Siena – S Dominico and Fortessa S Barbara

After a nice lunch in the cozy Osteria Nonna Gina at the end of Via Stalloreggi that was recommended by both the Rick Steves guidebook and the hotel manager, I wandered northwest through the center of town to the S Dominico cathedral. It was lovely inside but I was most impressed by fact that an actual religious service was being held attended by a number of people who look like they might be locals. So far, all of the churches I’ve visited seem to be little more than monuments to the glory of the Catholic religion and tourist attraction, but of no relevance to modern Catholics. There were lovely views of Siena from the Piazza in front of the church and along the bridge-like road that connected 2 of the many hills that the town of Siena flows over. I walked around the Stadio (with an amusement park inside) and Fortressa Santa Barbara and then staggered back to my hotel - - all the very steep hills and stairs continue to be very hard on my ankle.