La Bella Vita

As per the usual we were up at an early hour and breakfast did not disappoint. We went for one last walk on the Maui beach and tried to soak up as much of as we could. The weather was perfect, not too hot and with a little bit of cloud cover. After washing the sand off our feet we packed our belongings and said a sad farewell to the Andaz Maui.

How Do I Ever Go Back to a Normal Breakfast?!

We had time before our flight and I had a surprise stop for mom on the way- the Maui Aquarium. Inside is a large enclosed reef filled with fish that they keep for only a few days or months at a time before returning the captives back to the sea. As luck would have it we were right in time for the naturalist lecture on the fish. The enclosure had several types of surgeonfish, so named because of razor sharp blades at the back of their tales. Included in this group is the whitemargin unicornfish, which, as the name implies, has a horn nose that sticks straight out and two sharp spines at the back.

Whitemargin Unicorn Fish

We also swathe orangespine unicorn fish and a sailfin tang. The sailfin tang released it’s whatever it’s called into almost a sail- unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough with the shutter to catch it.

The aquarium is divided into different sections according to the depth of the reef. Perhaps the oddest exhibit was that of the garden eels. They form colonies in the sand at depths of 35 to 175 feet. The bottom half of the eels is buried in the sand while the top half and head stay out in the water and feed on plankton. If scared it can bury itself entirely in the sand (puts the ostrich to shame).

Garden Eels

We saw octopus and jellyfish and walked through the tunnel just as a stingray swam overhead. It was like scuba diving with none of the hassel.

Octopus

Definitely a cool stop. We headed to the airport which was noisy and, for no apparent reason, chaotic. Making our way through customs we parked on a bench to unwind and drink frozen coffee while waiting for our flight to Kona (via Honolulu). It was at this time I discovered there is actually a direct flight from Maui to Kona (put that in the oopsies category, although it was almost $900 more expensive, not so oopsies).  I tried to ease the situation with some Burger King fries- they were hot, greasy, and delicious.  The flight was delayed and both parties were slightly grumpy. We made it to Kona, landed, got the rental car and headed to the Mauna Lani resort. *I decided to upgrade the rental car from a compact to a convertible mustang.  Our luggage did not fit in the mustang trunk.  This was a told-you-so-moment and I quickly changed reservations to a full size after we squawked at each other like two geese (or tired travelers).  I have always said vacations are much like Le Tour de France, rest days are needed.  I failed to schedule such a rest day this time.  After check-in we made our way to the hotel room and it seemed we were the only people in this very large ghost town of a resort. I’m hoping it caters to an elderly crowd and that they were all snoozing at 8 pm. We went to the lobby for a quick bite to eat and decided instead to head to Tommy Bahamas- right around the corner and we knew they would be trustworthy with the Mai Tais and Pina Coladas. Tommy, once again, didn’t disappoint. A quick meal and late bedtime to prepare for tomorrow’s adventures.

Aloha,

One tired Pookiebear

We were too tired for any further activity for the day and rested at the hotel before heading out to dinner at Monkeypod Kitchen.  We each ordered a Mai Tai- five stars for presentation.  Dark rum floated on the top with the juices sinking to the bottom and a fruity froth on top with a pineapple slice garnishment.

Fish Tacos

Mom and I split our meal: a salad with dark greenery, goat cheese and tomatoes, fish tacos that had slices of jalapenos for a little spice, and the fresh fish special.  The fish catch of the day was Onaga also known as the red tail snapper.  It had a delicate flavor and was served with a dark sauce, roasted vegetable and a side of lobster.

Onaga

Exhausted, we arrived back at the hotel to rest up for tomorrow’s adventure to the big island.  Mom had difficulty exiting the car, it could have been because of mai tais or because she was still buckled in or from the Haleakala hike.  The valet driver commented “those seats can be reallllly low.”  Regardless I suggested we take the ramp into the hotel instead of the stairs.  We will definitely sleep well tonight!

Another early morning- hooray us!

