Leaving Piazza del Campo, we walked up the street we'd grown to know best in Sienna, as it connected la piazza to our home in Siena, Palazzo Ravizza. As we walked, Stafano and the videographer stayed ahead of us as we walked up the crowded street. Again, as we walked, well-wishes of "auguri" came at us from ristorante windows, shop doorways, and folks on the street for the evening's passagiatta. Again, as we walked, tourists snapped photos (as in the photo above, when we turned from our familiar street onto a side street up to the Duomo).
By now, Nancy's shoes were letting her know they were design for sitting, for lying down and for being removed, not for walking the carved-stone streets of a medeival city. We reached the Duomo, and Nancy got to sit on the Duomo's steps and lean back on me for some of the shots.
On the way back to la piazza, ladies walking by started correctly observing that her feet were probably killing her. When we reached the steep grade down into Piazza del Campo, she stopped and could go no futher. I gently picked her up and carried her down the slope. The crowd parted as we descended and applauded us on the way. Nancy wiggled her toes and kicked her feet as we passed the videographer.
Once down in the square, I put Nancy back on her feet, and we walked a short distance to a cafe on the piazza to join Ben for a drink and a toast.
We chatted with Ben while we rested, drank, and waited for dinner. We discussed art, families, daughters, personalities and language. We seemed to cover a lot of ground in a short time, and it became clear Ben is a deep soul with genuine warmth and a good heart.
I chatted with Stefano about Nikon cameras, as we both grew up shooting Nikons.
Soon enough, it was time to walk to the Osteria for dinner. At the Osteria, final pictures were taken, and we said our farewells to good people who were such an important part of making this such a magical and easy week .....
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