Rick Steves Village Italy in 14 days
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Siena
Day 8
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Orientation tour of Siena
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Piazza del Campo and the history of the Palio Horse race
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Lunch
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Free time for museums, shopping, or exploring
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Return to Hotel Belvedere for dinner together
The Tuscan countryside and the Hotel Belvedere created a very relaxing and tranquil environment. The group was leaving for Siena at noon, so we had a chance to sleep in a little bit later than usual.
We had enough free time that morning to join some of our new friends for a walk through the vineyards and hills around our hotel. The picturesque views were just what I imagined when we decided on this tour. The weather definitely cooperated with us on our two-week excursion and we had another gorgeous day.
There are many ways to enter the historic center of Siena and some are more of an uphill climb than others. Mario dropped us off and we boarded a smaller bus, which brought us closer to one of the entrances that hosted a set of escalators. We ascended effortlessly into the historic city and were greeted by the many colorful Contrade flags. The unique and artful flags represent each of the 17 Contrade (neighborhoods) of Siena. These flags are waved proudly during the Palio pageantry and races that happen twice a year. Rick Steves has a great video about Siena and its historic Palio.
Tricia led us through town into the Piazza del Campo, the medieval square where the Palio races take place. The clamshell shaped piazza has a slope similar to that of an amphitheater. Small streets reach out from this gathering place and into the neighborhoods of Siena. The Palazzo Pubblico is a large palace built in the 13th century and was the seat for the city government and is now home to the City Museum. Together, the Palazzo Pubblico and the Tower of Mangia that shoots up next to it, create one of the most iconic scenes of Italy. It felt like I had been here before, but I think it was because I have seen this view many times in movies, on TV shows, and in videos about the Palio. It was like being on a movie set.
Click any photo to take a closer look
It was now time for lunch and some free time to enjoy this remarkable city. I asked Tricia for directions to one of the places she had suggested and she kindly invited Bryan and me to join her there for lunch. She led us up, out of the Campo, and within a few minutes, we were at a lovely place called La Vecchia Taverna di Bacco, The Old Tavern of Bacchus. Another couple from our tour group soon joined us. I ordered bruschetta and Tricia chuckled a bit as I started with the English pronunciation and tried to rescue myself by adding the K sound in the middle. Broo-shetta (English) vs broo-sketta (Italiano) and my version broo-sh-sketta. I decided that any way you say it, it was tasty. Bryan ordered spaghetti alla carbonara and I enjoyed the tagliatelle al ragù bolognese. We toasted Baccus, the god of wine, with a glass of the vino rosso della casa (house red wine.)
During our orientation walk into Siena, Tricia explained that Siena's cathedral had wonderful inlaid floors that are usually covered but we were fortunate to be visiting during the few months of the year that they are revealed. Bryan and I decided to buy combo tickets, Opa si Pass, which gave us access to the cathedral and to the museum. From the museum, we could climb up to the terrace of the unfinished cathedral expansion.
I use the word masterpieces to describe the mosaic floor inlays, but that word doesn't seem powerful enough. The artwork was intricate, colorful, and quite amazing. The scenes were still difficult to see due to the low angle we were viewing them from, so when we returned home I did some research and found that the OPA website has wonderful information about the mosaics. The website shows some of the marble illustrations up close, therefore allowing for the artwork to be truly appreciated. There is also a floor plan that divulges the full scope of the treasures built into the floor of the impressive cathedral.
Click first photo in each group to enlarge entire gallery
While Bryan and I were enjoying our stroll through the Cathedral, I remembered that there were sculptures by Michelangelo, Donatello, and Bernini tucked in somewhere inside this massive place of worship. Tricia has suggested using our guide book to follow Rick's tour through the cathedral, but we had misplaced our book somewhere during the tour. We walked around for a few minutes and even tried searching the internet on Bryan's phone to find out where to find the statues. We walked into a side chapel and I was excited to discover St. John the Baptist by Donatello. As we turned to leave on our search for the other sculptures, a Rick Steves guidebook caught my eye. A woman was doing exactly what Tricia has suggested.
Our next stop was the Duomo museum. We weren't sure how long it would take to get to the top of the Facciatone - the facade of the unfinished duomo expansion, so we hurried up to the 3rd floor. We had to wait about 15 minutes for one group to go ahead of us, then we ascended the 131 steps of the narrow, spiraling staircase to the top. I have climbed a few other towers in Italy, and this one was rather easy and the view made every step worthwhile.
Mi scusi, posso fare una foto per favore? (Excuse me, can I take a picture please?) I practiced this phrase many times before coming to Italy. My goal was to use my new Italian skills to seek permission from the beautiful people of Italy to take their pictures. I spotted this handsome gentleman and his beautiful dog relaxing on a bench on our walk out of Siena. I approached and asked in my best Italian if I could take a picture. The man seemed a bit surprised that I had asked in Italian, then he nodded and pointed to the dog with a questioning look. I nodded back but specified by pointing to him, then the dog while saying due (two), that I wanted a picture of both of them. He seemed honored by the request. He nudged his canine companion into a sitting position and I captured this shot. This is one of my favorite pictures I took on the tour.
We returned to the Hotel Belvedere and had a bit of time before gathering for dinner. Bryan went out to the garden while I finished straightening a few things in our room. When I stepped out into the garden to join him, I saw him sitting at a garden table with his iPad propped up on the table FaceTiming with our daughter Sarah. It was a bit surreal to see her "sitting" at the table in Italy with Bryan. I was excited to talk to her while I gave her a tour of the garden and our view over the Chianti vineyards. As we were talking, the sun began to set and I showed her how the evening colors were starting to change. Sarah knows how much I love this time of evening and she said, "It's okay Mom, go get your camera and enjoy." So that is exactly what I did.
The Rick Steves post-tour survey asks everyone to describe their wow moment of the trip. This was my wow moment. I will never forget sharing our little piece of the Italian countryside with my daughter, who was thousands of miles away, as this glorious sunset was painted across the sky.