Isn't That A Crayola Crayon Color?

Today was a day of firsts! Today was my first time in the Tuscan countryside! After a restful sleep and breakfast, my roommates and I headed out to the train station (I seem to spend a lot of time there it seems in my blogs….). It was there that we boarded a bus to Siena!

Siena is in Tuscany, which I believe is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. And as you know, I have been trying to get a picture on the bus of this famous countryside. My track record for getting pictures of Tuscany on the bus is not very good (I have never gotten one…) but this is really exciting because I actually will be in Tuscany, thus I will be able to get a picture (if not on the bus, then when I am actually in Siena). What amazed me was that I did not fall asleep on the bus ride to Siena and I was able to get a picture (hooray for small victories)! It was amazing to see all the vineyards and the olive groves and the mountains. Tuscany is so amazing and I am so happy that I could have seen it from my bus windows.

The Tuscan Countryside!

Our bus pulled into Siena and it was magnificent. We could see St. Domenic’s Church, a huge structure made of Sienese bricks. These bricks are used everywhere in Siena – for the buildings, the houses, the roads, and the walls. The material that gives them their color is a reddish brown clay, which in turn gives us the Crayola crayon color Burnt Sienna. It was really cool to see where the color name originated.

The St. Domenic’s Church was our first stop on our tour – it was pretty plain looking from the outside, but inside it was absolutely gorgeous. There were paintings hanging on the walls and beautiful chapels. One was all stone and precious stones, dedicated to St. Catherine of Siena (we share the same name!). She was credited with telling the Pope to move the seat of the Catholic Church from France back to Rome. What was also cool was that there were only pieces of frescos left on the walls. When the Black Plague came through Siena, the townspeople rubbed lye on the walls of the church to cleanse it… which was very great for hygiene but removed centuries old frescos.

After leaving the church, we walked (with our wonderful guide) around the heart of Siena. We learned that it is divided into 17 neighborhoods, each represented by an animal. There are so many different animals – giraffes, rhinos, dragons, and caterpillars are some of the animals that represent the neighborhoods. These neighborhoods have a friendly rivalry, which is on full display in the summer when they have a horse race between some of the neighborhoods. The winner wins a trophy and bragging rights for the year.

Our next monument that we saw was the Duomo of Siena. This was a big stop on the pilgrimage road that led to Rome. Across from the Duomo there is the largest hostel in Italy (which is now a museum). It was really incredible to see how large it was and how many people could stay there. To rival the hostel’s large size, the Duomo is just as large and opposing. It is done in the gothic-style with Arabic coloration of black-and-white stripes. As beautiful as it was on the outside, it was spectacular on the inside. There were pillars everywhere with the black-and-white strips, the ceiling was all frescoed and illuminated and there was a large marble chapel with statues created by Michelangelo. The great master Bernini also created a chapel in the Duomo, but we could not see it because it was being cleaned. It was the most amazing place I have ever seen.

The Duomo

Our tour concluded in Il Campo, the central square of Siena. It was all bricked and it was a great place to get lunch and sit down and people watch. After a quick lunch break, we packed up, got back on the bus and headed off to San Gimignano.

San Gimignano is the perfect Tuscan town. If I ever were to live in Italy for the rest of my life, it would be here. It is a little medieval town on top of a hill, surrounded by forests and vineyards. It is the most amazing place ever. We got there and walked around, seeing the churches, the famous towers (there are only 14 left standing), and the beautiful overlooks. The town is full of character – wine shops, olive oil stands, and butchers sell the local wine, olive oil, and wild boar products that are produced in this region. There is a homey vibe, making you want to stop, sit down, have a glass of wine and watch the sunset. Since we needed to go home soon, we decided to skip the wine and go for gelato instead. The place where we went was a part of the 2008-2009 Italian Team going to the Gelato World Champs (they won that year!). I got dark chocolate and nutella gelato in a cone and it was awesome…. the best gelato I have ever had here in Italy. Sadly, after gelato, we had to go home.

Beautiful Tuscan Countryside

Gelato!

It was an amazing day! I finally got my pictures of the Tuscan countryside and saw some magnificent places. Italy is so different than what I expected and I love seeing all the different parts of the country. There is so much more to explore and experience!

Ciao!