August 8- Arriving in Siena

We arrived in Siena yesterday afternoon after a long day of traveling.  It started with a 6:30am taxi to Charles de Gaulle airport, then we took a plane to Frankfurt, where we had a layover and then continued with a flight to Florence, where we took a bus into town and then another bus to Siena.  The Piperno's, friends of Andrew's family, have been so generous to host us at their villa for two nights.  These two pictures don't even begin to give justice to the beauty that surrounds us.

Jackelyn at lunch out on patio with large views of the Tuscan countryside.

Another incredible view.

We went into Siena this morning to see the town, and the views of the medieval city were very charming.

Siena is full of paths that are tight, winding, and steep.  It's a miracle/nightmare that any cars try to pass through.

We went to the Duomo di Siena, which has alternating stripes of marble that pay homage to the symbolic colors of Siena (the black and white of the horses of the city's founders).

Dora, Ilmanuele, Giuseppe, and Sofia stayed up with us to play Monopoli (in Italian).  The game hinged upon Vicollo Corto (or that's what kept being discussed every turn).