June 18

We are in Firenze (Florence) and the girls are having dinner at a ristorante near the Hilton where we are staying. Tonight we will go on a tour of the city.
We traveled three hours to Siena this morning. Siena is a lovely medieval city built
On five hills. We chaperones climbed hills today that will fill our cardiovascular exercise requirements for the rest of the month. We walked the medieval streets and were taken in by the beauty of the cathedral first constructed in the 13th century, added to in the 14th but stopped by the Black Plague, and rebuilt in the 15th century with Sienese marble. It houses works by Michaelangelo, Donatelli, Raphael and Bernini. Talk about immersion in art and
architecture! We've been there! We spent several hours shopping and found some great souvenirs. Siena is a new favorite city of our girls.
Since we have no free internet access here, I will blog again on Monday and fill in the details about Florence.