Special Galentine’s Day breakfast treats

Back for the breakfast spread to fuel up for the day.  Mom headed to the spa for a well deserved massage while I headed to Kihei to ride the waves.  I met my instructor Kazuma for some dry land instruction before hitting the ocean.  The technique seemed straight forward enough.  We grabbed two long boards and headed out.  Kazuma was everything one would stereotype regarding a surf instructor- shaggy hair, Ray bans, and phrases like “right on, awesome, and radical;” and he was a very good instructor.  With him yelling in the background I caught my first wave, stood up, and surfed it in!!  It was a glorious rush.  A few more runs and we headed a little further out to bigger waves.  As I surfed in, Kazuma did a head stand on his board and surfed in, summersaulting off the board before getting too close to shore.  It was impressive.  Swimming out against the waves was exhausting but worth the surf back in.  I can see how people give up everything to live like a beach bum and surf every day.  Surfing was so much fun and the weather was perfect.  By the end of the two hour instruction I was totally wiped out.  After rinsing off the salt water I grabbed my keys and headed to the car to throw on some dry clothes and then… I shut the trunk…  With the keys in the trunk… 30 minutes for roadside service gave me time to walk to Java Lava for a frozen mocha, delicious, and wander around Kihei a bit.

Graduated From Surfing School

Mom thoroughly enjoyed her massage and when we met back up we headed for a beach walk.  During our walk mom said she actually really enjoyed the hike yesterday and added “sometimes you just need someone to push you.”  Glad I could be that person 🙂  We walked to Honolulu coffee for Acai bowls and a hot amerciano.  The acai bowl was like a really thick fruit smoothie topped with granola, sliced banana, and drizzled with macadamia honey.  During our discussion, I decided if able bodied when I retire I would become a beach bum spending all of my hours surfing.  Mom was present for the reality check “you don’t see any q-tips out there on the boards.”  I didn’t; however, I did see several on the golf course as we walked back.

Look closely

Haleakala Crater

We awoke at a surprisingly early morning for the second day in a row (again not so surprising given it was noon back home).  Anyway, there was a full day ahead and we wasted no time making our way to the breakfast extravaganza.  This morning I chose a kale, spinach, pineapple juice with a shot of ginger.  The shot of ginger made my nose hairs singe and my (as dad would say) my toenails curl.  We had our coffee, grilled pork, fresh yogurt, fruit, you get the idea and loaded into the cheap rental car for the next big adventure… Haleakala crater.

The weather was perfect as we winded and winded and winded our way up the side of the crater traveling from sea level to 10,000.  The drive and hair pin turns were intermittently interrupted with scolding to “stop tailing them” “they’re pulling over because you’re riding their bumper” and “AHHHHHH.”  It was otherwise relatively uneventful, but lengthy trip to the top.  We got outside the car to discover strong wind and a surprising chill.

Haleakala Crater

Thankfully, layers were packed and we layered up.  We spent as long as tolerable at the top admiring the view before going down to the trailhead for the real adventure.  The landscape is indescribable- the terrain turns from brown to red to black and is as far as you can see.  We made our way over the brim of the trailhead and started our downward hike.  We passed a few weary travelers heading the other direction, huffing and puffing- what novices!  Our goal was to make it to a particular rock and rim where you could see out even further.  Mum sent me on my merry way to turn around and meet back up with her.  The coldness dissipated as it was replaced with sweat.  I reached my turn around point and the view was spectacular.  I turned around and was immediately met by a massive headwind and an uphill grade.  Mum was in the distance but seemed to be hiking along at a brisk pace.  I was starting to get winded, but could see mom was trekking ahead.  When I finally caught up I realized this was perhaps a little much. “A volcano isn’t such a bad place to die.”  I suggested a brief stop.  “If I stop, my legs will never start working again.”  The dramatics continued, including a lecture on pushing “old” people too hard.  A little pep talk and a break and she was back to hiking like a champ.  We took a few more breaks, but made it back to our trusty little Hundai, complete with a “Live Aloha” bumpersticker, whatever that means.  All said and done, it was at least five miles- with a significant grade and at 10,000 feet. The drive down was as harrowing as the drive up.  At one point I was slightly distracted by a cyclist going in the other direction, the tire went over the edge (and there isn’t much edge to be had), which was followed by panic, terror, and screaming.  I white knuckled the drive back to Paia and was hoping mom would forget that I tried to ride this road on my bicycle.

