Tuscan Treasures Tour: Day 7

Wednesday, June 12: American Cemetery, Siena, Wine-Tasting

Another 8am departure with our first stop at the Florence American Cemetery, which was not only sobering and tranquil but also beautiful. I was particularly struck by the parts that honor the Jewish members of the military who were killed in Italy, including the tablets in the chapel and the six-sided star grave markers.

Our primary morning destination was Siena, where we had a fabulous tour with local guide Alessia, from the Porcupine contrada. We began with a visit to a church honoring a female saint, including her relics. She was very devout and somehow convinced the Pop to relocate from Avignon to Rome, which is one of the reasons she is revered as a saint. We then continued on to the primary cathedral, with its stunning black and white decorations and intricate floor mosaics. 

As we walked through the city, Alessia regaled us with stories about the 17 contrade or neighborhoods, which give everyone a very strong sense of identity. A resident's contrada is determined by their birthplace, and each contrada has multiple parties throughout the year, with the flags and light fixtures in the streets displaying their colors. While we toured the city, we could notice that we had crossed a contrada's boundaries by the change in display flags.

Our tour ended in the famous Piazza del Campo, the bowl-shaped main square where the Palio horse race is run each year. It's hard to imagine how that area can host racing horses and spectators, especially during the warm summer months!

Lunch was on our own, and we found a great spot overlooking the Piazza. I had a wonderful insalata a la nizzarda, and then Mr. E and I headed off to explore a bit on our own while L perched in the Campo in the shade. We discovered an amazing viccolo with narrow alley access to several residences. The city is so charming and beautiful (and hilly!), not nearly as crowded as Florence, and I'd definitely like to return to spend more time here, including to climb the campanile in the Campo to get a panoramic view over the surrounding area.

The afternoon activity was a wine-tasting in Chianti at the Rocca delle Macie, symbolized by the black rooster. We preferred the Riserva to the Gran Selezione and purchased a few bottles to enjoy during the rest of the trip. Let's hope we can find these wines back in CA, too!

Unfortunately, the traffic on our way back to the hotel was horrendous, resulting in a rather late arrival. I was starting to have a mild migraine as well, so I once again opted to skip dinner due to the time and get some additional rest instead.