It rained last night, so we awoke to a view that was exactly the same but with a little less heat going on. Barry went out to take pictures and was surprised when he stepped off the road and sank into mud in an area that looked just as dry as the day before. The rain soaks into the clay soil here, which amazingly yields fantastic crops.

We decided we would go explore Siena today. However, we had promised the kids that they could "sleep in", so they didn't get up until past eleven - a total luxury to them.

When we got to Siena, it was an uphill drive around and around the city, until, at last, we wound our way up to the Roman gates. We didn't know where we could park, but a friendly older couple, using many hand gestures, helped us out. We then took a walk around, checking out this beautiful, walled city. At first, we thought it was very deserted, but the number of people increased as we got closer to the main piazza, a bizarre "square" that slopes down to a central point, creating an amphitheatre feel.

We got "take away" sandwiches and wandered around the square. From there, we followed a walking tour brochure that we had found in our apartment. Just by coincidence, we ran into our "landlady" who owns the apartment but lives in Siena. We told her how delighted we were with everything and then continued on our way. Many alleyways and beautiful views later, we found ourselves back near the car, so we left to buy groceries and head for home.

Connor wanted to have soft tacos or burritos, but it turned into a very creative and eclectic meal since Tuscans do not seem to have the makings for tacos in their stores. We enjoyed the meal anyway and spent the evening playing cards and relaxing. There is no TV, internet, or stereo here so it is really rustic and relaxing. We realized the other day that we haven't heard the "news" in 7 weeks. Not surprisingly, we haven't missed it.