Siena

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Details: Written by: Richard_McKie; Parent Category: Travel; Category: Europe; Published: 21 October 2015; Hits: 48071

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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

In 1957-58 the film ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai‘ was ground breaking. It was remarkable for being mainly shot on location (in Ceylon not Thailand) rather than in a studio and for involving the construction and demolition of a real, fully functioning rail bridge. It's still regarded by many as one of the finest movies ever made.

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

A cockatoo named Einstein

A couple of days ago a story about sulphur-crested cockatoos went semi-viral, probably in an attempt to lift spirits during Sydney's new Covid-19 lock-down. It appears that some smart cocky worked out how to open wheelie-bin lids. That's not a surprise - see below. What is surprising is that others are copying him and the practice is spreading outwards so that it can be mapped in a growing circle of awareness. The cockies are also choosing the red (household rubbish) bins that may contain food, disregarding yellow (cans and bottles); blue (paper and cardboard) and green bins (garden clippings). Yet, now they have also been observed checking-out other potentially food containing bins.

One has even been observed re-closing the lid - presumably to prevent other birds getting to the food.

Back in the 1950's I was given a pet sulphur-crested cockatoo we named Einstein. I was in primary school and I didn't yet know who Einstein was. My father suggested the name - explaining that Einstein was 'a wise old bird'.

Opinions and Philosophy

Australia and Empire

The recent Australia Day verses Invasion Day dispute made me recall yet again the late, sometimes lamented, British Empire.

Because, after all, the Empire was the genesis of Australia Day.

For a brief history of that institution I can recommend Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World by Scottish historian Niall Campbell Ferguson.

My choice of this book was serendipitous, unless I was subconsciously aware that Australia Day was approaching. I was cutting through our local bookshop on my way to catch a bus and wanted something to read. I noticed this thick tomb, a new addition to the $10 Penguin Books (actually $13).

On the bus I began to read and very soon I was hooked when I discovered references to places I'd been and written of myself. Several of these 'potted histories' can be found in my various travel writings on this website (follow the links): India and the Raj; Malaya; Burma (Myanmar); Hong Kong; China; Taiwan; Egypt and the Middle East; Israel; and Europe (a number).

Over the next ten days I made time to read the remainder of the book, finishing it on the morning of Australia Day, January the 26th, with a sense that Ferguson's Empire had been more about the sub-continent than the Empire I remembered.

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