Siena

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Details: Written by: Richard_McKie; Parent Category: Travel; Category: Europe; Published: 21 October 2015; Hits: 45572

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We had always intended to use Florence as a base and explore the neighbouring towns so we travelled by bus to Siena to get out into the country and to see the old square the cathedral and the city walls. Our initial challenge was to find the station for busses to Siena that is relatively well hidden near the main Firenze Railway Station. There we discovered other Australians (of course) waiting for the same bus.

On the bus to Siena

Siena is a world heritage site and one of the most popular tourist spots in Italy. It was founded by the Etruscans and legend has it that two sons of Remus (brother of Romulus) came here with a she wolf hence the symbol of the city is similar to that of Rome.

Symbol of the City

It features a unique bowl-like town square or semi-circle the Piazza del Campo, that's like a shallow Greek amphitheatre without the seats. At its focus not a stage but the Palazzo Pubblico (the town hall), with its iconic high tower. I was interested to learn that here is an annual horse race around this square. While contemplating this I noticed a dead pigeon in the fountain overlooked by a congregation of saints. Symbolic?

Piazza del Campo

The other major attraction is the cathedral - The Duomo. It's built on a very steep hillside and can be approached from below. An elaborate facade faces the upper square.

Duomo di Siena - It contains very elaborate floors depicting mainly women - cordoned off to prevent tourist scuffs
But it also contains some most unusual three dimensional sculptures and reliefs.
Presumably the immodest man displaying his wears is Adam, being expelled from Eden with a naked Eve
The ecstatic young woman with her foot on a bowl and provocatively projecting leg is naked to the waist.
She's in a small chapel dedicated to Mary. But which one? Magdalene I suppose. Pure erotica.
And what on earth are three Greek (or Roman) muses doing in a Christian Cathedral?

Much of the town is steep and it is surrounded by impressive fortified walls appropriate to its long history of conflict with other parts of Italy, the Spanish and even the Byzantines.

A town positioned for defence

Today it's a university town and is making contributions to biotechnology research.

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Travel

Bridge over the River Kwai

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One of the things a tourist to Bangkok is encouraged to do is to take a day trip to the actual bridge.

Fiction, Recollections & News

Recollections of 1963

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The 'Space Race' was well underway with the USSR still holding their lead by putting Cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova into orbit for almost three days and returning her safely. The US was riven with inter-racial hostility and rioting. But the first nuclear test ban treaties were signed and Vatican 2 made early progress, the reforming Pope John 23 unfortunately dying midyear.

Towards year's end, on the 22nd of November, came the Kennedy assassination, the same day the terminally ill Aldous Huxley elected to put an end to it.

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Some companies have already 'gone public' and it is clear that prominent among them are the major thermal power generators and perhaps airlines. Some like BlueScope Steel (previously BHP Steel) will be granted a grace period before the tax comes into effect. In this case it is publicly announced that the company has been granted a two year grace period with possible extensions, limited to its core (iron and steelmaking) emissions.

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