20220430 Siena and San Gimignano: Was a ten-plus hour day. Before I begin, some other stuff in no particular order.
- Regular laundry onboard is free (well, included in the price of the cruise). You leave it out in the AM and it’s in your suite when you return in the PM.
- Wine-by-the-glass (red and/or white) is complementary. I have bought two bottles of wine since I have some shipboard credit to use. They cork what you don’t drink and bring it the next night.
- When one takes a jacket off a hanger to wear for dinner, when you return afterwards the hanger has been moved to the side of the closet where the unused hangers are.
- There are lots of dogs everywhere. Nice dogs of all sizes. When I have commented on a couple of them saying “hello, puppy,” each time the owner has said that the dog was not a puppy but was ten or eleven and I respond by saying my dog is eleven, but I still call her my puppy or baby dog.
- In the places where we park the bus at a city, the restrooms cost 50 cents per person.
- There are glass bottles filled with some branded water in the suite These are never allowed to be anything but full. Leave the room and they’re filled. Glass out, and it’s gone and been replaced.
- Use a towel and leave the suite, there is a clean towel when you come back.
- There was a bottle of champagne waiting for us in our suite when we boarded…and the butler has brought another just waiting to be enjoyed.
- I have been acquiring euros since I need many for our guides in Rome and drivers who all want cash. In withdrawing in various ATMs in various cities/countries, I have found out that even though my financial institution says I can withdraw up to $1,000 a day, all the ATMs limit me to 300 or 350 euros.
- Looked at ceramics in San Gimignano at the same place I had bought some in 2015. Wow! Expensive. Did not buy anything.
- Food is excellent in all the restaurants. While we have had breakfast in our room each day, our butler told us that on Sunday, tomorrow, there is a caviar and champagne breakfast in two of the dining areas. Guess we’ll just have to go out for a meal!
Now to today. Up at 6:30, shot some images of sunrise from the deck, dressed, had breakfast in the room. Got on our bus about a bit after 8:00 and did not return until 6:30. Drove about 1.5 hours to Siena. Today we have a local guide for both the cities we visit, Carlo. He is low key and gives us a nice history in an approachable manner.
In Siena, we stopped first at the Basilica of Sanra Caterina for a good introduction to the city and their patron saint. Then up, up, up to the center of the city and the Duomo of Siena. The group with Carlo went on from there, but Jeff and I spent an hour inside marveling at all it’s features and colors. Wanted to go up to the second-floor tour which would have taken me to the spot where I took an iconic image down the nave in 2015, but the only reservations available were too late for us. We had fun walking around and taking images from as many angles as we could find.
We were running out of time given when we were supposed to be at a meeting point to walk way, way, way down to the bus. Went to the Campo where we would assemble, but realized no time for a sit-down meal and got nice sandwiches and espresso, met the group, and went back to the bus.
Next stop about an hour away was was San Gimignano. Jeff had been here ten years ago and I had been here seven years ago. So, after a brief introduction by Carlo, we left the group and wandered on our own. Went to one of the best places for gelato in Italy…long line and well-worth the wait. http://www.gelateriadondoli.com/
Back to the bus and the hour-plus trip to the ship. Spent a little time in the suite and then down to Compass Rose for dinner. Now back finishing up computer stuff and going to bed. Tomorrow the ship is “at sea,” so we will have to just relax and have our feet do a bit of recovering. Oh, and then there is the caviar breakfast.
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