Siena and San Gimignano day trip

Sunday:
We had a very leisurely start to the day; breakfast at the apartment before heading out for some exploring.

We walked an alternate route, not along the main drag (via Camollia), and came across the Opera house that we'll be going to later on the week. We walked up to Fortezza Medicea, the ruins of the old fortress. It's a little further away from the tourist trail and involved an uphill climb, which is probably why there was hardly anyone there. There were great views back across the city and to the Duomo, along with great views of the countryside.

We walked back down to Bar Impero to wet our whistle, and afterwards, walked back to the train station where there's a much bigger supermarket, Pam. We picked up supplies for dinner and, of course, some local wine.

In the evening, we enjoyed an aperol spritz or two (we've been getting into these) - for those unfamiliar with this drink, it's aperol and prosecco. We cooked pici pasta (thicker than spaghetti and a local favourite) with some pancetta, mushrooms, and cream. Washed it down with a chianti as you must!

We went for an after dinner walk through the old city. We stumbled upon some sort of local festivity, marching band, flag waiving, etc. The piazza del Campo was still pretty buzzing but less hectic than during the day. We walked up to the Duomo, and it was lovely and quiet. We sat down and took it all in for a while - the temperature was beautiful, with a cool breeze.

On the way 'home', we stopped for a very tasty gelato - a nice way to finish the day.

Monday:
We took a local bus from just around the corner to San Gimingnano, a beautiful hilltop village about an hour away. The bus ride was on windy and narrow roads and certainly kept us alert!

Arriving in San Gimignano, about an hour later, we wandered around the narrow streets, admiring the stone and brick architecture. The place had some beautiful vantage points to take in the surrounding countryside. We walked to the highest point, where an actor was reciting Dante, who apparently hung out here in the day.

We found a place to grab a panini to share for lunch, which was good. We then paid €1 to use a bathroom - what a world 😄 We took the bus back, however, this time we had to change buses in Poggibonsi, not an especially scenic place; the joys of travel. We did go past Monteriggioni on our way back - we're thinking of cycling there tomorrow.

In the evening, we had a cheese plate and a game of cards before heading out for some drinks at Bar Impero. We wandered back to a restaurant called i Gabellieri and had really good pizza, tiramisu, and wine.Baca lagi