We landed at Flatbread Pizza in Paia, a cute little ocean side town on the road to Hana.  Steven, Pookie (the other one) and I had been to this joint on our previous trip to the island.  We ordered the Hawaiian pizza- pork, barbecue sauce, caramelized onions, pineapple, and goat cheese- absolute heaven.  I had a Maui brew and mom a glass of wine while we recounted our heroics on the crater.

Back at the hotel mom promptly snoozed while I hit the hot tub.  It was supposed to be relaxing, but…  A pregnant woman got into the hot tub.  I, an ob-gyn, panicked.  SHE’S PREGNANT. Do I tell her to get out?  Is she really pregnant, she appeared about 20ish weeks, or just chubby? (I’ve been told you never ask someone if their pregnant unless you see the baby coming out).  The rest of the hot tubbers joked, talked, and carried on and I sat in their like a crazy person trying to figure out what to do.  What would the NY Times ethicisit have to say?  She turned to her husband to inform him that everything was okay, it was no hotter than their tub at home.  My panic hit a whole new level.  Thankfully she got out and grabbed a glass of water (if it had been anything else, I might have totally lost it).  My hope is she got out because of my awkward staring.  I made a mental note to inform the hotel to post a sign baring pregnant women from boiling their little ones, in the meantime I prayed she was just fat.  Regardless I got out and mum woke from her nap.

It was time to head back to town, walking of course, for a round of mai tais and appetizers.  Tomorrow is a spa day for mom and surfing lessons for me.

Hang ten, catch you tomorrow,

Pookiebear

The Rainbow After the Storm

One of the benefits of time zones is being able to sleep in until around noon while the local time is actually 8 am.  So, by Baltes vacation standards, we were up and ready to tackle the day at an early hour.  The plan was to walk to Honolulu coffee, but the weather chose otherwise- the skies opened up for another torrential downpour.  We opted to head to the breakfast buffet.  Buffet makes it sound cheap and cheesy, this was anything but!  We had hot noodles, fried fish, grilled potatoes, and all before discovering the fresh fruit portion of the spread.  There was a fresh juice bar and we had some heavenly mix of mango, guava, and pineapple juice.  A piping hot cup of dark coffee completed the meal as waited for the weather to clear.

Mum’s first Mai Tai

The sun came out and the weather could not have been more perfect.  We headed to the beach for a walk.  Waving palm trees, soft sand, what a place!  Mom declared that her goal was to get a mai tai.  With that objective in mind we made the half mile walk to Tommy Bahama’s for one of the best mai tai’s I’ve found.  We ordered coconut shrimp, baked goat cheese, and poke.  Poke is a raw fish salad with a kick of spice atop guacamole.  The mai tai was a perfect blend of orange juice, lime juice and a strong dark rum.  We did a little island shopping and headed back for the required mid afternoon snooze.

It was time to go the beach again.  This time we ventured in the other direction and with the clear sky were able to get our first views of Haleakala and West Maui. There are no private beaches in Maui so you can walk pretty much as far as your feet can take you in either direction.

After washing off our feet and showering up, it was time to head to the opposite end of the island to, my favorite restaurant, Mamma’s Fish House.

After ordering our fruity cocktails, a Blue Hawaii and Plantation Juice, it was time to get to business.  I ordered the Papio. A white fish served with caramelized onion, chili pepper, avocado and quinoa.  Mom pointed out that it was odd to have quinoa since it grows in the Andes- regardless it was a perfect combination and the fish was delicate, flaky, and delicious.  Mum ordered the Opakapaka which was a light white fish served with sauteed Hamakua mushrooms, garlic butter, white wine and capers with a side dish of Hana ginger and peanut oil.  (Yes, I copied the descriptions from the menu.  I’m not as good at describing food as my brother*)  Dinner was nothing short of perfect.  We made the drive back to the hotel to rest up for tomorrow’s adventures.

