A Counselor's View of Italy 2016: Siena

Today we were all excited for Siena. We heard wonderful things about this medieval town. We eagerly boarded the bus knowing there would be a rest stop half way at a pastry bar and shoe store! We were told we had roughly 40-45 minutes for this very brief pit stop. As Paul (our host at Casa Cares) frequently says, pit stops are for “emptying out and filling up” and if we wanted to do some shopping we had to do so quickly. Challenge accepted. I was on a mission to find nice shoes from Italy and I was so excited. I ran through the store quickly scanning all they had to offer and easily found 10 pairs of shoes I would have loved to take home. Sadly, due to limited suitcase space 10 won’t work. Instead, I now have three beautiful new pairs of quality shoes to call my own! I found a pair of Birkenstock sandals (which I immediately changed into for comfort), a pair of leather ankle boots, and an adorable pair of platform sandals. From what I hear, the look on my face after making this purchase was one of pure joy that others found amusing. I surely was joyful—I am a lover of shoes. :)

Learning about the town flags and horse race

I could easily end the blog entry there, because my day was complete, but the day continued to get better and better. After another short bus ride and we were in Siena. Let me tell you, Siena is such a gorgeous town. The bus dropped us off at the Fortezza, a wall that was built to protect the city. A short walk around the wall and we were met our tour guide, Roberta. During our 2-hour tour we learned about Saint Catherine, a Siena native who is the patron saint of Rome and Italy. St. Catherine had a habit of fasting (some believed it to be anorexia) which caused her to be so undernourished that she would often faint and have visions of God. We saw St. Catherine’s right thumb and head which are preserved in the San Dominico church. By some miracle, her thumb had never really decomposed and evidently still has skin on it. It looked like it was made of wood to me. People visit these relics in hopes of also having visions from God. Our tour continued through the winding and hilly streets of Siena. The city was absolutely stunning. After the tour finished, we were free to wander for several hours before the bus left for Casa Cares. We asked Roberta for a restaurant recommendation and we had the most delicious lunch!

Roberta showing us where to eat lunch.

Just a few blocks from the center piazza, we had a delightful lunch filled with salads, pastas, meat, and vegetables. We also were so surprised by our server’s wine recommendation. My next mission is to find this wine and bring a bottle of it home. It was a 2012 Tuscan wine with “Ebo” on the label. After our near 2-hour lunch, we wandered around the city and did some more shopping. We eventually found our way back to the bus and headed back to Casa Cares.

So far, Siena has been my favorite city. I loved the charm of the winding roads and hills with picturesque views when you catch a glimpse over the rooftops. It’s the kind of place you imagine romantic comedies are filmed. You can also imagine what it might have been like to live in Siena hundreds of years ago. The history is palpable and you just want to absorb as much of it as possible.