Saturday February 21, 2009

The roomies and I decided to take our first day trip around Tuscany today. Siena was the destination of choice with about a 1.5 hour bus ride from Florence. It was a gorgeous day outside…we’ve been so lucky with weather since we’ve been here. Once we got off the bus we headed over to Siena’s main square, Il Campo, said to be one of the most beautiful main squares In Italy. The square was littered with people relaxing on the brick laid ground…people watching, eating, reading tourist guidebooks. The brick found all over Siena’s buildings and streets is where the paint color name “burnt siena” came from.

From the square we went to tour the Siena Duomo…an art packed cathedral with statues by Michelangelo and Bernini. The beautiful Piccolomini Libarary sits off the nave filled with colorful frescoes that have never required restoration! After the Duomo we toured the Duomo’s art museum next door with the highlight being a steep spiral stair climb to the top of the Facciatone for beautiful panoramic views of Siena and Tuscany. With 5pm (closing time) quickly approaching we headed to the Baptistry located behind the Duomo.

Once the sights had closed we stopped for dinner at a restaurant on Il Campo. In Italy most restaurants don’t open for dinner until 7:30pm so our choices were limited to the touristy spots. Still a very good meal. We decided to take our time with dinner, Italian style, and participate in the typical evening stroll with the locals before we boarded our bus back to Florence.