It
was a very, very cool morning, sailing into Livorno…a nippy 39 degrees and not
much to see in the container port. Our driver Leonardo picked us up on the pier
and we started our day touring Tuscany, specifically Siena and San Gimignano.
We drove from the Port to Sienna about 1.5 hours through the beautiful country
side on the back roads of Tuscany. Our first stop was Siena. Siena is a
historic city in the region of Tuscany and is the capital of the province of
Siena. This city is well known for its gorgeous architecture and beautiful main
square – the Piazza del Campo. Set on three hills, the city center of Siena is
a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Leonardo dropped us at Piazza del Duomo where we
met our guide, Sophia. The Duomo Square is flanked by the Siena Cathedral, one
of the premier pieces of Gothic architecture in the whole of Italy. This
building is simply fantastic and both its exterior designs are over the top.
The façade and exterior of the cathedral features hundreds of white stone and
marble design features, plus several beautiful frescos. Originally constructed
in the 13th century, the cathedral has stood for hundreds of years as an icon
of the city and sits in the historical town center. Unfortunately, being a
Sunday morning we were unable to enter the cathedral due to Sunday mass
services. Siena’s historic center is a maze of charming narrow streets and
alleys. With Sophia we wandered through the medieval streets, discover hidden
corners, and enjoyed the picturesque views of the city. I was in heaven with so
much incredible architecture… We were
amazed at the colorful neighborhoods and the spectacular Medieval flair of the
town. We made it to the Piazza del Campo, undoubtedly, the main square of Siena
– this superb open square contains some simply stunning architecture and even
on a Sunday morning buzzed with local life and tourists. This square is
designed in the shape of a shell…the curved lines of the building make it quite
inviting and provides an enclosed feeling. Notable buildings located on the
square include the gigantic Torre del Mangia, the beautiful Palazzo Pubblico,
the Fountain of Gaia and a wide range of cafes, restaurants and shops. We
stopped for a coffee at the Palio Cafe and Sophia explained about Sienna’s
legendary Palio horse race that takes place twice a year and draws hundreds of
spectators… This race is an annual competition between the 17 districts within
the city of Siena. We walked to the San Dominica Square saying farewell to
Sophia and meeting Leonardo for our onward journey to San Gimignano. Driving
through the beautiful Tuscany rolling hills, you see the town well before you
arrive there. The famous towers of San Gimignano, rise up from the hilltop as
you approach, creating its distinctive medieval skyline. San Gimignano is a
small Italian town with a population of around 8 thousand perched on the top of
a Tuscan hill, and surrounded by 13th-century walls. We parked just outside the
walls, entered by the San Giavanni Gate and made our way on Via San Giovanni to
the Piazza della Cisterna one of the main squares in San Gimignano. Before getting
to the square, I branched off to climb the 214 steps to the top of Torre
Grossa, the tallest tower in town. This tower offered the best view of San
Gimignano and surrounding area. After the climb, I caught up with the ladies
and Leonardo. We visited the iconic Piazza del Duomo. Constantly bustling with
activity, Piazza del Duomo is the main square in San Gimignano. It remains the
center of the city with the Cathedral much like it was in the medieval era. The
interior of the cathedral is quite breath taking – practically every angle is
decorated; from striped marble arches, to the ornate golden dome and the
beautiful frescos above the main altar and along all the walls... The Duomo
square is connected to Piazza della Cisterna. This square is framed with cafes
and traditional world winning Italian ice-cream shops. Of course, no visit to
Italy would be complete without having Gelato. I had a huge serving of my
favorite Stracciatella… We left San
Gimignano and made a brief stop at a viewpoint overlooking the Tuscan hills
with its olive trees and grape vines…the scenery is absolutely beautiful. Our
trip to both Sienna and San Gimignano far surpassed our expectations…it was a
wonderful sunny day. I’m just amazed at
how many amazing places we have visited and things we’ve seen since we boarded
the Oosterdam on 5 April in Fort Lauderdale, what an incredible start…
