Siena

Of the five days we spent staying in Florence, two were dedicated to traveling the Tuscan countryside enjoying some of the famous hill towns. We spent one leisure filled day soaking in the sights, sounds and of course, tastes of Siena. From Florence we took a train and then a bus to reach our destination, with the time and effort spent being very much worth while. The area through which we traveled is simply beautiful and the trip getting to Siena was quite enjoyable.

Once we arrived, we wandered narrow cobblestone streets until we came to the famous Piazza del Campo, where the Palio di Siena is held twice a year. The campo was a spectacular sight, with all of the shops, people, and the Torre del Mangia towering above everything.

We braved the heat, the lack of elevators and some rather narrow stairs, in order to climb to the top of the tower. After a little bit of sweat, we were rewarded for our efforts with unbelievable views of the surrounding countryside, town, and Duomo.

We also managed to throw in a little bit of shopping during our day in the medieval city. We picked up a few pictures, a hand-painted towel and a carved olive-wood spoon.

Siena

And of course, what would an Italian post of mine be without mention of food? We found a great little place to eat right off of the campo, in the basement of an old building. We were some of the only diners in there, and the food was simply divine. Lisa had gnocchi with eggplant and goat cheese, while I had pici noodles with arugula , tomatoes and spicy sausage. Yummy. . .

Fabulous food!

View to the top of the tower. Fun stairs.

Claustrophobia anyone?

Siena/Tuscany

The Campo as seen from the top of the Torre del Mangia. The fountain was designed by Michelangelo.

More of Siena/Tuscany

Lisa and I with a view of Tuscany from the top of the Torre del Mangia.