Siena

Our walk to Siena was under threat of rain so we changed our day bag strategy to include wet weather gear. We also upped our pace a touch to cover the 21 km ahead of the forecast. The walk was a mix of rural pathways and backroads. We've spent very little time up till now sharing space with cars so that was a points deduction for this leg of the pilgrimage. Italians seem to be in a hurry when they're driving.

We arrived in Siena in a low energy state. I think the five days in a row has chipped away at us. The weather was mostly blue sky, but a storm passed through an hour after we arrived lowering the temperature.

Siena is a proper city with graffiti and traffic lights. Walking around the old town is like stepping back in time. It deserves a longer stay than our itinerary.

I consulted my phone to choose something for dinner. On the way there we stumbled across a Chinese restaurant which felt just right. We haven't seen rice for over a month.

Dogs have an elevated status in Italy(?). One of the patrons at the restaurant was a dog. They're welcome in shops, public transport and restaurants (although I think people generally ask). 

A view towards the cathedral 

The cathedral. I'm sure it's not a competition, but Siena's cathedral is a stand out

Lots of street scenes like this

I think this is like a council building. Pay your parking tickets etc

Much of the walk today seemed to be bridle trails. Horses have featured quite a bit in the last couple of days. This fence was next to some stables. I think it's quite clever. You can open up any section.

We were greeted with our first "Ave" today. A group of cyclists. It reminded me of Asterix. "Hail Caesar!".

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