On Tuesday morning, our group split up.
The early car went wine tasting, while the late car (which I was in) started the day at San Gimignano. Driving from our villa in Greve was an adventure in itself because the roads are extremely windy and hilly. I'm glad I was in the front seat or I would have been carsick after the first ten minutes. On the bright side, views of the Tuscan countryside were gorgeous.
One aspect I find amusing about driving in Italy is the sheer number of signs at every intersection. I'm not sure who thought that a multitude of signs would be helpful, but the law of diminishing returns would certainly apply in this situation. How can anyone read all this while driving?!?
I attempted to be the co-pilot (aka: sign reader) from the front seat, while Brian consulted the map on his phone. It turns out, I'm a completely useless co-pilot in Italy. Sometimes, the highway we wanted wasn't listed at all, while other times, the sign was pointing in a different direction than what Brian's map suggested. We decided that this must be be Italy's way of messing with tourists, so Brian's map always prevailed.
Eventually, we saw the beautiful towers of San Gimignano in the distance and I started getting excited (mostly, just so I could get out of the car). We parked outside the walls of the town and ventured in. Without cars, billboards, or traffic lights, it was really easy to imagine ourselves in another century. We meandered our way through the cobblestone streets and into the main square, where we noticed a well that the residents must have actually used as a source of water back in the day.
After a great morning in San Gimignano, we decided it was time to venture over to Siena, where we met up with the other half of the group. I was particularly excited about seeing Siena because it was so beloved by my Aunt & Uncle during their honeymoon that they decided to name my cousin after the city.
Siena only allows residents to drive in the center city, so we parked in a nearby lot and took a series of escalators up to the Duomo. I must admit that although I enjoyed the ease of the escalators, it didn't get me in the "medieval mood" like I felt as we passed through the walls of San Gimignano.
As is the case with most Italian cities, the Duomo is the must-see landmark. Before we could enter, we had to get a free ticket from a nearby ticket office. It seemed strange to me that they would hire someone just to print and distribute free tickets, but it's Italy so I didn't question anything!
As we waited to pick up the tickets, we could see an outer wall that still stands as a reminder of a partially-completed addition from the 14th century, which would have doubled the size of the cathedral. The Black Plague permanently halted the construction, but it's cool to imagine how massive the structure would have been if it were completed. Personally, I think its current "small" size is just right.
This cathedral is the most unique I have seen in Italy, with alternating black & white horizontal stripes across the walls that reminded me of Sephora. I learned that black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, representing the black and white horses that belonged to the city's founders.
I know the pictures may look like any other beautiful church in Italy, but to appreciate the detail of the craftsmanship requires a closer look:
Even the mosaic floor was designed with incredible detail. Although most of it was covered to protect the marble, one part depicting "The Slaughter of the Innocents" was exposed and provided a hint of the ornate images throughout the floor.
After visiting so many cathedrals, it would be easy to not appreciate the breathtaking design of the architecture. This cathedral, however, forced me to take notice.
We then walked to the Piazza del Campo to meet the rest of the group. I would have loved to be in Siena during famous horse races, but unfortunately, it was a quiet night. We walked around a little more, took a group picture, and returned to Greve for dinner.
People often say that there is a rivalry between Florence and Siena. My guess is that the rivalry exists more among residents because, as a tourist, I found the two cities to be completely different. I think that there is a lot more to do and see in Florence, while Siena is more enchanting in a subtle way. Both cities are absolutely worth seeing but very difficult to compare.
The early car went wine tasting, while the late car (which I was in) started the day at San Gimignano. Driving from our villa in Greve was an adventure in itself because the roads are extremely windy and hilly. I'm glad I was in the front seat or I would have been carsick after the first ten minutes. On the bright side, views of the Tuscan countryside were gorgeous.
One aspect I find amusing about driving in Italy is the sheer number of signs at every intersection. I'm not sure who thought that a multitude of signs would be helpful, but the law of diminishing returns would certainly apply in this situation. How can anyone read all this while driving?!?
 |
| Vast amounts of information at each turn |
I attempted to be the co-pilot (aka: sign reader) from the front seat, while Brian consulted the map on his phone. It turns out, I'm a completely useless co-pilot in Italy. Sometimes, the highway we wanted wasn't listed at all, while other times, the sign was pointing in a different direction than what Brian's map suggested. We decided that this must be be Italy's way of messing with tourists, so Brian's map always prevailed.
 |
| Both directions lead to Siena! |
Eventually, we saw the beautiful towers of San Gimignano in the distance and I started getting excited (mostly, just so I could get out of the car). We parked outside the walls of the town and ventured in. Without cars, billboards, or traffic lights, it was really easy to imagine ourselves in another century. We meandered our way through the cobblestone streets and into the main square, where we noticed a well that the residents must have actually used as a source of water back in the day.
