Fadi had arranged for a driver to take us on a 1/2 day trip to Siena. On the way we went to Piazzale Michelangelo, a park across the Arno from where we were staying. It is known for a great panoramic view of Florence as seen below.
We had heard that Siena was a beautiful place and we HAD to see it. So, we went. Most of our Siena visit was a walk through the very beautiful cathedral. After the cathedral, we did walk s little ways along one of the streets that led from that square. Unfortunately our driver wasn't much of a guide, we were on our own and Siena is very hilly and difficult for us to get around. Consequently, we saw VERY little of Siena. However, we did see the cathedral and it is beautiful. Below are a number of pictures from inside the cathedral.
Immediately upon entering the cathedral I was struck by the large mosaics in the floor. The whole floor is covered with these mosaics and they are truly beautiful.
The picture above doesn't do justice to the magnificent dome. There are also a number of beautiful stained glass windows including one depicting the last supper.
When our driver dropped us off at the cathedral, he gave us some instructions for meeting him. We thought he said he would meet us at the bottom of the steps. So we went down. No driver! We waited and waited and finally called Fadi. Fadi called the driver and explained where we were so he could pick us up. There was NO WAY we were going to walk back up those steps! That was the end of our visit to Siena.
On our last full day in Florence, Fadi took us to a crafsman that made jewelry. He showed us some of his works and now Granny has a beautiful new silver necklace and a pair of matching earrings.
After the jeweler, Fadi took us to a market where we were going to have lunch. However, it was VERY crowded and there was no room but we enjoyed our stroll through the market..
We can't leave Florence withouf a couple of "food" pictures. Especially since this is where we were introduced to the platter of assorted meats and cheeses. We also learned to eat the cheese with a little fig jam or honey. IT IS REALLY GOOD THAT WAY!
Actually there is a LOT more "Florentine Food" to show. Read on!
After that it is on to Rome.
The picture on the left shows a Florentine parking lot.
Apparently in Florence, if you are doing construction on a building, you must cover the facade with a canvas or tarpaulin that depicts the finished building. The picture on the right is not the side of the building. It is a painted canvas showing what the building will look like.
And yes we really were there. Below is a pictre of us on the bridge just outside our hotel.