Aloha from the land of rainbows and sunshine,

Pookiebear

*Please refer to the blog Dining with Dr. Baltes

Ready for paradise!

The Romary airport taxi service was prompt (as to be expected from a not yet Baltes) and we arrived at the airport with plenty of time.  The trip to Dallas and departing Dallas was mostly uneventful and we boarded the plane in anticipation of a long day of travel.  The time was spent alternating between sleeping, watching “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” playing Rummy, and trying not to lose our minds.  At the feeling-like-a-caged-chicken point of the flight we appeared to be descending, I caught my first glance of the land of mana and honey and looked up at the monitor to see how far we were from landing.  Perhaps louder than intended, I said “oh no, are we turning around?!”

Cruel and unusual punishment

Mom had a look of shear panic which I hope to never see again in my life.  As I rustled to find an emergency ativan the captain came overhead to let us know that due to an inclement weather pattern we would be circling before landing.  One circle became three and as we headed straight for landing we swooped back up for a fourth.  We went from caged chickens to crazy chickens.  As we landed several over head bins popped open but there was still loud applause and whistling.

We picked up the rental car and headed to the resort in what I would describe as a monsoon.  The paradise entry to the pacific Islands I was hoping mom would experience was anything but.  We were drenched by the time we got to the lobby and mom was shivering (“we’re going to Hawaii, why would I need a sweatshirt?”).  We got situated in the hotel room to discover it is full of amenities and nothing is better after a long, cold, wet day of traveling than the famous multi-thousand dollar Japanese Toto toilet- complete with heated seat and pulsating jet stream for a deep clean.

Not just a toilet, a Toto

We headed down for dinner at Ka’anna kitchen and shared kaua’i shrimp with Japanese eggplant and anchovy aioli, black sesame noodles with peanuts and maitake mushrooms, and roasted carrots.  At this point we were too tired to talk and under dressed for the restaurant.  But the food was amazing and just what was needed after a long day of travel.

Here’s to hoping for sunshine for the rest of the rest of trip!

I had a really good video clip to enter here, but I don’t know how to do that.  Steven, it’s an m4v. Any ideas?

Aloha,

Pookiebear

I was awake all night and heard the church bells chime every hour.  Between my headache, nausea, and crying I was miserable by the time Nina awoke for breakfast.  I laid in bed contemplating how to spend the day.  I decided that dad would have wanted me out doing what I love most, riding my bike.  I threw on my cycling garb and applied sunscreen.  Nina brought up a cup of dark, black coffee and pastries.  I had to pass on the food, but the coffee was perfect.

I met everyone on the bikes and they all had much welcomed hugs.  I haven’t spent time to mention my fellow travelers, but it was been a fantastic group.  We were joined by Connie and Dick from Colorado- a vibrant couple who loves downhill skiing, car racing, cycling and are a lot of fun to be around.  Susannah, a brave feisty spirit who traveled from Boston for the trip by herself and was always up for pushing herself on the bike.  Milton and Shellie- Milton is a even-keeled guy who was always laughing.  Shellie, an honest, caring person who is full of creativity.  Jen and Tom, a cool couple from just north of me (hopefully we’ll get the chance to reconnect in the midwest).  Jen, a pediatrician, and I were able to share medical horror stories.  I had a lot of fun laughing with Jen and Tom.  It was great to see Nina again and she is definitely a good travel buddy and friend.  Our guides, Gianfranco and Giuditta were amazing.  They spent time to make sure everyone was enjoying the ride and that we were all staying together.  I loved the enthusiasm that each had for riding and the activities we were doing.  I was especially thankful to Nina and Giuditta for the hugs and helping me get my traveling situated.   Once I get back I will have more time to write about each and the special bond we all had during the trip.  We all meshed together well and it was a great group to spend time with experiencing Tuscany.

