Siena’s impressive “Campo,” with the historic city palace and today’s town hall at the bottom of a pie-shaped square. This is the setting for the famous “Palio,” a horse race between the various Contradas, or districts, of Siena.
Visiting one of Tuscany’s most beautiful places on a hot day in June requires some creativity and planning. First – find a place to park that is not too far of a walk from the city center. With help from the hosts at our luxury villa hotel outside of Montepulciano, check.
On this visit I had a family of four, including Colleen and Don on their seventh trip with European Focus Private Tours. Also on this tour was their daughter Mary, on her third trip, and her husband Jeff, an EF first timer.
We ambled into the city center, helped up to the top of the hill by a series of escalators leading from the street level where the parking lot is located.
Once at the top, it was time for lunch. How to find a place that is authentic and not a tourist trap? I use Trip Advisor and Google Maps, selecting places that rate at least a 4.6 out of 5. I have found these sources to be reliably accurate. We had lovely fresh salads and thin crust pizza – delicioso!
Siena is built of stone and brick and so it radiates heat like an oven. June is one of those months when it can be beastly hot or “just hot.” We had a day that was “just hot.” Staying in the shadows as much as possible, a visit into the amazingly beautiful cathedral provided a respite from the sun as well as a gorgeous and unique interior. No, my tours are not stumbling from one church to another. I carefully select churches and cathedrals based on their originality and uniqueness. And yes, it is possible to do a tour and not enter one single church! That’s the beauty of your customized, private tour.
Back to Montepulciano after our relaxed exploration of Siena with the rest of the afternoon dedicated to pool and relaxation time until a summer thunderstorm chased us all inside.
Enjoy the photos below, and see you in Bella Italia!
Staying in the cool shadows as much as possible
Beautiful Siena. Who remembers the crayon “Burnt Siena” in their coloring box?
Stay hydrated! In Italy, there are public fountains everywhere. Bring your water bottle and take advantage of this cold, fresh water.
The magnificent 14th century cathedral, expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries.