Siena and San Gimignano Sunday!

I am so behind on my blogs!

Sunday we decided to do a tour of Siena and San Gimignano! Through CAF Tours we paid 57 Euro for round trip transportation on a really nice tour bus and a guided tour of the cities. Well worth the money.

I have been dying to go to Siena ever since I was recommended to read a book called Juliet. A quick synopsis - A girl finds out her family has a secret in Siena and goes to learn more. She learns that Romeo and Juliet did not really take place in Varona but in Siena and the story starts from there. It was a great read and got me excited to see this city.

One thing that is really interesting about Sienna is that the city is broken up into 17 Districts each with their own symbol. If you look at the corners of the street there is a little plaque reminding you what district you are in. The people of districts are very proud of where they come from and wear their flags around their necks. Its amazing. Each year, a tradition that has lasted 100's of years, Siena holds the Palio di Siena. A horse race where each district races for the championship. From what I hear this is the craziest time of year with districts fully decked out and showing their pride. It took place a few days before we arrived and the Wave District one so most of the town was decked out in flags of Blue and White and when we stumbled across the Wave District people were still celebrating and the Palio was being played on repeat on a megaphone. Its really amazing

Minus my obsession with the districts the town was amazing. I know I keep saying every city is my favorite but THIS MAY BE MY FAVORITE (as of now :) )

This is the city center where the race is held every year

We found a bakery to have lunch at that also had fresh pizza. I had a slice with grilled vegetables, so delicious

Since we were at a bakery of course I had to indulge in some pastries, I had a sort of cream puff, fruit tart and a nutella tart ( had to have some nutella ) SO GOOD. I wish I could relive them.

This is a photo of all of the flags of the districts! I am obsessed with culture of Siena.

Some shots of the streets, after our tour we had about two hours on our own. I decided to drag John and Fred and see as much as we can and get "lost" in the small alleyways and streets. It was great

The view from one of the streets in Sienna to the countryside. Why do we live in NY when I can move here? Might not be coming home...

After Sienna we went to San Gimignano which is an old town in the countryside of Tuscany up in the hills. To say the view is breathtaking is an understatement.

The towns small squares are surrounded by fortified walls that are still standing. Towers throughout the small town make it look like a NYC skyline only in stone.

One of the towns specialties is their gelato shop Gelataria di Piazza, that serves award winning gelato. As of now it was the best gelato I have had, super creamy and delicious.

The main attraction of the town is one of the towers you can climb. For 5 euro climb to the top.... This is what the stairs looked like. After the stairs was a small ladder that you had to climb to reach the top. Its was well worth it