Il Campo, Siena - 07.03.06

From Rick Steves' Italy 2006: "Siena seems to be every Italy connoisseur's favorite pet town. In my office, whenever Siena is mentioned, someone moans, 'Siena? I looove Siena!'"

We found this sort of hilarious when we first read it. Now, though, we must both admit, we looooove Siena.

It turns out the main square was not hard to find. We've grabbed a map at the tourist information office, and we are currently busy not using it, because the sun has come out so we've seized the moment and encamped at a cafe at the edge of the piazza. We have a half-bottle of wine, some bruschetta, and a perfect view of the tower and city hall. There are no cars on Il Campo, and there are relatively few of us (by which I mean foreign tourists). It's the sort of perfect hour you're looking for when you come to Italy.

Then the sun goes, the wind arrives, and it's winter again. We bundle up and head indoors.