From Italia!!

Hello!

I have been, how you say, sans internet for most of my sojourn in Italy, which commenced on May 2nd. 

I started by flying from Paris with my sister to Pisa, and from there we spent a glorious five days in Cinque Terre, walking treacherous paths, basking in the sun, eating gelati and the best pesto either of us had ever tasted. From there we travelled to the town of Vignola, near Modena in the north of Italy, to pay homage to our forefathers. And eat incredible food. Then it was Florence, where my dear sorella Cloé left me, and Chris flew in from Canada!!

We had some good times and great gelati in Florence, complete with photos, but I have chosen to update this blog totally out of order, so that some thought is involved when reading it. I have many photos and things to share from our last days in Paris, as well as first weeks in Italy, but have decided instead to pick up again with Siena, where we are now and where we have finally found Italy's one and only wireless internet signal. Seriously you guys, it's the only one.

THIS is Siena. The centre 'old' part of the city is completely walled in, and that's where the party is. Well, it's where the truly picturesque little stone streets, fabulous quant restaurants, churches, tourists (spot the not-so-cool- ingredient) and this piazza are anyway. This is called Il Campo, and it's the centre of the action in Siena, as it has been for centuries (though there was less gelati in those days, I am told - and I'm not sure how good the espresso was. Also, there was all that medieval bloodshed, plague and torture that we like to think we've outgrown now as a species). 

This is a street lamp in Siena. I believe the motif is more of a contemporary design, as I don't recall seeing anything like this in the Ufizi amongst the other renaissance art. 

A random view in Siena. Kinda like parts of Cinque Terre (pix to come!) but with less colour variations, and less ocean view, being that we're nowhere near the ocean. 

Naturally, one of our first orders of business was to stumble upon one of the many cathedrals in Siena. This is what one does in Europe, why fight it? Plus, I believe that my newfound friendship with buddy Jesus, and subsequent visits to his many European estate homes, is what has led me to the elusive Italian Internet Signal, or IIS.

Repent, you guys, REPENT!!

Chris praying for internet. She was raised Catholic, she knows that this is how you get things done. 

Success!! Well prayed!

This is Siena's own Duomo - except the actual Dome is currently covered by scaffolding, so this is the spectacular front entrance instead. 

Thank you for asking; yes, that is in fact marble of different shades that they used to build this cathedral. And yes, they did it all by the blood and sweat of thousands of people. Construction commenced in around 1215 and took over 100 years to get as far as they did - never completed properly due to the Black Death in 1348 (thank you Wikipedia!).

And regard! At night in the front courtyard they project random words in English onto the wall of the building opposite! How utterly avant garde!

Etc.