I felt better once my legs started spinning and my headache started to dissipate.  Our first stop was at the hot springs in Bagno Vignoni.  It is a picturesque Italian village which houses the Piazza delle Sorgenti, a rectangular tank circa the 16th century which is filled with water originating from an underground aquifer from volcanoes.  On the road out we hit a 6 km climb to Castiglion d’Oricia.  While I find cycling to be mind clearing, I also found myself intermittently crying on the climb and kept trying to keep it together and focus on enjoying the surrounding beauty.  We stopped at a bar, and having not yet eaten, I stopped for a quick Coke.

Piazza delle Sorgenti

There was a pretty epic descent followed by some more rolling hills and a climb before turning on a gravel road to the Nostra Vita winery.  The road included a steep climb up to the top, but the views were (again) worth it.  This was the house, vineyard, winery, and art studio of Giuditta’s family.  Her father decided to build the house and collected all the stones from nearby.  He is truly a renaissance man.  We walked through his studio, filled with drawings, pipes he hand carved, an art instillation including all the types of trees in Italy.  Her sister painted wheelbarrows that you can sit in and made a paper-mache artwork of a girl on a swing.  The area was filled with artwork and natural beauty.  Each of the vineyards was named for each daughter.  The grapes are handpicked and the winery is meant to stay small and local, with love and attention put into the wine that is crafted.  We went into the cellar and her dad demonstrated how he paints the labels for the bottles.  It was heartwarming to see what a close relationship Giuditta has with her father.  I shared a very close relationship with my dad and it made it special to see another father-daughter have such a strong bond, especially at that time.  It brought the occasional tears to my eyes and was, perhaps, my favorite part of the trip.

Giuditta and her dad

For lunch, we ate outside overlooking the Tuscan landscape.  We had freshly carved proscuitto, fruit, bread, pasta, and espresso.  We sampled Nostra Vita Brunello di Montalcino and it was fantastic.  Knowing that the wine was made by the family and with such love and dedication made it taste even better.  I couldn’t help but order a few bottles to be sent back to Indiana and share with my mom.

After lunch we descended down the gravel road and headed back to San Quirico d’Orcia.  Before heading back to the hotel we veered off to take the L’Eroica section to Valdicava.  The 200 km L’Eroica bike tour takes place on gravel road and participants must ride antique bikes and wear vintage or vintagesque cycling clothing.  It was fun to ride the gravel roads, but I was happy to hit the pavement again.  We had a final climb back to San Quirico d’Orcia.

We refreshed and headed out for appetizers as a group followed by dinner.  My flight was scheduled early the next morning and it was time to say goodbye to everyone from the week.  I couldn’t help but cry.  It was an amazing vacation- fantastic cycling, food, wine, and company.  We had plenty of wine with dinner: Chiant, Brunello, and a Proseco toast to Jen and Tom’s anniversary.

Morning came spectacularly early and Nina was gracious to help me with my bags at the ungodly hour of 5 am.  A driver took me to the Florence airport and it was time to say ciao to Italy until next time, and this time it won’t take me five years to return.

It was time to leave the majestic walled town of Siena through the Porta Romana Gate and head south through the Crete Senesi (which translates into Senese Clays).  The landscape drastically changed to a light brown undulating soil lined with the occasional row of cyprus trees.  There was a substantial climb before Asciano and some rollers before turning for Il Molinello where we stopped for olive oil tasting and lunch.

Crete Senesi

We gathered around a large table while the guide taught us how to properly heat the olive oil with our hands, sniff it, and sip it.  Baskets of focaccia and bread were brought to the table so we could sample the goods and we were given a powerpoint on the appropriate terminology to use when sampling, which included words like: almond, astringent, artichoke, grass, fruity, harmonious, and hay.  We all felt so… cultured.  We self heated the first sample, sipped it, and pronounced it the most amazing olive oil to have ever crossed our lips.  You just can’t get oil like this in the US.  It was at this moment the guide interrupted us to inform the group that this was infact cheap, store bought oil olive.  Feeling like total boobs we moved on to sample two.  I am sure there is a lesson in there about presentation and expectations, but it’s too funny that the lesson was lost on me.  We gathered in a nearby room for lunch.  We had sun dried tomatoes, grilled eggplant, spicy peppers, boiled beets, pasta, coffee, and wine.  It was, like every eating experience we have had in Italy, decadent.

