I visited my friend Olti on Monday, who I met in Amsterdam in Bologna. He is doing his PHD there and had invited me to come see his town. It is a big university town, a mixed and diverse city. There are alway people out and about, some tourists but I felt more were locals. Their main square area was like a wheel with the roads like spokes of a bicycle tire. There is an area with 7 churches that are all bordering each other/ very close that is in the downtown area. They call it the red city because a majority of the buildings are an orangey-red color, and also almost all the sidewalks have an awning, like walking in a tunnel amlost but the side is open to the road. Olti said he never has to worry about an umbrella because 95 percent of the sidewalks are covered! Pizza update: I had even better pizza than Venice (lunch), and now I understand that when you order a type of pizza they give you the whole pizza, not just a slice. It is more common that when you order you get the whole pie. And I ate the whole pie too! The crust is thin and when you order a topping they give it to you, unlike some places in the USA when you order mushrooms they thinly sprinkle them on. Here, when you order funghi they give you lots! :) Absolutely delicious! That night we went to have aperitivo (a drink and some bar appetizers/food on a buffet line but you more take a small plate and then go for more after if you are still hungry). After that we went adn met his girlfriend and her friend and went to a bar to play fooseball and enjoyed some spritz!
The next day I climbed a tower they had in the center, a leaning tower...a little scary to look at and think that you will go into it! The 360 view was great and although there were 492 steps, it was worth the climb! I met a girl from Poland there and after the tower we got some special gelato from Gromo, actually an American brand but very tasty and only a few places in Italy. After that she joined Olti and I for a nice italin lunch at a local restarurant, great pasta (with parmigiana of course), coffee, limoncello...
That night we got pizza again and I found out the owners are from Campobossa region (Like Grandma). The pizza was extremely delicious, the same place I went on the first day in Bologna). We walked around town and had a drink in once of the outdoor patio bars in the center and then went back and hung out at the apartment, I repacked my bag for the next morning departure.
SIENA
I arrived in Siena on time as planned, which at first I thought I was going to miss my connection because my first train was 20 minutes late and the original schedule said I only had 5 minuted to change trains but my second train was also late so I made it within 30 seconds of it taking off- I got very lucky! Marco picked me up from the station and he dropped me off in the center of Siena while he went to work, but I didnt have to worry about my backpack which was nice. It was a good thing I brought my rainjacket because about an hour into my town exploration it started to rain. Even with the weather I really enjoyed Siena, it looks straight out of a movie- the small winding streets, up and downhills, little shops everywhere containing wine, cheese, meat, spices, gelato, pizza, souveniers, etc.
There is a church that reminds you of a zebra because it is black and white striped! The main center slopes downward in the open square. Before it started raining it was a large gathering area for people to meet, hang out, sit and have lunch, etc. There were restaurant all arond the outside as well, that were always busy. When it had been raining for about an hour I decided to stp and enjoy a coffee (and take cover) so I took i Albanian style...aka sitting with your coffee for a long time and people watching, enjoying the scenery, and also liking the fact that I was under a roof, hoping that my jeans would somewhat dry..or at least not continue to get wet along with my sneakers..you all know walking around in wet sneakers isnt the most fun activity. Of course I had gelato too...something I will probably have just about everyday I am in italy because it is so good, also they have dark chocolate ice cream which is one of my favorites now that I have tried it. Also, Momma Mia (amaretto, peach, caramel and chocolate swirls, so tasty)! The rain let up after a few hours and as it started getting darker and the lights came on, the moon was rising above el campo (the center of Siena) and it was a beautiful sight. The sky changed from the darker grey to a royal blue and then a pinkish tinge of the clouds as well. I ended up at a gate right outside the main town to see the sun go down with a beautiful view of Tuscany, Oh Siena! That night Marco made a lovely italian dinner of pasta with red sauce, parmegiano, vino, coffee, and even dessert of a special polish cholocate. He is a true gentleman and I had a nice dinner with him!
SAN GIMIGNANO
The next day I went to San Gimignano for a day trip. I havent had otion sickness for a number of years now, but being on that bus for about an hour with all the sdden starts and stops, windy roads, and the heat made me feel like I would vomit. Fo the ride back I went to a farmacia and bought a special medicated gum (yes, a gum) so I would make it back without getting sick again.
San Gimignano is a gorgeous town, a touristy main strip but in my opinion a smaller version of Siena. The town had the same small windy up and doen hill streets, a fantastic view of farmland below (the town is on a hill) and of course has lots of small specialty shoppes. I tried some wine from the region, found delicous cheese that was flavored with aromatics of wine (I sent some of it home, its a good thing they vacuume seal it). There was a shoppe that had their gelato voted the best gelato in the world in a world gelato championship for two years, Donatellos, and indeed it was very tasty! I had one that was purple, and it was a ricotta base with berried, totally amazing!! That night Marco and I went to a resturant to get some pizza and beer and then walk around Siena by night. He gave me a tour and I liked a lot of the places better at night- they were lit up and also the crowds were gone. Siena is famous for a big horse race and I saw where they were building the area for the party for the section of town that won (like a big block party). Also, I found my favorite plazza in Siena (the name was very long, it had the name of three people in it..Bindi being one of them) but that small square was so beautiful!) Words cannot describe how lovely it was! It was like I was back in the Mideival times.
FLORENCE
Friday morning I went to Firenze for the day (Florence). It is very useful that at the train station you can check your bag, it made walking around in the town a lot more enjoyable. Florence is a beautiful town, but a lot bigger than the last ones I have been in! A lot to see, but because I had limited time, I went to the visitors office and the lady there gave me a map and a suggested route to see some of the more famous things in just a day. Every town has a lot of piazzas, churches, and cathedrals. The main cathedral here was spectacular-Cathedral di Saint Maria del Flore- very large and the design and pattern of it was captivating. My favorite was the panoramic view that you get to by taking bus 12 to the top of the hill to the Michealangelo piazza. Up there as well was a recreation of the famous statue of David. I saw the Piazza della Signore and the Palazzo Vecchio, my favorite bridge area so far. The Basillica di Santa Croce was next, then I proceeded to Piazza Pitti which had a gallery and was near to the school area. The Basillica San Spirito was a smaller square with less people, a chrch, and a market. It was a ncie area to sit and take a rest- I have been doing lots of walking and touring!! After that I went to the Basilica si Saint Maria Novella and the main square. I headed from there to the grocery store to buy some dinner and have it before taking the train to Rome!
OFF TO ROME....
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