My intention to write my trip, "in progress", did not happen mainly because I didn’t have access to a real computer and it was a challenge to keep up the writing on my small phone.
Anyway, I returned home a couple of weeks ago so I will continue my trip report where I left off.
Please note: This is quite a lengthy report, so pour yourself a nice cup of coffee...
I left Lucca on a Saturday morning, the day of the Rolling Stones Concert. While waiting for my train, a train arrived from Florence and I’d never seen such a large multitude of passengers getting off one train! I think most of the passengers were Rolling Stones fans!
On the train from Florence to Siena, I met a young woman who sat across from me at the end of the carriage. She was traveling with an enormous suitcase which she had to leave in the space between the cars. We didn’t talk to each other till about half way through the journey. I learned that she was traveling from Russia and will be studying in Siena for a semester. She spoke English beautifully. She explained that in her country, English is taught to all students from the time they start school. She also mentioned that she was already tired of her huge suitcase and wished she had not packed so much. Once we arrived to Siena’s station, we shared a couple of elevators to the ground floor then waited together at the taxi queue. I thought we could share a taxi up to the city, but she indicated that the university was farther away from the city center. So we each took a separate taxi and bid each other farewell. The taxi driver was a pleasant man and the ride up to the city only took a few minutes. As we approached my accommodation, I was surprised how the driver had to maneuver through the crowded streets. He told me that Siena is always crowded during the day with tourists who only visit for a few hours.
When I arrived to Antica Residenza Cicogna B&B, the owner, Elisa, was waiting for me. She is a very friendly and helpful young woman who manages this beautiful place, which has been in her family for the past two centuries.
My room, on the second floor, was great! It had a nice king sized four-poster bed, it's beautifully decorated with frescoed walls and ceiling, and there's a remodeled bathroom with a shower (that doesn’t flood the whole floor!)
When I opened my window, I was completely mesmerized by the crowds down below. I couldn’t imagine how crowded it must get during the busy season!
After unpacking some of my clothes, I walked to the nearby Conad City market to buy something to eat since it was too late (2:30PM) to find an open restaurant. I ended up buying some water, pear juice, prosciutto, roasted eggplant, olives, sweet cherry tomatoes, sweet green grapes (my favorite), and a freshly baked roll, which was still warm.
When I was almost done eating my picnic feast, in the Tea Room, I met a young couple from California (holding a RS Italy book), and we had a nice conversation about our travels. After my delicious lunch, I ventured out to experience this beautiful city.
I walked along Via Banchi di Sopra, one of the main streets lined with shops, to Piazza del Campo. This is the main piazza of the city and it’s a popular spot for tourists and locals alike because of the beautiful buildings, the clock tower, the many restaurants and souvenir shops. After taking a few photos of the piazza, I walked toward Piazza del Duomo and admired the beautiful architecture of the baptistery and the cathedral.
I decided to go to bed early that night because I was tired from my long travel day.
Continued...