Siena

Nicholas spent the night at our apartment so we could get an early start. Drove through Tuscany south to Siena. Rolling hills. Castle here; castle there. Painted cement sided homes with terra cotta tiled roofs. Patchwork rows of grey/green olive trees and golden green grape vines stretching far on the horizon. 

Entered Sienna. Took more time than I'd like to admit to find parking and the midieval part of the city. Walked through while I tried to explain the pageantry we experienced surrounding the Palio in 2004. Greg and I enjoyed a cup of tea in an outdoor cafe in the Piazza del Campo while Nick climbed the clock tower of the Palazzo Pubblico.

It was mid afternoon before we got to Piombino, the ferry port for Elba. $200 fee and questionable return schedule made us ixnay that plan. Found a secluded beach and made a picnic. Walked the pebbly edge and watched a snorkeler pop up with his speared catch-of-the-day: small octopus and a few fish. 

Dropped off Nichols at Hannah's apartment promising to return early the next morning for our weekend trek to Rome.