Siena

One of the best parts about staying in Florence is that it is a great hub to take day trips out of. We took advantage of this two different times and were so glad we did! Our first day trip was to Siena. It was an easy trip as we actually were able to take a quick bus ride there and back. It was really nice to get a feel for a smaller city life. Unfortunately, it was a bit chilly for us as it rained off and on, but we still managed to make the most out of our time there.

On the bus...

An early morning called for "breakfast on the go" (delicious pastries)...we actually enjoyed our breakfast so much that we went back and ate there the next morning too.

Arriving at the bus station in Siena

This is a picture of the Piazza de Campro (the town square). One of the oldest horse races (called Palio di Siena) takes place on the outside of this square every year in July and August. The square is jammed packed with people and it a HUGE competition in Siena. It is an extremely dangerous race for the horse as well as the jockey. We actually you tubed it and watched the race, and it was pure chaos as there wasn't many rules. Once hearing about this (and then seeing it on the computer), this quickly became my brother's favorite city...he even joked about returning to watch this race one day.

Paul and Micah playing in the rain...while the rest of us warmed up in a little cafe. Micah loved running through this town square because it dips down like a bowl.

After playing hard in the rain, the boys finally came into the cafe to get warm and drink some hot chocolate.

The Gaia Fountain (gaia means "joyful")

Inside the Siena Cathedral (Duomo). It is supposedly one of the best in all of Italy.