Our second day trip was to the stunningly beautiful city of Siena. We had read that it was beautiful and one of the top cities to visit in Tuscany, but we were not prepared for the architecture and overall beauty of this gold-hued city. I had done some research and found that Wednesday was market day. Thus we made a b-line for the market once we hopped off the bus. It was an endless stream of products. Clothing, housewares, sewing notions, tools, shoes… everything. After exploring for a while, we finally managed to find the food section and grab some lunch.
After lunch we found our way into the heart of the city; the Piazza Campo where the historic Palio di Siena takes place. We were early for the horse races as they take place in July and August, but the shops in the piazza were already selling the banners of the Contrade (districts) that would compete. The piazza was impressively large and even full of tourists did not feel all that crowded.
After a wander through the square, we decided to splurge and pay €20 each for a ticket for the Cathedral complex which included the duomo, the separate baptistry, a tour the dome/roof, the crypt, the museum, the Piccolomini Library, and a trip up to the unfinished facade or “facciatone” for the ultimate view of Siena. It was pricey but well worth it.
Siena is a beautiful city and if you decide to go from Florence it is better to take the bus as the train station in Siena is a little outside the city centre (FYI it is an uphill walk into town). The bus station in Florence is just around the corner from the SMN train station and you can buy your tickets the same day. Remember to pay attention to the type of bus, as there are two that depart from Florence, the Ordinaria (Ordinary) and the Rapida (Rapid). Link to bus line information. At the time of this blog the bus number is 131. Conveniently enough on the way home we did not have to ride all the way back to the station as there was a stop at the square just beside our lovely Airbnb apartment in Florence.
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