04-12 Sienna Italy

Date: 04-12
Location: Siena, Italy
Weather: Perfect - blue skies, temp between 12-20c

We travelled from Bologna to Florence to Sienna by train. The whole journey took about 3.5hrs including transfer times. As you travel by train from Florence you really get a feel for what I assume is a 'Tuscany' landscape. Many sloping hillscapes covered in olive and winecrops, small clusters of houses scattered through the countryside, the occasional deer locating food for the day.
Sienna is a moderatly sized univeristy town, population I think was 54,000.

Travel
Exiting the railway station there is the bus stop (not to city, but tothe Best Western amongst other locations). To visit the city you cross over to the other side of road closest to a cliff face and catch almost any bus into the city, ensuring you've bought your ticket beforehand at the train station [Euro 1.80] Buses from the city were a bit confusing for us, there are two #10 busses (one of the numbers that went passed our hotel stop). Unfortunatly we caught the wrong #10 and did an entire circuit of the city. All the other bus numbers had only 1 number correlating to their journey, perhaps for #10 there was a North and South. Oh well. Taxi's are also few and far between, after the failed attempt with the bus we queuedfor a taxi for approx 30 minutes, when we caught up with some American's who suprisingly enough had also caught the wrong #10 bus and were destined to our hotel. The couple phoned for a taxi, but as things go, a taxi turned up just as the call was placed! Fate.

Sights of Sienna.

Sienna has an 'old town' area that sits in the heart of the city. Be prepared for some steep climbs, with most streets on at least sometype of incline/decline. Wandering through the city you experience delightful craft stores, including pottery, calligraphing/writing,toys, woodcraft and the odd worked metalstore. The stores are intertwined with housing in all Tuscany feeling buildings, all tightly tucked up against each other, all with their own unique style and colour.There are many museums and attractions to enter in Siena, of all the visits we made they were worth it. There is some sort of Vienna tourist card which you can purchase at the tourist office that will grant access to most of these locations, its probably worth it if you intend visitng more than 2 locations.The Piazza del campo is the main city square, in an clam shaped openspaced area, there is a church to one side, with restraunts covering spectacular view of the city (we didn't). We found another place, theMuseo de Panorama, which I thinkis just off the Piazza del Dumono(150m South/West of the Piazza del campo. Entry was Euro6.00 As well entry to a museum housing some beautiful carvings and paintings (and a preserved saint head/bones) you gain access to the 'Panorama', a tower you can climb to exit to an outside rooftop which gives fantastic 360views of the 'old town'. You get sweeping vista views of all thetowns red roofed houses, the Tuscan landscape and the main citybuildings. It is a fantastic sight! Especially with the fine wheather. Also in Piazza del duomo is the Catherdral. The catherdral innards are spetacular. It's a seriously large building with orante paintings lining its interiors, fine stone murials on the floor and excessivly rich use of other valuables adorn its every corner. You're allowed to take photos (no flash/tripod) in here. This sofar has been one of thebest Catherdrals seen to date.

Dining.

We had an unfortunate lunch experience, arriving in the city latearound 2.30 we were close to closing time for Seista (12.00 to 3.00)we went to a nice little restraunt (I don\'t remember the name, Claremight) we asked if they were still serving they greeted us and sat usdown. No sooner had we been given menus the waiter was back hovering,we asked for a few more moments and he grumpily responded, 'Hurry upor no food for you'. It's just a little hard to order meals when you've only had 15 seconds to see the menu. Anyhow we orded promptly after(much to our waiters delight I hope). Then came the next customer service nightmare, the waiter delivering our meals spoke quickly andwe didn't catch what he said, so we sat and pondered for a sec, he then went 'No no', and walked away as if to ignore and then turned around and served our meals. (Obviously knowning they were for us but politeness and manners never existed) .We had dinner at one of the many restraunts in the main piazza delcampo, I had to try Pizza. Well, I think the westerners took the pizza and perfected it, compared to our local pizza eatery (Earth &Sea Pizza Wilston) the locals just didn't stack up. Perhaps it was just this place, I'm going to give them a chance and assume there are good pizza's....somewhere in Italy. Next time its back to the delicious pasta! (Oh the bruchetta was wonderful, they grow some very tasty tomatoes locally, definatly worth a try!)Tomorrow its of to San Gimigiano, somewhere in Tuscany...