Since I was living just outside of Florence, I decided to take a day trip to Siena, which is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever had the pleasure to visit.
I could have gone into any number of museums and churches, but I chose to focus on walking around, just soaking in the history and perfect weather. Of course, this was after I visited Siena Tartufi for a truffle tasting. In addition to the various products made from truffles that I got to try, I got to taste fresh white truffles shaved onto crispy bread, with just a few drops of olive oil keeping the truffle shavings from falling off the bread. Next time I am in this area, I will definitely be going back. Maybe I’ll even splurge and go truffle hunting with Allesandro and his dogs.
After the truffle tasting with Allesandro, I bought some fritelle in the Piazza del Campo, which I ate while watching a big student demonstration about climate change. I couldn’t understand the speeches, but the posters were not subtle.
Following the student demonstration, I began wandering through the streets, trying to get lost. There is something freeing about not having anywhere to be or anything to do, when all you have to focus on is not getting run over by cars and/or people. Between people-watching and admiring the medieval architecture, I had a wonderful time.
One final note to people thinking about visiting Siena: don’t skip leg day. These hills are intense!