Burnt Siena

It's not rocket science, friends. It's hard not to love Siena when this is the view from your hotel room:


Rick Steve's tells me that Siena offers Italy's best medieval city experience, so it has that going for it too. Also, it's pretty cool when you walk around the corner and find this:

That's me, dwarfed by the duomo. I guess that's the point.

It was our favourite city.

During our three night stay in Siena, we took a day-trip to Florence. A few of my friends tell me that Florence is their favourite place in the world, but as I've already made clear, I prefer Siena. However, I admit that I had some special moments in Florence too.

We went to see Michelangelo's David at the Accademia Gallery, and I was moved; it was unexpected. We splurged a little and went to Open Bar, thanks to a recommendation from Holly; I'll ellaborate in an overview of notable food experiences, but suffice to say it provided a peaceful sanctuary in a city full of sweaty tourists. Finally, we went to the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella before heading back to Siena, thanks to another recommendation from Holly. One of the oldest pharmacies in the world, this place still sells all sorts of tempting tinctures and concoctions. The packaging made my mouth water, and I shyly bought a few things that I will cherish.


I didn't buy any of these essences, but I wish I had.

Next up: Lucca (we rode bikes), Vernazza (we went to the nude beach) and Alassio (we paid a lot of money to lie on the beach, and it was totally worth it).

P.S. We're home!