Siena - Day Tour from Florence

Second stop was Siena with a guided tour and lunch as part of the deal. Our bus dropped us off a bit far out from the old town area and we did a lot of brisk walking to get to the centre to start our guided tour with a local. It was very rushed but what we saw of Siena, we loved. However, we really weren’t that impressed with the tour guide as she also rushed us through the town telling us a little on the way before leaving us at the front of the Duomo where she left us with vague instructions on how to find our way back to where we were having lunch.

The promised lunch was very light on and not that exciting as we were actually sat in an outdoor tent with no atmosphere at all. And the wine was disgusting! It was very disappointing, and I don’t know that we would do a guided tour again. What we did enjoy was chatting to the people at our table. We were sat next to a couple from Canada and were surprised to discover that the guy was also a police officer and their son was a Canadian Mountie. We had a great time chatting and laughing with them. Sometimes it is the people you meet on your travels that add to the joy of the trip.

One of the things I loved about Siena, were the different decorative light fittings, ceramic plaques and flags down every laneway. What we did learn was that Siena is divided into 17 neighbourhoods in the historic centre, called Contrade. During the biannual running of the Palio, the centuries-old bareback horse race that occurs in the Piazza del Campo, ten of the participating contrade send a horse and rider to the race and things are very competitive between the districts. Each contrada is represented by a symbol - most are animals but there are also mythical creatures, architectural symbols and icons taken from nature – and certain colour combinations and you definitely know which contrada you are in by the flags flying and eye-catching light fittings. The history of Siena and the famous horse race and rivalry between the contrade is certainly interesting.

I am looking forward to going back and spending more time in Siena and exploring it at our own pace.Read more