*Photos courtesy of Jeremy.

Siena Calling

Bella Siena, the rose of Tuscany. Rick Steves says that his staff swoons at the mention of Siena, and justifiably so! After a rather arduous day (3 hours from La Spezia to Florence, then another 75 minutes on the bus), this breathtaking hilltown was an oasis for these weary travelers. After checking into our room with a view, courtesy of the Alma Domus (a convent of the sisterhood of St. Catherine of Siena), we headed out for a long passegiata (the Italian version of cruising), coupled with window shopping. We capped off the night with a terrific dinner at Antica Osteria Da Divo, where they serve traditional Tuscan cuisine. Wonderful food, fantastic service, and they even throw in complimentary pre-dinner apertifs (a Campari spritzer served in sugar-rimmed glasses) and appetizers. Poor Jeremy literally bit off more than he could chew and was feeling sick by meal's end.

Mostly sat in the campo all day for yet more people watching. Siena is a mix of old world gentility and young vibrant college students. We also visited the Duomo, which is just as impressive as Florence, if not more. Siena once rivaled Florence in prominence until it lost most of its population to the plague, sealing it forever in a medieval time capsule. The city center is blissfully traffic-free and the streets are paved with red brick.



At dinner on our last night (and I'm still kicking myself for only staying 2 nights) we were invited to join in a local birthday celebration. Aside from the revellers, we the only remaining patrons in the trattoria. When the proseco (Italian sparkling white wine, similar to champagne) was poured, the waiter also brought us glasses for the toast. It was like a window into a secret Italian club.