a big t-bone for me.

This bank Monte Dei Paschi di Siena was formed in 1472. Impressive!

We went to the Piazza del Campo at dusk. It was fun to be there one more time.

We watched a concert in the piazza (actually in the theater in the piazza). The orchestra played numbers from Straus and Mozart. We enjoyed Mozart, being more familiar with it, and the orchestra was very professional and outstanding.

The next day we went with the group to a vineyard and olive oil production farm to learn how they do it.

There is the tiniest church on the property.

Their wine production is massive. At least in my perspective. Maybe they are small compared to some? They fill up these huge concrete vats and let the juice and skin ferment for a month. Then they transport it to these massive oak barrels for aging, usually for several years.

I was able to get a picture of the inside of a barrel – life goal haha.

We had an olive oil tasting in their restaurant, followed by a perfect lunch.

Olive oil is interesting. Some of it is surprisingly peppery and when you slurp it back, it will cause a burning sensation at the back of the throat. You will probably cough several times.

The bread was so good that I couldn't stop eating it. Bowl after bowl and I kept dipping and munching.

One of the courses was beef carpaccio. So good.

Mitzi loved this book case. Each level rotates independently. This was the style of model she used when building the 'hotel' to display her creations at home.

Here's the inside of that little church.

In the afternoon we headed over to an old monastery.

Inside the chapel was amazing paintings all over the walls and ceiling.

The floor was made out of tiles. It looks 3d, like the old video game called Q*bert. What amazed us is how perfect all the lines were. This was a huge area where this complex pattern was installed and it is done perfectly.

The doors had a huge dead bolt.

They had a little bar in the monastery. As our group walked by I dashed in and got a Coke Zero.

The courtyard and garden are quite beautiful.

There was a wedding happening while we were there. As the wedding couple left, we were leaving. They had this old Alfa Romeo convertible to drive away in. Stylish!

Tomorrow we have a taxi arriving for a 3 hour drive to Rome.

Arrivederci Siena!