Chianti Classico

This morning we left Montecatini Terme and drove to the beautiful city of Siena. It is a medieval town surrounded by a wall and sits high on a hill surrounded by stunning countryside. We went immediately to the Basilica of St Catherine -- yes, the famous St Catherine of Siena.

This is church has some beautiful stained glass, but it's otherwise rather plain and currently filled with scaffolding. It's main feature is the head of St Catherine, which is housed in its own chapel. The story goes that Siena and Rome were fighting over her remains and that her head became separated from her body during a tug-of-war with Siena ending up with the head. Fortunately, the head is covered by a decorative mask. No photos were allowed. We celebrated mass in a small chapel inside the basilica.

We then walked through the old town of Siena to see the beautiful "campo," the major town square, which is not a square but a fan shaped, sloping plaza made from two colors of brick. It's very different and beautiful.

Speaking of beauty, nothing compares to the grandeur of Siena's cathedral, Santa Maria Assunta (Our Lady of the Assumption).

Unfortunately our limited time in Siena didn't allow for a tour of the inside of the cathedral, but it is supposed to be one of the most beautiful churches in the world. Almost all of us on the tour wished we'd had more time to spend in Siena to see the cathedral, explore the streets, and particularly to do so some shopping.

We left Siena on a very crowded shuttle bus to take us back to our tour bus. We had fun, though, packed in like sardines and singing "Getting to Know You." We were in a happy mood because our next stop was lunch and wine tasting. After Mr. Toad's wild ride up a steep Tuscan hillside, we arrived at the Dievole winery with a long table set up for all 42 of us to eat and drink together. Let's just say that the wine flowed freely, and we also had a gourmet "light" lunch that was both delicious and filling. After lunch, we got to taste Chianti Classico, Super Tuscan, and Chianti Classico Riserva. Magnifico! Many of us purchased wine to take with us or to have shipped back home.

Then, on to Assisi! I think our tour guide was pretty happy that most of us fell asleep on the bus. Before long, we saw Assisi high on a hill all lit up for the night. We arrived at a very nice hotel and had a sumptuous buffet dinner. We can't wait to celebrate Sunday mass tomorrow in the town of St Francis. Happy pilgrims!