This past weekend, CEA planned a daytrip to Siena, Italy for all of the students studying in Florence. Excursions, like this one, are included in the cost of the program. Therefore, I try and take advantage of all that there is to offer. I wasn’t very familiar with the city Siena, besides the fact that my Italian teacher is from there and seems to love it! The forecast for the day was not promising, but my friends and I were still excited to explore the city.
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| Tourists exploring the city in the rain |
I always seem to have the worst luck with weather wherever I go. This day was no different from most. As soon as we arrived in Siena it began to downpour. It was a pretty view from the bus, but once we were summoned off, that’s when the real fun started. Four hours in the pouring rain, and I can now call my umbrella my best friend! Just kidding, no matter the weather conditions, I truly enjoyed this trip and was amazed at all of the history that lies in Siena.
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| Inside one of the many churches in Siena |
We first stopped for coffee, which is always a necessity for me! We were then led on a guided tour throughout this city. We had lanyards with headphones attached in order to hear the tour guide at all times. I felt like this tour was straight out of the Lizzie McGuire movie with the headsets! So fun!
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| The Fonte Gaia at the Piazza del Campo |
Siena was the first European city to limit motor traffic in the historic center of the city. This makes it very easy to explore by foot. We visited San Domenico, Piazza del Campo, one of the famous Contrade and a cathedral. The city is set on three hills and filled with winding streets and alleyways. The architecture and medieval brick buildings were interesting to see.
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| The ceiling inside of Siena Cathedral |
After the tour was finished, we had free time to grab lunch, shop, and wander around Siena. Me and some of my friends stumbled upon a small restaurant just a few minutes from the center of the city. We ordered homemade pasta and it was incredible! We then did some shopping and wandered through the city. As the day came to an end and it continued to rain, we headed back to our bus. Overall, I enjoyed learning about Siena and had no idea about the history behind this city!
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| The beautiful Siena Cathedral |
Samara R. is the Spring 2017 MOJO Blogger in Florence, Italy. She is currently a Junior studying Retailing & Consumer Sciences at University of Arizona.
