Siena 2025 - Day 6

Sunday, September 14. Day 6

8 AM. With a soft, low pillow and an adjusted sleep mindset according to this year's book suggestion "Organic" by Giulia Enders, I slept like a baby.

"Un cappuccino e uova strapazzato, per favore."

Lightly cloudy and pleasant temperature, making for a lazy Sunday. Reading a book by the pool, Lisa acrobatically saves insects from the pool and then a frog swims and stretches its lengths in the pool.

2:00 PM: Slicks and sunglasses - MotoGP race. TV8 / Sky Sport broadcasts with great visuals and an Italian host's staccato. And hats off: Alex and also Marc Marquez give long interviews in impeccable Italian.

We head out for a little excursion on beautiful, winding country roads around the Aeroporto di Siena-Ampugnano and up along cypress avenues to San Galgano. Others would have already gotten nauseous during this drive, but Lisa remarks: "Such great curves."

At the ticket office, we pass as Italians and get chatted up, at least I'm now rid of my short 50 Euro bill. The roofless monastery (because the monks sold everything off in the 15th century) is very impressive, extremely calm and peaceful here. In the meantime, Lisa checks the fire extinguishers: all expired in 2014, mio dio!

Once around the monastery and slowly up to the Cappella di San Galgano a Montesiepi with the sword in the stone. One should avoid pulling the sword out of the stone (since it's not possible anyway due to the Plexiglas cover) because in the next room, the hands of a man who tried are displayed. According to a legend, God sent a wolf who was to bite off the hands of the blasphemer. It is extremely stuffy here and hundreds of tourists are present, but a few souvenirs for those who stayed home must also be here.

On the way to dinner is Torri. We drive right up to the gate, but as expected it's closed, the beautiful cloister is only open on select days and times. More than a handful of cats are waiting too, but apparently for evening food.

So we continue to Orgia to the Ristorante dal Cateni. It's on a hill, reachable by a single-lane bridge and through the deep dark forest, winding one-lane all the way to the last house and then a few more meters on foot. It is a very nice outdoor dining area, but not a sleepy insider tip. Porca miseria!

An Italian small family with a baby is already there, an old German couple (the “witch”) and a non-communicative date (?) also arrive, and then about 20-30 Americans flood the restaurant.

The aperitif and food are good, and the panorama of people as well, but the noise level is extremely high. My aperitif was, of course, a Negroni and with it Bruschette with garlic, cherry tomatoes, and Taggiasca olives. Then Caprese di Pici and vanilla berry, good but without the vanilla scent. As a second dish, there was Cinta Senese buttera with oven potatoes. Gaudino sends photos from the good old analog times and we chat a lot about my youth.

"Un caffè, per favore!"

Tipping is only a small single-digit amount today. But there is no tip jar, the old Padrone collects, what can I do? In a hurry, I typed in the amount for him in the cash machine and Buona sera, ciao! Talking on the phone about the dirt road back home, it's off to bed at 11 PM.