Our tour plans continue to be at the mercy of the unsettled weather here in Tuscany. We are a long way from the flooding in the north that is making worldwide news but close enough to feel the effects of the incoming climatic conditions. The locals all call it unusual and rainy, but for us it is more like the intermittent showers of home that are just enough to get you wet unless you are finding the ¨holes¨ in the clouds. Today was no exception and a backup plan was required.
We woke up to showery weather at it was still wet at 8 am when we went for our breakfast. By 10 am the skies were overcast but dry. Weather forecasts suggested that there would be light rain all day but this dry spell looked like a solid window. The plan was hatched. We would ride about 10 kms to the nearby town of Poggiobonsi where there is a train service that would take us to our destination of Siena. If the weather continued to improve, we would ride the remaining 30 KMs as planned.
It was hard to find Il Nido di Anna with no clear sign but it is a nice place to stay. Time to load up as we have hit a dry spell. As you can see, the road is still damp.
First decision point. We had planned to take this road but one look at the conditions of the dirt track had us in a quick huddle and we decided to stick to the paved road.
The ride to Poggobonsi was dry and really quite nice but two kilometres out from the town the heavy drizzle started. We decided to follow signs into the centro where we would likely locate the train station. The monitor in the station indicated that the next train to Siena was in 45 minutes and looking outside we knew that we could wait an hour for the rain to pass or hop on the train. Knowing that the Siena forecast indicated rain between 1 and 4 pm, we bought two tickets for travel with bikes to Siena. Just not willing to chance the on again off again weather.
The elevators at the train stations in Italy are just right for one person and a Bike Friday. A full size bike would be a tight squeeze.
We now know to ask for the bike car. We found it at the back of the train and three big steps up! Fortunately, with both of us we can lift one bike at a time. This is the car for wheelchair users, too. They must have a special ramp. Storage inside was actually in the train operator`s space if the train was going in the other direction. We are missing the regional trains in Milan!
After a 30 minute train ride heading south we left the Siena train station in dry conditions. We knew that Siena was a large center as we passed the long line of car traffic as we took to the sidewalks zig-zagging up the hill into town. Reaching the top we entered the historic city via Porta Camolla. We slowly coasted our bikes at a snail`s pace down the main street in the walled city. Two city police officers stopped us and asked us in perfect English, ¨did we not see the signs?¨ This was a one way street and we needed to walk our bikes as we were going in the wrong direction. Further, the next street was pedestrian only and there is no riding in either direction. Of course we complied!
Locating our hotel was again tricky with the roads in the old section of Siena heading off in all directions. We likely passed it a few times before we finally found it. The Albergo Cannon d'Oro was a bit run down but it was in a good central location. Taking advantage of its location, we headed out to see the sights in Siena.
Siena is in the heart of Tuscany and is a UNESCO world heritage center. From UNESCO, ¨Taking into account its present-day state of conservation and its historical authenticity, it has to be said that Siena is a rare example of a medieval historic town of this size. This can be explained in part by the fact that the city did not suffer serious war damage and has been spared from modern industrial development in part because it remains outside the country’s large development areas.¨
Even with the showery conditions there were many visitors in Siena. We felt that we just scratched the surface of seeing Siena as its monuments are really of a grand scale and would take more time than we had to fully explore them.
Picture from the web but how exiting it would be to see the The Palio di Siena. It is held twice each year, on 2 July and 16 August in the Piazza del Campo pictured above. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten city wards.
Scott AndersonWhat an amazing photograph! Not that I’d want to bike here in midsummer, but I wonder how fare in advance you’d have to book a room to be here at the right time. Reply to this comment 10 months ago
The Torre del Mangia was built in 1338-1348. it is located in the Piazza del Campo. When built, it was one of the tallest secular towers in medieval Italy.
Siena is a university town and where there are students......... well don`t ask. We tried. They were celebrating freedom day or something. There we at least six cars modified like this with an upper deck.
We headed out for dinner with a restaurant in mind. When we arrived, there was a group of people standing outside waiting for it to open. I poked my head in the door and was told that they would be full tonight. We were a bit concerned and went up the next street ready to take anything as it was Friday night and we did not have a reservation in a busy town. But we were quickly ushered inside with our pick of the tables. Now we wondered if the place was any good. It was great. Excellent service and excellent food. As it turned out, shortly after we arrived they were turning away anyone without a reservation. The lesson here is if you do not have a reservation - start early.
Another version of of Tiramisu. This one is called limoncello and comes with a shot of the yellow liquour. The waiter had quite a sense of humour with the spoon that he provided for Scott. And yes, it too was delicious!
