Siena, Itay

When we were on a train from Rome to Florence, we met a very nice couple that lived in Italy. They said if we truly want to see the heart of Tuscany, go to Siena. So we decided while we were in Florence, to take a day trip to Siena. It was worth it! Even though all the adorable shops ended up being closed (it was a Sunday), it was a beautiful city that we loved. Siena is a medieval town that is entirely closed in by a huge wall. We took a train and then decided to walk up the big hill to the entrance. Below are a couple of pictures of the wall surrounding the city.

As we were walking up the hill-it started to snow!! See the snow in my hair?? So fun!

Going into the city...notice the bus coming out of the little doorway-the doorway still has these huge wooden doors that are on the inside.

Here we are in the Piazza del Campo in the middle of the city.

Since none of the shops were opened, we decided to sit in a cafe and watch the snow fall while drinking coffee (Garth) and hot cocoa (Vanessa). FYI-if you're ever in Italy, don't get the hot cocoa. It tastes like the just melted a candy bar and put it in a cup. It was so thick that if you didn't drink it right away a thick layer would form ontop! Gross!!

Snow!!

Siena has a fantastic annual horse race that takes place each summer in the Piazza del Campo. Siena is broken into 17 neighborhoods and they all have their own mascot and emblem. They each have their own horseman that represents their neighborhood and they all race each other. People from each neighborhood wave their flag and have clothes with their neighborhood emblem. We would have loved to witness this! It is supposed to be amazing.

Piazza del Campo

Duomo in Siena

City streets of Siena

Not only does each neighborhood have their own horseman and emblem, but they have lampposts that represent them. They are all different from one another. Each neighborhood has their own colors and the emblem on a wall.

This was the "caterpillars" neighborhood and their lamppost is below.

Goodbye Siena! We will miss you!