Met my better half yesterday, Saint Catherine of Sienna. We’re about 680 years apart and there are a few other minor differences too, i.e., she was a saint and I am… not. She wrote: “If you really are what you should be, you will set all Italy aflame!” And so, I stood in her shadow and promised to do my best.
Siena is an outstandingly beautiful town, filled with treasures around every corner. It has joined Verona on my do-over list, and this despite a rather unfriendly greeting that involved high winds and driving rain for the first hour or so. I had thrown my light jacket in at the last moment along with my umbrella, but I was drastically unprepared for the storm and I have never been so cold in my life. The umbrella blew inside out so many times that I lost count and finally just kind of draped it over my head and held on tight as I followed Dave’s left foot up a never-ending hill and past the massive protective fortress walls that surround inner Siena. Once there, we took refuge in the Duomo until the worst of the storm had passed. The solemn beauty within defied adequate description.
We found a tiny restaurant and ordered a hot pasta lunch with charcuterie and a glass or two of deep red wine. By the time we had enjoyed that, the sun was back in its rightful place and we continued our exploring of Siena, including the cathedral at Santa Catarina and some serendipitous wandering that lead to the top of the city walls and some breathtaking views of the town.
We didn’t quite hit our 20,000 steps today, but we came close. Found a decent large market on the way home and loaded the larder, enough to last us a few days at least. Then, a leisurely and lovely session of cooking as I worked on (under chef’s guidance) bruschetta while he created a simmering pasta sauce. We dined after 9 pm, Italian style and I drifted off to bed packed full of pasta, garlic, tomato, basil. Santa Catarina, I’m giving it my all!
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