Siena

This town is amazing! It is really beautiful, peaceful, friendly, and set in the hills of Tuscany. Yesterday when I arrived it was sunny and warm but I got lost very quickly. There are lots of step hills and lugging around my bags and that box that I was going to mail at the postoffice was not fun. It took me almost an hour to find my hotel which was really frustrating. After a quick rest I decided to treat myself to some gelato and things started looking up. This is a town made for strolling. The streets remind me of Venice, without the canals of course, because they are narrow and cobblestoned and have gorgeous views. I strolled to the main Campo which is said to be one of the best pizzias or campos in Italy, and after yesterday I am inclined to agree. It's made of sloping bricks where people lay and sit together watching everyone else. It really is the heart of the city. Kids chased pigeons, couples lounged, friends drank wine, grandparents watched the babies, and tourists like myself wrote postcards. It was a beautiful scene.

Afterwards I did a little shopping and then went to dinner. I met a nice italian couple who were trying to find the same place and we sat close to each other and chatted throughout the meal. I made friends with the waiters, it seems to happen when I have no company of my own. For dinner I had paparadelle with cingialle sauce. Dad, it was incredible, and yours is pretty close to theirs! I had a nice little torte and then they brought me some biscotti like cookies and sweet wine to dip them. It started to rain so I raced back to my hotel and sadly when I woke up this morning it was still raining. I plan to go into the big church here this afternoon, buy my ticket for tomorrow, and maybe do some laundry. This city is beautiful and I think every single person reading this blog would love it, so mark Siena on your places to go list.

I am using the computer in the hotel and therefore I can't upload any of my pictures. I will post photos when I get to Florence tomorrow and find Wi-Fi. Also, any random typos are probably because the keyboards are slightly different here. All in all this place is great and just what I needed coming from the hustle and bustle of Rome.