I think yesterday (Thursday) was our "jet lag" day. We slept until almost 10 am, when our very verbose neighbor started his morning tirade out the window that faces onto our shared courtyard. I swear he never drew breathe until about 11:30!
After a stop for a quick taste of Limoncello and some coffee at our favorite caffe we ventured off in search of symbols of the Contrade (neighborhoods) of Siena. David is on a mission to photograph as many of the plaques and light fixtures as he can. There are seventeen in all, and so far I think he's gotten ten of them. Our walk took us up past the University of Siena and the ritziest neighborhood in town. We peeked into a wonderful calligraphy studio and watched a very dapper gentlemen meticulously lettering a beautiful document. I can only guess what kind of commission he receives for such fine work.
We enjoyed a tasty, rustic lunch at Osteria del Gatto - you know it's gonna be good when no one speaks English - and then worked our way over to the Pinacoteca. If you're into medieval art, you would LOVE this quiet, uncrowded museum. For most of our visit we were the only people in the place. The guards would discreetly follow us from room to room, which I found quite endearing. It was almost as if we were intruding on their family home. It's a wonderful experience to enjoy incredible artwork with no crowds, no yelling tour guides, and no rude tourists blocking the view with their selfie sticks!
At 4:00 it was finally time for the highlight of the day - a tasting class at the Tuscan Wine School. I've never loved red wine, but the teacher was so engaging and the wine so undeniably good that we ended up buying three bottles - two Vino Nobile Montepulciano and one incredible Brunello di Montalcino. (If you're invited over for Brunello that means we love you A LOT). The Enoteca also sells this incredible stuff called "Magic Salt" that tastes and smells like Italy. Can't wait to try it at home!
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