Kiyana Travels : Daytrip

I like to do things as they come up and as I feel like when it comes to experiencing new things but I'll be the first to admit that sometimes not doing some research or previous planning can turn into a slight problem. Thankfully my roommate Catie, who I completely love and adore, is a planner. She has this awesome guidebook on Italy that I highly suggest looking into if you're coming to Italy, student or not, that she has been reading. She was looking through the Siena section one night and was telling me all of these facts and info. It all sounded so wonderful that Catie, Dada our housemate, and I decided we had to take a day trip there. The train tickets from Santa Maria Novella here in Florence were very reasonable for city hopping, only about 8 euros each way.

From left to right: Catie, me, Dada, Juliet,

*Note: Whether you are taking the bus or train here in Italy, be sure to validate your tickets. All you do is find the validation machine near the platform for your train or on the bus and then slide your ticket in. If you do not validate it before boarding and they check your tickets, you will be fined regardless if you knew how to get it validated or not. The tickets range from 40 euros to up to a couple hundred.

That morning we hauled ass to our train, literally full on sprinting because of the massive lines. But we made it and found great seats. If you are debating between busing it or taking the train to Siena let me tell you the train should be your only option. Comfortable, air conditioned, and faster, PLUS incredible views you will not be able to see while crammed on a bus. The ride was only about an hour from Florence which seemed like nothing at all as the three of us took in the sights and talked story. When we arrived at the station in Siena we hit a speed bump as we could not figure out how to get out of the station. The station was multi-leveled and we could not figure out how to get to the main exit that leads to the center of the city. We asked a friendly shopkeeper in the station but he switched the word "up" with "down" and had us frustratingly walking on the wrong levels. But eventually we figured out where we needed to be and made our way towards the center of the city.

Walking around Siena is like time traveling. The city is like a medieval time capsule and so full of character. The buildings are old in such a beautiful way and practically on every street there is a church patiently waiting for visitors to come in and be completely floored by the art and architecture it has been preserving for years and years. The feel of the city is so different from Florence as well. There are no pushy street vendors trying to sell you things and the pace of the city is so much more relaxed. However, Siena is built on hills so be prepared. It's completely worth it but do yourself a favor and wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Don't be that person who's holding everyone up because you're hobbling up the hill in stilettos or not yet broken in shoes. Siena is made up of different contradas or communities which each have a own district identity. Twice every year in June and August, Siena holds the Palio which is a horse race around the main Piazza del Campo where each contrada has a jockey representative.

Though I wish I could have seen the Palio we did happen to visit Siena at the perfect time. In September and October the marble floors of the Siena Cathedral are on display. During the rest of the year it is covered to protect and preserve the magnificent works of art from being trampled by the traffic of tourists. The Cathedral is a gothic masterpiece and is home to the oldest piece of stained glass in Italy. I love gothic architecture because there is so much detail and such an elegance to everything. If you spend money on anything in Siena I highly recommend the entrance fee to the Cathedral. We also happened to get caught in the middle of a welcoming festival that each of the contrade held to baptize the new members and essentially induct them into the community. The one we spent time in was the Nobile Contrada dell'Aquila or the Noble Contrada of the Eagle. Every member of the community wore their flag and gathered in the contrada center piazza. A small parade ushered the beginning of ceremony complete with flag bearers in traditional garb and a drummer leading the way. Each new member was called and brought forward by a member of the community, received their own flag and were baptized. It was such a cool event to witness. As we walked around after the ceremony in the Nobile Contrada dell'Aquila we could hear the drums of the other contrade ceremonies. Siena is wonderful and I would jump at the chance to go back and visit.