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| Entering San Gimignano |
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| San Gimignano town center |
Nick also noticed a condom vending machine on the wall of a building, which must have been installed in a later century. :)
I can't imagine many young people living in the town these days, simply because there is nothing to do there. It is obvious that the economy is driven by tourism, but we were lucky enough to have the place to ourselves. The whole town looked like a postcard and it seemed like every shop sold meat, cheese, and wine. Seriously, do Italians do anything besides eat?
Based on the suggestion of a saleswoman in one of the specialty food shops, we stopped for lunch at a really cute restaurant. The owner explained all of the day's specials with so much passion and we even had the added bonus of focaccia bread, which was such a nice change from the typical salt-less breads that most restaurants in Tuscany provide. I never realized how much I appreciate salt in my bread before this vacation!
San Gimignano is most famous for its towers, which were built in the 13th century as a result of family rivalries. Most towers are closed to the public today, but we did find one that allowed us to climb. The view from the top was incredible and it provided such a great perspective over the town.
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| It really added to the ambience. |
I can't imagine many young people living in the town these days, simply because there is nothing to do there. It is obvious that the economy is driven by tourism, but we were lucky enough to have the place to ourselves. The whole town looked like a postcard and it seemed like every shop sold meat, cheese, and wine. Seriously, do Italians do anything besides eat?
Based on the suggestion of a saleswoman in one of the specialty food shops, we stopped for lunch at a really cute restaurant. The owner explained all of the day's specials with so much passion and we even had the added bonus of focaccia bread, which was such a nice change from the typical salt-less breads that most restaurants in Tuscany provide. I never realized how much I appreciate salt in my bread before this vacation!
San Gimignano is most famous for its towers, which were built in the 13th century as a result of family rivalries. Most towers are closed to the public today, but we did find one that allowed us to climb. The view from the top was incredible and it provided such a great perspective over the town.
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| Here's the tower we were able to climb - right next to the church. |
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| Almost at the top! |
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| Views of the tuscan countryside from the tower |
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| Looking down on the town square. |
After a great morning in San Gimignano, we decided it was time to venture over to Siena, where we met up with the other half of the group. I was particularly excited about seeing Siena because it was so beloved by my Aunt & Uncle during their honeymoon that they decided to name my cousin after the city.
Siena only allows residents to drive in the center city, so we parked in a nearby lot and took a series of escalators up to the Duomo. I must admit that although I enjoyed the ease of the escalators, it didn't get me in the "medieval mood" like I felt as we passed through the walls of San Gimignano.
As is the case with most Italian cities, the Duomo is the must-see landmark. Before we could enter, we had to get a free ticket from a nearby ticket office. It seemed strange to me that they would hire someone just to print and distribute free tickets, but it's Italy so I didn't question anything!
As we waited to pick up the tickets, we could see an outer wall that still stands as a reminder of a partially-completed addition from the 14th century, which would have doubled the size of the cathedral. The Black Plague permanently halted the construction, but it's cool to imagine how massive the structure would have been if it were completed. Personally, I think its current "small" size is just right.
 |
| Here's the exterior of the beautiful Siena Cathedral |
This cathedral is the most unique I have seen in Italy, with alternating black & white horizontal stripes across the walls that reminded me of Sephora. I learned that black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, representing the black and white horses that belonged to the city's founders.
 |
| I was digging the black & white stripes. |
I know the pictures may look like any other beautiful church in Italy, but to appreciate the detail of the craftsmanship requires a closer look:
 |
| Details, details. |
Even the mosaic floor was designed with incredible detail. Although most of it was covered to protect the marble, one part depicting "The Slaughter of the Innocents" was exposed and provided a hint of the ornate images throughout the floor.
 |
| Here's the small piece of the floor that was exposed. |
After visiting so many cathedrals, it would be easy to not appreciate the breathtaking design of the architecture. This cathedral, however, forced me to take notice.
We then walked to the Piazza del Campo to meet the rest of the group. I would have loved to be in Siena during famous horse races, but unfortunately, it was a quiet night. We walked around a little more, took a group picture, and returned to Greve for dinner.
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| Our group, together again, in Piazza del Campo, Siena |
People often say that there is a rivalry between Florence and Siena. My guess is that the rivalry exists more among residents because, as a tourist, I found the two cities to be completely different. I think that there is a lot more to do and see in Florence, while Siena is more enchanting in a subtle way. Both cities are absolutely worth seeing but very difficult to compare.
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