SIENA

14.07.2012         

               It was Akiko's last day in Florence as she continued her quest around Italy to conquer the Italian cuisine. I hadn't been to Siena and it will be great to send her off to Siena.

               I had my first osso bucco in Siena, which means "bone with a hole". It refers to the bone marrow in a cross-cut veal shank. This one we had was cooked with a saffron sauce.

               It was fun wandering and getting lost in the little alleys around Siena and I love capturing quiet scenes of a place. This is a residential alley in Siena. It was so peaceful and pretty with the potted plants lined up along the alley.

        

           The Cathedrale of Siena with its distinct black and white bands of marble. They never got round to completing the new façade shown on the bottom right of the sketch due to the plague known as The Black Death that hit Europe in the 14th century.

 

           We were overlooking the landscape of Siena from this little hill. I wanted to try capturing the different textures of vegetation and also to present the houses with just simple strokes rather than always going into the details. I was not able to give light and shadow to this landscape as it was covered with ample sunlight.

              One of the most famous piazza and building of Siena - Palazzo Pubblico with Torre del Mangia at Piazza del Campo. It means "Tower of the Eater", its name derives from its first guardian, Giovanni di Balduccio, nicknamed Mangiaguadagni for his tendency to spend all his money on food. This piazza is so spacious and surrounded by buildings, that part of it will be in the shade depending on the sun's position. Akiko and I sat in the piazza for an afternoon coffee.