We remounted our trusty Bianchi steeds and headed toward our final destination of San Quirico D’Orcia.  Undulating hills were the theme of the ride and it was perhaps my favorite ride so far.  The descents were smooth and winding the climbing always brought with it a spectacular view.  Not wanting to miss out despite the protest from my quadriceps, I opted for the extra loop to the Renaissance town of Pienza.  There was quite a little stinker of a climb on the way there.  The town was the birthplace of Enea Silvio Piccolomini who would later become Pope Pius II.  From the edge of the central town square we looked out on the Val d’Orica and Giuanfranco pointed out Mount Amiata.

Pienza

The rolling hills and descent back to the hotel were welcomed.  There was one final climb back into San Quirico d’Orcia in which I found myself off the back and with barely enough energy to pass an elderly Italian woman biking with panniers.  It was definitely time for a rest.

Since only family read this you, you all know dad has been sick for some time.  While at the Duomo in Siena I lit a candle that he would finally be at peace and during the time I was riding through the Val d’Orcia, he found peace after so many years of suffering.  Hearing the news of his passing was difficult and I will spare the details.  I stayed in the hotel room and was grateful for Nina’s friendship.  Giuditta had plates of proscuitto, Italian salami, breads, and pasta delivered to the room.  Normally grief causes me to lose my appetite, but after such a long day on the bike, the food was so welcomed as were the hugs from Nina and Giuditta.  They were so sweet and took good care of me.

Nina and I headed down to the local bar where she explained in broken Italian that my dad had passed and that he loved making lemoncello.  They brought out two glasses of lemoncello to toast and a glass of Fernet Branca (we tend to drink it at Christmas and, more importantly, I love seeing the first time people try it- sorry Nina).  We toasted to my dad, the best guy I will ever know and all of the good times we had together.

My flights were rearranged to Saturday which left me with one more day in Italy, but I wasn’t sure I would be up for riding the following morning.  It was a restless night with a lot of tears and a large headache.

A Toast to Dad

I made it back to the hotel just as Nina returned from riding.  After a quick change of clothes we headed out for lunch at the suggestion of Rick Steves to La Taverna Di Cecco.  It was quiet, away from the crowds, and absolutely delicious.  We ordered a bottle of white wine which was fresh, light, and dry (I snapped a picture of the label to order late

Risotto with Truffles

r).  We started with cantaloupe and proscuitto, salad with mozzarella and tomatoes, and a breaded specialty of the chef drizzled with olive oil.  For the main course we split risotto with truffles.  This was my favorite meal on the trip so far.

These are a few of my favorite things!

We wondered our way back through Siena and ran into Tom and Jen on the way.  Tom decided to go back to the hotel for a nap and Nina, Jen, and I headed on to see Santa Maria della Scala, now a museum it was, up until 30 years ago, a hospital.  I wasn’t sure what to expect with this stop which turned out to be a good thing.  The best part was the Pellegrinaio Hall which served to welcome pilgrims on their quest to walk the Via Francigena.  The frescos depict the history of the hospital.  Seen how abandoned the building is makes it difficult to imagine what it was like as a hospital.  We wondered downstairs and stumbled into a small chapel where St. Catherine is said to have prayed on a regular basis.  It was creepy.  The was a small inlay over the holy water holder in which there was a skull.  Behind the chapel was another chapel.  It was equally creepy.  The combination of being in the basement of a hospital, completely empty, and having things like the random skull made my neck hairs stand up.  We left the hospital, decided it was a bust and we needed some gelato.

During the nights we spent in Siena, there was some poor young soul desperately trying to learn to drum so that he could one day become his contradas drummer at the palio.  It went on for hours and hours.  I followed the drumming to the young boy and his instructor who had ridden there on a red Vespa.  The scene melted my heart.

