Orvieto (4 nights): the Cathedral is the most beautiful I've ever seen, and I spent a lot of time just hanging out, looking at it and photographing it in various lights, plus people-watching those who were doing the same. There's a very tiny park right near the cathedral, with gorgeous views over the valley, that appears to serve as a cat sanctuary, or at least a cat meeting place. There were seven cats roaming around. Also went to the museums housing works that had been removed from the cathedral in the late 19th century in an effort to bring it closer back to its original state, a museum dedicated to the sculpture of Emilio Greco, who created new doors for the cathedral in 1964, and to the Archaeology Museum. In the latter, a museum guard came over and led me to a couple of Etruscan tombs, which was quite thrilling, especially as one of them depicted a potter (I'm serious about pottery, so yay!). Orvieto is a wonderful place to walk around and see the views. The northeastern part of the circumference has a footpath between a park and the walled edge of the cliff. It ends close to the funicular station. In that area, there's the Well of St. Patrick, the ruins of an Etruscan Temple, and a contemporary war memorial. I also discovered a footpath called the Anello della Rupe, which goes all the way around the city, most of the way down the cliff. I walked about a quarter of it. It was pretty cool to see the volcanic cliff that the town is built on. I went back up at a small fort at the eastern edge of town - more beautiful views. My only experience underground was at the well on the Via della Cava. For the season, it had been transformed into a series of Nativity scenes, with life-size animatronic people and beasts.
Siena (5 nights): What an exciting place to be! Lots more walking around and beautiful views. I got an AcropoliPass to see the Cathedral and associated places, and took two days to use all of it. The interior of the cathedral has such an amazing organic, underwater feeling, to me. And what a floor. I particularly liked seeing the Piccolomeni Library, and the Baptistry. There is an interesting exhibit in Santa Maria della Scala, across the way: 'Una cittá ideale'. Went on a long walk down to the south end of town, went through a neighborhood that was still celebrating a win in Il Palio, and found a small park with footpaths on terraces on a steep hill. On the way back up to Il Campo, came upon the fountain of the Onda Contrada, and then their museum. A couple of the volunteer guides invited me in, and one gave me a tour. It's an excellent museum. It really brought the whole Palio tradition to life for me, especially when the guide pointed out the Medieval outfit he had worn. Afterwards, I found myself noticing all the contrada symbols around town a lot more. I went to a Medici fort that is now a public park, and walked round and round. On my last day there, went on a 2-hour walking tour with Tuscan Escapes. I had hoped to go earlier in my visit, but am glad it worked out as it did, since I had more questions by that time. For one, I found out that I had glimpsed a religious ceremony honoring WWII war dead - it involved floating paper boats with lit candles (chills). At the end, the guide revealed that this was her first ever tour after completing her tour guide education, and we all congratulated her. In the afternoon, I took a bus to Monteriggioni - it dropped me off at a traffic circle, then I started walking, and a sign directed me to the Via Francigena. It winds up a steep, vineyard-covered hill, then into the fort, through, and out the other side. Inside the walls is an exquisite tiny town. There are catwalks close to the top of the wall, so you can go up and see the countryside, a church, an armor museum, a Knights Templar Museum, and places to eat, stay, and buy wine. (continued)