04-24-2026 Walk

Travel day. Slept decently, with vivid dreams, probably from eating late. Woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep, so I read for a bit. Got up, cleaned the Airbnb, had breakfast, showered and shaved, and packed up. We left about 7:20 and got to the train station in plenty of time to catch the 8:14 to Naples. This train was crowded, but we got to the station and the platform early, to ensure we had seats with room for our backpacks. The train trip was uneventful, and we arrived in Naples in time to have a coffee and a pastry. Went outside the central station found a clip joint for breakfast, food okay but way overpriced. Inside the station there was a Toast House. They announced the platform for our higher-speed train to Firenze (Florence) with just a couple of minutes to spare. We had assigned seats, and this next leg of the journey was also uneventful, although it was a longer journey. The train went through Rome and actually switched directions, which was unusual. Into Firenze station (surprisingly small), where we had a short time to make our connecting train to Siena. Got on the train, no assigned seats but we got adjoining seats. This was a nice train, but it took a roundabout way to travel the 30 miles to Siena, about an hour and a half. We arrived around 3:45 and waited for Laura to get in. Got some water and snacks at the Pam supermarket in the mall adjoining the station, then we walked all around to try and find the bus stop. We found one but it wasn't the right one. Connected with Laura when she got in, and we successfully located the bust stop (not very well marked). Caught the bus to our neighborhood and walked a little bit to find the Airbnb. It was a pretty nice layout, well equipped. After settling in we walked to a nearby place for a drink. Ann got upset with me for not being nice, so she was frosty for a while. We walked to a restaurant that Laura had found and ate dinner. Got there just before the rush. Dinner was good, I had a thick noodle dish (Pici) that apparently is a local favorite. Back to the flat after dinner, and that was basically the day.