Trip to Siena, Tuscany, Italy (July 2017)

Siena is the second largest city in Tuscany after Florence. Siena and Florence have been in strong rivalry for a long time. Normally, Florence rules and Siena is defeated. But frequent defeat does not mean that Siena cannot battle and compete against Florence.

Siena is also a UNESCO heritage site. It has many charming places to explore. The most iconic place is a fan-shaped Piazza del Campo. This plaza creates a shade in the afternoon and people hang out walking, strolling, watching people, dining, drinking or simply lying down on brick grounds. Even dogs love to hang out here. AT this plaza, Siena's Gothic town hall called Palazzo Pubblico is located with its high tower overlooking the plaza and the city.

Another iconic landmark in Siena is Siena Cathedral. This cathedral was built in the early 13th century and is a popular destination for tourists. This cathedral shines with a beautiful harmony of white and black colors through the building. Also, its detailed facade decoration looked just marvelous. 

 You can easily find a She-Wolf statue in Siena, feeding two baby boys. There is a legend about twins, Remus and Romulus, who later helped establish Rome. This She-wolf is called Capitoline Wolf and is revered in Italy. Well... a legend is a legend. Believe it or not.

We had a group dinner at a restaurant outside the town wall. A cozy place. It was quite an enjoyable atmosphere. Kristin met up with two other nurses from Canada. It is not a common situation where nurses meet in a group tour. 

We took a series of escalators down to reach the restaurant. The town view from the lower level was quite nice with the buildings shining at the sunset. 

We enjoyed our short stay in Siena. - Jeffrey