day trip to siena, italy

(Siena, Italy).  We were excited to take a day trip to Siena.  We didn't know much about the city other than that it was a medieval city built atop a hill.  I was told that the Duomo* in Siena was one of the most beautiful in Italy and also, that they have horse races in the Piazza del Campo* during the Palio.  We missed the race (which had just happened a few days before our arrival), but I'm guessing it would have been a madhouse.

We drove to Siena from Greve in Chianti on the Chiantigiana SS222.  It took about an hour because we took the scenic route along a winding path which was very narrow.  In addition, we were delayed by a large number of cyclists on the same path.  (See here for a blog on our experience driving in Italy.)

We were thrilled to finally find parking in Siena which was quite difficult for us because our gps sent us in circles up and down the hill.  By the time we got out of the car we were quite stressed and needed to use the restroom - badly.  We were able to find a public restroom in the subway but you could only enter the automated kiosk with exact change (0.70).  Luckily the restroom attendant was able to see how desperate we were and let us in the side door.  Thank goodness!



Feeling somewhat relieved, we were able to then enjoy strolling through this beautiful brick city and exploring the narrow alleyways.  (Tip - There are lots of steep paths so I would definitely recommend comfortable walking shoes.)  We could still see remnants of the recent horse race as pictures and paintings of the race and winner were visible all over the place.  

We followed the relatively light crowds to the Duomo and took lots of pictures.  We opted not to go in since we were still feeling a bit museumed-out from our time in Florence.  But I have to say that from the outside, it looked very impressive as the sculptures and carvings were incredibly intricate and completely covered the facade of the building.

The day we were there was incredibly hot so we decided to head to lunch early for a reprieve.  I had made reservations at Antica Osteria da Divo* because it was recommended in almost every guide I read.  This actually made me concerned that it was "too" touristy.  But I am happy to report that the recommendations were genuine and true.  Once we started eating, we knew the restaurant was a winner.  

The restaurant's basement and back area are actually Etruscan tombs - which now that I think about it is a bit creepy.  But I guess it didn't bother me when I was stuffing my face with amazing pici pasta with boar ragu, zucchini risotto, lamb chops, chocolate cake and 1/2 bottle wine.  I think this may literally be the best risotto I've ever had in my life.  (approx total - 70 euros)

After our fabulous lunch, we were ready to explore Il Campo - which is immense!  It is basically an oval-shaped public area that slopes towards the center.  When the Palio occurs, they must cover the entire area with dirt for the horses.  Amusingly enough, I was watching Quantum of Solace after our visit and the movie opens up with a scene of the Palio in Siena.  I'm not sure if they filmed the movie in Siena, but it sure does look like they did.  The movie is pretty bad but it did capture the crowds and intensity of the horse race quite well in case you want to see it.

We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and wandering down more narrow paths.  However, because it was Sunday, most of the shops were closed which was unfortunate since there seemed to be beautiful crafts in Siena.  Tip - don't come on a Sunday if you want to fully experience the city.

There are a lot of museums that one can visit in Siena, but as I noted before, we were a bit tired of museums and just wanted to walk around and explore.

 

Before we left Siena, we saw a fine foods shop and got some wonderful salumi, olives and wine for a picnic back at our hotel.  If you have the time, I'd highly recommend doing that in Tuscany.

Then on the drive back to Greve, we stopped into a nearby town that was having a lovely antiques fair.  I don't have anything specific I collect, but there did seem to be a vast array of stuff - enough to appeal to any collector.  We ended up picking up more interesting maps (one of San Francisco and one of Tokyo).

Siena was quite nice and definitely worth a visit.  However if you had to choose between Siena and San Gimignano, I would have to say the latter has more charm and better shopping (in my opinion). 

* recommended.