The boat ride from Ischia to Naples, then the train ride from Naples to Siena went without any difficulties at all.
I arrived at the Hotel AlmaDomus, a former convent at the site of the birthplace of St. Catherine of Siena. Again I have limited internet connection, hence the delay of a couple of days. Also, I won't go into any lengthy instruction about St. Catherine. You can google that on your own. She is one of the women Doctors of the Church, and her role in returning the papacy to Rome in the 14th Century after nearly a century exile in France, is not insignificant.
Siena is absolutley charming. It is a typical medieval hillside town crowned with the Cathedral.
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| This is the view from my little balcony at the Hotel AlmaDomus. The cathedral, or duomo, as they are called in Italian, is in the upper right. The tower over the rooftops is in the main square of the town. |
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| This is the main piazza in the city. |
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| The view of the apse of the Church of St. Domenic just above my hotel. I attended Mass there yesterday. The brick construction shows how many of the churches looke before they are covered with the marble tiles that are so distinctive with the churches of Tuscany. I have not made it up to the duomo yet. Sunday it rained most of the day, so it was a really relaxing day. |
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| A typical Siena side street. The litttle door and sign to the right is the entrance to a tiny restaurant. From that doorway, you descend a flight of stairs to a tiny courtyard with 3 tables. Inside there 20 place settings. Here are the dishes I had last night for dinner. |
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| A little appetizer: Misto di Salume |
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| Pici al Ragu Senese. Pici is a Sienese pasta, thick square shaped pasta, made in house. The sauce is a beef and pork tomatos sauce. A good introduction to my three days of cooking school. |
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| Sunday morning in the rain. The cloister of the Domincan monastery next to the Basilica of St.Dominic provided a quiet time for some prayer before Mass. |
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| The loggia of the church built on the site of St. Catherine's birthplace and home. The former convent building which is my hotel stands behind the loggia to the right. |
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| The convent chapel at the Sanctuario of St. Catherine. |
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| Another morning view of the duomo from my hotel room. |
Tonight I take my first cooking class. I have to be at the class at 4:00pm.
I decided to post the blog this morning because many people are moving in and out of the hotel. I thought that there would be fewer people on line at this hour. The computer is in fact working faster right now. Today I want to visit the duomo, and the attached museums.
I hope I can cook and take pictures at the same time.
Ciao
