Starting off the year 2025 with a return to fall 2023….and scenes from Siena.

We managed the train from Florence to Siena easily. The fact there were no changes helped. But we weren’t at all sure how to get from the train station to the actual city of Siena, which is perched on top of a hill well above the station. We had read about a series of ramps and escalators, so dutifully took several up (one of which didn’t work) – only to discover that it was school letting out time, there was no way we were going to figure out the bus system, and there was no sign of a taxi rank. 

Accordingly, we took the same lengthy series of ramps and escalators back down – and located the taxi rank on a much lower level. The very pleasant taxi driver ultimately found an open gate into the walled city and deposited us at our small hotel – the Palazzo Bulgarini. It turns out that palazzo means building, not palace, which was a little disappointing. 

No one answered the bell, so we stopped at the cafe next door where the server said she could help us out. She opened the gate, found an envelope with our names and the name of our room (Iris) on it, and showed us to our room. At least there were fewer stairs than at the Bellevue in Florence.

It was very dark, and there was a rather dank smell, but an absolutely remarkable painted barrel shaped ceiling made up for all that. Fleur de Lis and swans – there was no telling how old the place was, but we were only five minutes from the Il Campo square.

Siena is famous for its Contrades (districts) – we thought we were in the unicorn one but were never quite sure. Once a year the contrades compete in a bareback horse race around I’ll Campo and the horse that wins (with or without a rider) receives a Virgin Mary banner to wave around for the rest of the year. There are 17 contrades and I think 11 get to compete.

We settled in and then walked through the wind and rain to Il Campo to get our bearings. Il  Campo (Piazaa del Campo) is constructed of red brick with steep banks – it’s almost like a public meadow of red brick. Unbeknownst to us, storm Ciaran was hitting Florence and northern Tuscany on its way toward us and the red brick meadow was getting very wet.

We managed to shelter in one of the Il Campo cafes – we sat inside with a beautiful view of the square, nice martinis, and lovely aperitivo that they brought to us gratis. We truly couldn’t figure out why others were sitting outside in the cold. We headed back to the hotel, and found a reasonably priced restaurant on the way, where I enjoyed observing an elegantly coiffed older couple out for the evening ( her four inch high salt and pepper hair literally did not move).

Rick Steves again served as our tour guide the next day. Il Campo to the Duomo. The Duomo was one of the most remarkable churches we’ve seen – detailed floor mosaics and a Michelangelo St. Paul. Amazingly enough, we happened to be there while an organist rehearsed for his concert that night, so were able to experience the church in a musical, as well as visual way.

We exited by the unfinished wing of the church. In 1339, the citizens of Siena decided to build a new nave so they would have the biggest church in all Christendom. A lesson in hubris – the plague ended up killing off most of the population and it was never completed.

Just as we left, the skies opened. Luckily we found a cozy cafe for lunch and when it cleared up we resumed Rick’s tour. This included the oldest bank in Europe (where the concept of collateral was invented) and the Basilica Cateriniana di San Domenico. It was quite a change from the Duomo. Huge high Romanesque wood ceiling, almost stark – and St. Catherine’s head supposedly housed somewhere behind a mask in the chapel. The stained glass was modern and somehow I found the church more moving than the Duomo. This had been the home of nuns. 

We returned to the hotel and were going to try out the nearby craft beer place but the police were there shutting it down. Hmm. Instead we managed to get into a very good restaurant- J had pork chops with oranges and pistachios and I had pici with cheese, greens and sautéed vegetables. There we discovered cantucci with vin santo – biscotti that you dip into a late harvest wine. An Italian version of dunking a donut. And pane cotta with macerated berries. All under fifty euros. Wow.

We had another stormy night. The next morning, the hotel manager was actually at the hotel and was able to get us a taxi. Next thing we knew we were at the car rental place . . . And off to a farmhouse in Tuscany for a few days – where I was looking forward to an actual kitchen.