Streets of Siena and Fazzoletti

PART 6:  Streets of Siena  & Fazzoletti

Negotiating Siena is comfortable, easy, and entertaining.  There are almost no cars, and sooner or later the street you are on will lead to the Campo. It’s hard to get lost. The streets are a mix of classy tourist oriented shops and common businesses like cleaners and corner markets. And interesting people and objects are continually popping into view.

Plaza Matteoti near our B&B

 

Portlanders note:  Cars are not allowed, Motorcycles are restricted, but there are almost no bicycles in Siena.  Don't know why.

Street view of a privae residence in Torre contrade

Jewelry store across the street from our B&B

 

Goose Flags Flying on a Side Street

I spied these workmen on Via dei Montanini, and it reminded me of the question that is supposedly asked of prospective Microsoft employees:  “Why are manhole covers round?”  The obvious answer of course is: “So they won’t fall through the hole.” 

So I began to look for rectangular holes in the street that might have once been covered with heavy pieces of iron.

 

I couldn’t find any.  But I did find this. 

 

Which got me to wondering whether the use of round man hole covers was a renaissance development. 

And finally when we got to Rome I noticed all manhole covers looked like this.   

From watching numerous old Hollywood epics I knew that “SPQR” was emblazoned on banners, shields, and imperial regalia during the great days of the Roman Empire.  “Senatus Populusque Romanus” translates to “The Senate and the Roman People.”  So this is what the Roman Empire has fallen to - 

 from imperial insignia

 

 to sewer lid monogram

 *     *     *     *

During our last night in Assisi Bonnie had started sniffling – Ah! She was getting my cold.  A day later in Siena she had run out of Kleenex.  Finding Kleenex in Italy is no easy task.  The farmacias sell medicines; paper tissues are not medicine. Small grocery stores sell groceries and produce.  Where is a Kleenex store?  We also needed batteries; so we found a Tabachi shop, bought the batteries, then showed him our last Kleenex.  “Do you sell these?”  He reached under the counter and pulled out a little four-pac  of tissues. “Do you have any more?”  He pulled out another one, which exhausted his supply.  

What is a Tabachi?  

  http://goitaly.about.com/od/italytravelglossary/g/tabacchi_def.htm

The next morning Bonnie slept in and I ran some errands:  buying bus and train tickets that would get us to Florence on Sunday morning, washing clothes, and getting some toiletries (and maybe Kleenex?) at a Conad market (Italy’s answer to Safeway).   Well!  Conad does sell “fazzoletti” (tissues), and in big packages.  Ah! – Relief for her “raffreddore.”