Hi to all our friends in Monbulk where it was 3 degrees at lunchtime - it's a bright azure sky here and an expected top of 28 degrees after yesterday's 30. Sorry but it's another perfect day under the Tuscan sun.  We left home just after 9 as we have no food in the apartment we had to track down something for brekky. Tarn and the girls got fruit muffins at Maccas at the station but I am sworn to never eat at an establishment with that name again in Italy (and most likely Earth), so Mum and I chose to starve for the time being. We finally found the bus terminal to get the coach to Siena as the train leaves you too far out of town. €7 one way is a steal to cover the 60 km trip. On the coach it was entrancing watching the landscape turn classic Tuscan as you often see on posters. Northern Tuscany is much like Monny and surrounds but the further south you travel the silver birch and elm trees are replaced by pencil pines and umbrella trees. Although the soil becomes a more volcanic red between Firenze and Siena it really reminded me of home. We got to Siena and made a beeline for coffee and panini to ease the hunger pains and caffeine deprivation headaches. €1.10 for a strong latte - I loved Siena instantly.  Suitably refreshed we traipsed around this lovely city which again is a mini Firenze of sorts much like Lucca but with far more verve and pizzazz. Charlotte finally saw the fabled Panforte (Siena cake) which Michael from Friends On The Hill said she must try if we visited Siena. Well Michael we went one better and bought one to scoff at home. Charlotte even had her photo taken with one for Michael to see. We then made our way to the Campo (the famous square) and it was like being slapped in the face by God's wet glove. What a gob smacking place. It was built in the 13th century and the vast expanses are floored by terra-cotta pacers - the Sienese weren't short of a lire or two obviously. The highlight of the Campo has to be the Palazzo Pubblico which houses the slender and iconic bell tower the Torre del Mangia which translates to the Tower of Eating and given that there are more than 500 steps to get to top for a panoramic view it's well named indeed. We decided to splash out (again) and sat down at a square side cafe and had a couple of Aperol's and watched the crowd go by. €10 to sit down but what a seat and what a view. A lovely spot to get quietly pickled on ice cold Italian aperitifs on a warm sunny day. Then more souvenir shopping and a lovely Siena bauble to add to the collection. I got a replacement red Vespa for the last one which vanished. Tarn is worried we will be mistaken for importers on the return home as we have so much stuff. We had a look at the Duomo and with 60 very steep steps and pretty sore feet we settled for the optic. You just marvel at all these buildings craftsmanship and the mind boggles when you realise they were built 800 years ago. We came across a statue of Romulus and Remus the mythological founders of Rome and I wondered why this was in Siena of all places. I learnt later that Remus's son was said to have founded Siena. You find out something new everyday (well two if you count Aperol being yummo). We did some unsuccessful shoe shopping which will hopefully be remedied here in Firenze tomorrow. We got a roomy double decker coach for the trip back and with leg room and with Tarn on kid duty for the return trip I watched the beautiful landscape of Mia Toscana with the iPod piping Zuccherro through the ears and apart from visiting my family village this was the best time of the trip and I really felt as one with this marvelous place. We bought supplies for dinner but the cook was too tired after 10 hours of touring around so we went to a pizzeria around the corner and dined on one better than Nan's Italian clone. If you are ever in Firenze Pizza De Vesuvio is the place for pizza but the service is non existent and their outstanding pizza would be the only reason they are still in business as you would get more response from a corpse than the front of house chick here. Finally some live football on TV tonight with Palermo and AC Milan playing the semi final of the TIM Cup which used to be the Coppa Italia - the Italian version of the FA Cup. I wonder whose leg Gattuso will try and break? (May happen sooner than later as Palermo all over them early). A bedtime gelato beckons and a set of ear plugs should see a more productive sleep tonight. No the double glazing did sweet f a. Ciao Ciao P.S - To Jasmine from Charlotte Hi Jasmine I am missing you to and my favorite gelati flavour is Crema. I am having a great time and I got a new Zhu Zhu puppy. Lots of love Charlotte xoxoxoxoxoxox.