10.10 - Day 269 - Siena, ITA

Thursday 10th October - Siena, Italy (Day 269)

And so it was that on the tenth day of the tenth month Sienna turned 10 in the city of Siena. 

Except that is undermined by the fact she is sick in the night and so it is a bit more of a subdued day than we might have otherwise envisaged. But she’s happy to receive cards, messages and videos from the UK and Australia and have balloons and bunting around the lounge. 

She (and Kate who ended up sleeping with her to keep her company) stay at home to rest while I take Seb out for a recce of Siena. 

Oh, and it’s raining. 

After one spartan church we get ourselves to the library and sure enough there’s a couple of shelves with English books and we spend an hour reading The Wizard of Oz. 

I’ve no idea what the library used to be but it’s all underground in a series of stone bunkers with stone plaques above the door from 1619. Oldest library yet? 

By lunchtime Sienna is up for pancakes and after some heavy rain and Lego playing we all four head out to Siena, simply to go back to the library, as per the wishes of the birthday girl (and picking her up a Siena t-shirt on the way). 

Whilst we agree to postpone cake for another day, we do still head out for pizza, just outside the town’s walls at Pizzeria Sotto Il Ponte where, because the base is so light we consume 3 large pizzas and then also a slice each of Nutella pizza. Well, I have two slices which afterwards feels glutinous. 

So little Sienna is now in double-digits.