A true-life month-long travel experience in stories, photos and sounds. This week: Making the scene in Siena

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Chapter 55: Seen in Siena's Seashell
Today I had hoped to be on my way to the Cinque Terre, but after a phone call to the hostel there ("We're all full tonight, try tomorrow.") I made a quick change of plans...

Chapter 56: Siren Song of the Spiral Steps
Looking up, I was surprised to see familiar faces: girls I had met about a week ago from the hostel in Rome. They enthusiastically filled me in on their adventures ...

Chapter 57: For Whom the Bell Tolls
For miles the countryside rolled out before my appreciative eyes, with hardly anything to remind me it wasn't the 16th century. Looking straight down, however, was a sobering experience...

Chapter 58: Amazing Grace in the Duomo
Siena's Duomo is remarkable for several reasons. Its black and white striped marble facade is striking and original, in a way that critics either love or hate (I rather liked it, myself). Like San Gimignano, Siena too had its run-in with the Plague...

Chapter 59: A Kiss at Sunset
Attached to Siena's cathedral, the Museum Opera del Duomo featured statuary, paintings, religious artifacts (including my favorite--reliquaries!) and, most memorably, an extensive collection of illuminated manuscripts...