Siena with Friends

Spring has arrived and I hope it is planning on sticking around for a while, no more snow! The warmer weather brought back my desire to go explore, travel, and take a break away from school and Bologna.

Four friends and I decided Siena sounded like a great two-day trip, only 3 hours by train. The first stop upon arrival was the hotel, a beautiful little apartment-style place. We were upgraded to two connecting apartments complete with full kitchens.

The walk from the hotel to the city centre was a trek going uphill with beautiful sights along the way, including the statue with the town emblem, the she-wolf and her suckling infants, Romulus and Remus. According to legends, Siena was founded by Senius, the son of Remus. 

Piazza del Campo is the main town square with the Torre del Mangia and the Palazza Pubblico. This is one of the points for the Palio horse race in summer, but on Saturday it was the end point for a bicycle race. People, sporting orange sponsorship hats, were gathered in the square, awaiting the arrival of the racers. It was quite an exciting surprise to find in the city.

Next stop was the Duomo, Siena's cathedral. The outside of the cathedral is beautiful with intricate designs of animals and people. 

The first day ended with fabulous home-cooked dinner complete with grilled eggplants and zucchini, vegetable soup, pasta carbonara, salad, and tea and cookies.

On Sunday, I did a bit of sightseeing mixed with window shopping. Wandering around the city, we happened upon Santa Maria dei Servi, church and convent. 

A few more turns and a bit more walking brought us to San Domenico, a basilica church of the 13th/14th century. It offered a beautiful landscape view of Siena and the Duomo.

Back in Piazza del Campo we visited a small cafe with outside balcony seating, which provided a nice semi-aerial view.

I found a music store in my wanderings situated beside the Accademia Musicale Chigiana. The Accademia was closed, but I was still able to visit the outside courtyard and shop.

One of the final views of the city, with San Domenico in the background, before departing on the late train ride home. A beautiful small town for a weekend getaway!