Upon arrival we arranged for the rental car and headed to Orvieto. The beautiful church with striking mosaics and striped sides sat right in the middle of the square. Our "hotel" was part of a monastery run by the friendly Fr. Victor. No air conditioning, an elevator that didn't go all the way to our floor and a view of another building - but the price was right and we were right in the center of quaint Orvieto. If we had known it was going to be so hot, we might have made another choice. This was the beginning of twenty nine days of sweltering heat.
Around every corner were breathtaking views and interesting shops.
After a night in Orvieto, we headed to Siena for two nights. We stayed in a former convent turned into a hotel very near to St. Catherine of Siena's convent. The views from the room were outstanding, but it showed us what "hill town" meant. Much of the center of town was free of cars but filled with steep streets.
One of the most enjoyable parts of traveling is coming upon local celebrations that you were not aware of. In Siena, they were getting ready for the Paleo horserace that takes place in the center of town. Each neighborhood has a symbol and had parades to cheer on their entrant in the paleo. The parades are colorful and loud and oh so accessible to local and visitor alike.
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