Day two with Pam and Art: On September 15 we met the Croci's in Sienna. You might think it would be a simple task to just hop a train and meet each other at a well-known piazza in the heart of the small town of Sienna. Yes, of course. First, however, the train trip that according to the guide books is only 20km, turned out to be 75km from Florence. Then, you may have heard that one of the most intriguing factors about Tuscany, other than the wine, is the hill towns. Sienna just happens to be one of the most famous "hill towns." So to our surprise, after havng the train arrive an hour later than we planned, we found that the train tracks are at the foot of the hill on which the city sits. We had to climb seven long sets of stairs and ride several even longer escalators to reach the upper ground level of this "hill town." Then, once there, we had a 1km walk from the train station to Piazzo del Campo, the most central part of the city where Pam, Art, and Peter were waiting for us.

Lets talk about Piazza del Campo. We were not, but if you happen to be lucky enough to be in Sienna on two select days in July and August, you can witness a famous bareback, no-holds barred horserace around the Piazza between competitors from the nine original Tuscan townships. It's a famous event in this part of the world. In fact scenes of the annual colorful horserace are featured in the opening moments of the James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. Of course, we did not get to see a race but I think it might be worth a return trip just to try to pull off managing to see one. We did tour the Duomo of Sienna. Yes, another church! But I must say we have seen Notre Dame; we have seen Gaudi's Bascilica Sagrada Famalia in Barcelona; we have seen the Vatican and St. Peter's Bascilica -- all remarkable and over-whelming, but we've never seen a more unique and beautiful cathedral. It features layers of dark and light colored marble which gives it a horizontal black and white striped exterior and interior. The effect is surprisingly breathtaking. Please see the pictures -- once I'm able to get the uploaded inn the next few days.

Next we planned to hop in the Croci's rented car to take a quick drive to San Gimignano, another famous hill town. But the quick drive turned out to be a long dirve, especially with the less than even nearly sufficient Italian road signs and with four people trying to interpret a map and offer driving directions to Peter, the designated driver -- I mentioned that he is a great sport and patient with us all, didn't I? We ended up foregoing the trip to San Gimignano and settling for a drive back to the train station to head "home" to the apartment in Florence. It was very sad to say goodbye to our dear friends, but what a fabulous time we had together--and in Italy, no less! I know we will see each other again soon and often. True and enduring friends are a very special gift.

On Thursday, Stan and I were back on our own and toured our selection of Florence must-do sites. We revisited the Ponte Vecchio, got a better look at Piazza Della Signoria and toured the Museo de San Marco, and the Galleria dell'Accademia. While there are many copies and reproductions of Michelangelo's David, the original is located in the Galleria. The David is tall, beautiful and every bit as magic as it is said to be.

Friday, our last day in the area, was spent in a day trip to Pisa. The town of Pisa is about an hour's ride from Florence by train through vintage Tuscan country. Very beautiful. The town of Pisa is larger than I expected. It is home to the University of Pisa which dates back to the 12th century, and of course, the town caters to the heavy tourist traffic it enjoys. The Tower of is situated on the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) which can be reached by a mile-walk through winding, narrow, shaded streets to the north and west of the town. On the approach the piazza, it's as if heaven is opening up with sky and light showcasing the Leaning Tower looming over ahead. As the photos will show, the beautiful cathedral and baptistry are built along-side the Tower. All three structures actually lean. The tower is a full 15 degrees off perpendicular. The three buildings are very, very beautiful, and fully cleaned and restored -- a 10-year project completed in 2010. We were so thankful we made the effort to see this wonderful spot.

We had a great Italian pasta and veal lunch before leaving the town at a little cafe just a block off the banks of the Arno. The air is so refreshing in this area, and after our long and hot walks around town, a comfy seat at an outdoor cafe with the light breeze was such a pleasant thing! Very civilized. And I will say once again, we are completely in love with the good Italian food and the friendly people we've met who've been so accomodating and friendly.

Off to Brussels tomorrow.