We rejoined the rest of the crew at the hotel for a cooking lesson.  Two Italian women demonstrated how to make gnocchi and pasta.  It was a labor of love.  Also, I had no idea how many eggs went into pasta.  We sipped on proseco and ate focaccia.  The cook made tomato sauce, pesto for the gnocchi, and tiramisu.  After cooking we all convened for dinner.  A woman was playing an accordian and a man played the clarinet, saxophone, and oboe and they both sang.  After dinner, and perhaps a few too many glasses of vino, we danced until much after my bedtime.

On a vacation some time ago I decided that my vacations are much like stage races, rest days are necessary. Today was my rest day. Unfortunately breakfast still started at 7:30 am as I had not yet fully decided that I wouldn’t be spending the day mostly on the bike (this was an option). Over a croissant with powdered sugar, an egg, and a cappuccino I consulted my Rick Steves’ guide book to make my decision and it was clear that there was just too much to see in Siena to go off on ma bicycletta. After breakfast, Nina the most of the crew rode off and I headed back to room for an obligatory snooze. I woke up in enough time to make it to the ticket office, buy an Opa pass (all inclusive tour pass) and be one of the first in line to visit the Duomo in Siena- go me!

Duomo of Siena

It. Was. Worth. It. If there are two things Catholics excel at, it’s guilt and building churches. Every inch of this cathedral was an art historian’s dream. Every statue, window, even the floor told a story or had meaning that went into it.  The combination of art, religion, philosophy, and history is incredible. The size of the building itself is overwhelming and it’s incomprehensible that such a structure could have been built before computers and machines. Entering the cathedral was overwhelming- there was so much to look at, I didn’t know where to start. Hoping to beat the crowds I get there when the doors opened and this was definitely a good idea. Something seems inherently sacrilegious about traipsing about a church taking photographs, but onward.

Walking into the cathedral is breathtaking.  The Duoma has the shape of a Latin cross and the inside has 26 columns composed of bands of alternating white and black (actually dark green) marble.  Busts of the Popes encircle above the columns and the ceiling is painted a brilliant blue with gold stars.  The floor is a masterpiece of marble, each panel depicting a different story.  One of the first panels encountered is again an image of Romulus and Remus.  Surrounding the central image are eight tondi, each representing Italian cities.  The fig tree is where Faustulus is said to have found the two children who were abandoned along the banks of the Tiber river.

Romulus and Remus

Perhaps my favorite floor panel is The Wheel of Fortune and the Philosophers of the Ancient World.  There are three figures hanging on to the spinning wheel while a king sits on the top.  The four figures are Regno, Regnavi, Sume sine regno, Regnabo- I reign, I reigned, I am without a kingdom, I will reign.  Four philosophers surround the wheel- Epictetus, Aristotle, Euripides and Seneca.  My favorite quote is the one with Epictetus “non fortunae muneribus sed animi/ bonis gloriandum epict.” “Glory not in the gifts of fortune, but in the assets of the soul.”

The Wheel of Fortune

The last part of the church that I will spend time on is the high altar, the panis vivus.  Baldassare Peruzzi created the bronze centerpiece.  Green marble panels surround the altar and two intricate, bronze angels holding candles are on either side (these were created by Francesco di Giorgio Martini (what a great name) at the end of the 1400s.

The tour of the Duomo of Siena was a whirlwind of art, history, and religion.  I moved on to the Crypt, which was discovered in 1999 during a renovation project.  The frescos are from the second half of the 13th century and depict stories from the old testament and the life of Jesus.

The Deposition From the Cross

The next stop on the Opa pass was the Siena Duomo Museum which stores original statues from the outside of the church.  The museum is dimly lit allowing light to pour through Duccio’s stained glass window at the far end of the museum.  The window was made in 1288 and is an impressive 20 feet in diameter filled with brilliant red, blue, and yellow colors.

Duccio’s Stained Glass Window

Donatello’s Madonna and Child

On either side of museum are statues carved by Giovanni Pisano.  The dim lighting accentuates the artistic beauty.

I headed to the final place on the Opa pass, the baptistery which was built below the Cathedral.  To be honest, by the time I reached the baptistery I was tired and I couldn’t fit any more facts into my head.  I made a quick pass, took in the beauty, and finished there.  It was time to go back to the hotel and meet up with my trusty travel buddy, Nina.