Day 116

Day 116. Sat 24th July
Florence.

Earlier in the spring, on our first visit to a wet and windy Florence, we failed to find a good local campsite.
The drive from Sienna only takes an hour and parking is very easy in spite of what the tourist office tells you.
Mercifully flat (why is EVERYTHING in Italy UP a hill?) everything is easily reached walking. The 13thC Duomo with its famous Brunelleschi dome is a revolting pink and green marble on the outside and somewhat bleak and unadorned on the inside. We make a classic tourist boo boo and buy tickets for the Dome. This is not the Duomo as we thought (free entry) but a rather demanding claustrophobic climb into the Dome itself.
Determined not to waste my 8€ ticket, in spite of the heat, I make it to the gallery just underneath the painted dome but leave Andy to continue the steeper and narrower climb to the cupola at the top.
Overcome by heat exhaustion I sit in soaking sweat glugging water for an hour before I can get my arse into gear again. The 14thC Campanile by Pisano and the 7th C Baptistery are a delight.
Wander to the Piazza della Signora and enjoy the statues and Neptune fountain. The Uffizi is heaving and we are advised to pre book our tickets. At 10€ admission and 4€ booking fee it feels like a shake down but needs must. Lunch in a great little bakery come café, tiny portions (the rule seems to be the more you pay the less you get) but home made and gorgeous.
Home to our girl and a refreshing dip.
Duomo.
Dome.

Campanile.

Babtistry.

Neptune.

Day 115

Day 115.Fri 23rd July.
Tired Bunnies

After our excursions we spend another blazing hot day swimming and reading.

Followed by high enery Disco Cooking.

Think "Cars" by Gary Neuman.

Disco Kebabs and roasted vegetables.

Day 114

Day 114. Thursday22nd July.
Mazzolia and Volterra.

Today we enjoy an hour and a half’s drive through the justifiably famed Tuscan countryside, in search of a dry herb garden that closed three years ago.! A rather harem scarum wiggle along dirt tracks finds us in the miniscule heart of Mazzolia. Roads so narrow a man painting his windows had to move his ladder so we could scrape by. After an hours fruitless searching, hunger drives us to the hill town of Voterra.
Its medieval winding and picturesque streets are teeming with tourists but we are really only interested in finding a great place to eat. The Rough Guide comes up trumps. The area is famed for its hunting (roadside signs warn of hunting dogs) and our menu is peppered with Deer, Wild boar and Rabbit. Having polished off steaming platefuls of Pinky and Perkys near relations, Bamby and Peter Rabbit we are revived enough to seek out the Tourist office where we discover the details of why we couldn’t locate the garden.
After a scenic drive home Molly is delighted to see us. We have taken to filling doggy bags with the bones from our lunches and today’s was an especial treat.
A load of old cobbles.
More lurking.

Another bloody Tuscan hilldown.

Day 113

Day 113. Wed 21st July.
Sienna; giorno due.

Back into Sienna for the Baptistery and Crypt of the Duomo. Hardly worth the cost of the ticket, we did them both in about 20 mins. Leaving us plenty of time to relax (for a City it’s a very relaxing place) soak up the atmosphere in the Campo and people watch. The Museo Civico in the Palazzo Comunnale is a series of grand rooms with enchanting secular frescoes. Great views over the city to the countryside beyond. Lunch at a very smart restaurant just below the Duomo. Delicious contemporary Tuscan cuisine that Andy loved so much he left them his credit card so they could all book holidays with it.
Back in the evening to collect the credit card and Molly came with us to tour the city and join in the passegiata.
This is how Andy relaxes, Honest.
Too hot for hair.

Duomo Interior.

The library.

Day 112

Day 112. Tuesday 20th July
Ah Sienna.

First trip into Sienna. We immediately get why so many people love the place. Easy and relaxed, both with itself and to explore. What a beautiful city. Most of the medieval centre is pedestrianized and it’s so gorgeous you could just wander all day. Took in the jewel casket that is the Duomo, The library is a gem. The Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana has a grand title and so so contents, though it is the entry to the rather scary Panorama dal Facciatone. A very high narrow walkway with views over the city. I left this one to Andy, as claustrophobic, narrow spiral stairways in 35o heat are NOT my thing. A trot round the Campo (venue of the famous Pallio horserace) and the Fonte Gaia (yes gay fountain). Pacing ourselves because of the heat we only do half a day, have lunch and head back to the pool.
The Campo.
Duomo.

Gay fountain(it is now)

Aqua minerale naturale.

Day111

Day 111. Mon 19th July
Blog slog.

Despite my best intentions I’m slipping behind with the blog again. Make a concerted effort to catch up. Andy’s busy with housework and in the afternoon we chill by the 30m pool.

Oak leaves on the awning.
Breakfast.

Day110

Day 110.Sun 18th July
Sienna.

Start the day with another rollicking from our mini hostess as we were leaving. She was furious we were setting off at 7.30am, when most people were still abed. Bizarre for a site where the bins are emptied (noisily) at 6am EVERY DAY, so we sent her off with a flee in her ear. It was quite a squeeze.
Lovely easy journey the 150k to Sienna and arrived by 10.30am in our new home Camping Colleverdi.
Very steep site, 2k from the city, but we have a shady spot near the pool (hugh) and the showers and its pretty quiet. There is lots of room for our girl to romp.Spent the rest of the day setting up and chilling. Lots of friends have said Sienna is their favourite places in Italy so were looking forward to exploring.


The latest favorite toy.
Cool pool.