Sunday - A rainy day in Siena

Up by 6 AM. Still take extra vitamin C and airborne to keep the cold bugs away. I even have a separate cot to sleep on here in Siena which is a nice change. Bonnie and Jane are using the separate bedroom and we the living room which makes it much nicer for sleeping. By 7 Martha was up and ready to go, so out we went arm in arm in search of St Catherine church for an early morning Sunday mass.

As there was only a handful of people in church at this time we were able to take pictures, which is not allowed in this church. In this church they have the head and thumb of St Catherine of Siena. The rest of her body, according to record, was distributed among many churches in Italy . She has many miracles credited to those who pray to her for help. While in church today I said prayers for so many of our family and friends who are in great need of healing....but especially today I lite a candle and mentally tied another knot on Joe Jansens prayer quilt. After following the mass, in Italian on the church printout.... I think maybe,when I get home, I might look at trying to master, or at least be able to understand this language. It is ever so much easier than French.

As I type this the rain keeps coming down fast and hard, with hailstones, thunder and lightning. It has been raining steady now for more than 2 hours. With a little break here and there to tease those waiting to go out...but then it comes back. Think that our plan of staying inside this afternoon is a good one.

Continuing on with our morning walk, after mass we walked down behind saint Catherine's where we found what Martha was looking for, Fonte Branda, the natural spring that is enclosed in a open front building next to the area where last nights party was held. This is the oldest, 1246, natural fountain in Siena . Leaving there we started to go up a set of stairs and I stepped right into a party leftover on the step....yuk. It was back to the fountain to wash off the bottom of my shoe before we carried on. The raindrops have started so out came my green poncho and Martha's umbrella....But in between the drops we searched for my goal, the wall overlooking the city where Philip and I had our picture taken in 2005... We had used this picture on our Christmas letter that year. We soon found the old city wall but we were at the bottom and had to walk a long way before we found a way to get to the top. Viola their was my wall that you could sit on for pictures overlooking Siena in the background. Took our pictures then made our way back the way we had come.....all the way home just a little after 10 AM and found both girls up and about. Very soon it started to rain hard and has continued on for all afternoon.

The girls are talking about going out... Me, I have decided after looking at the weather predictions on the Internet , to stay in for the night. Will try to call Philip after while! post this and then read my book. If the rain does stop and we do do anything exciting tonight I will come back and add to this blog, but otherwise....Chou  I