It’s a chilly, drizzly fall day in Florence. Not the best day for a day trip to Siena, but we’re going anyway. And to make the trip just a little more scenic, we’re going to take the local bus to get there. If the cloudy skies behave themselves, it should be an interesting day.
It didn’t take long for things to get interesting. I thought my pretty-good-for-a-tourist italian would serve me well enough at the bus station, but once we were there, figuring out what to do there wasn’t so easy.
People working at airport ticket counters usually speak multiple languages. Apparently that’s not the case at the bus station. And there were a surprising number of options for getting from Florence to Siena by bus. I should have done my homework.
Somehow we managed to buy two tickets. Somehow we found the right bus, and somehow it started heading south towards Siena.
Bus Ride to Siena
The bus wasn’t fancy, but it was comfortable. There’s a big difference being on “tourist” transportation compared to local transportation. Tourist transportation is more comfortable. Local transportation is likely to be more interesting and more fun.
Our bus tootled along, stopping at little towns where a person or two would get on or off. We saw tiny towns, farms, fields, and all kinds of sights we’d have never seen if we’d been cruising down the Autostrada.
After an hour or so we could see Siena off in the distance. Really neat. It’s a majestic-looking city.
Siena
Back in the day, Siena and Florence were rival city-states, often fighting each other. These days, their soccer teams do most of the fighting. (Or perhaps their soccer fans).
When we arrived, it was still drizzling. That’s OK. We brought the umbrellas I bought in Venice. I bought them from an enterprising young umbrella vendor at the exact moment that a deluge stopped. (Remember?)
The bus driver dropped us off at a bus stop. He told us we could catch the bus back to Florence right there. I’m pretty sure that’s what he said. Hope so!
We walked around for a while, exploring Siena’s warren of curvy walk-streets. The town has a medieval feel. Even with nice stores, shop windows, and cafes, it seems like this place couldn’t have looked much different 500 years ago.
We saw a lady with two cute little dachshunds, appropriately attired for the drizzly weather. Where I come from, we call ’em weenie dogs. I wanted to know what they call them here. Salami dogs? But I was advised that it would be less embarrassing for all involved to keep my question to myself.
Siena is a great example of a modern-day town that has managed to hang onto it’s medieval character. The heart of Siena its shell-shaped public square, Piazza del Campo.
The Palio di Siena
Siena comes alive twice each year when it holds its famous Palio di Siena. The palio is a horse race held right here. And I do mean right here. Riders in medieval regalia race around the edges of Piazza del Campo(!). They compete for prizes and bragging rights. It’s neighborhood against neighborhood. It’s a huge event.
We haven’t been to the Palio di Siena, but we’ve been to the Palio di Alba. Little Alba, located in Piedmont, created its answer to the Palio di Siena and the Palio di Asti, it’s more famous neighbor. In Alba, they race donkeys instead of horses. It’s a blast.
We were hungry again, (how is this possible?), so we stepped into a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant for lunch. It was chilly and drizzly outside, but inside it was warm and cozy. Almost like we were in someone’s living room.
OK – someone’s crowded living room. The tiny restaurant was packed. Seemed like everyone was glad to be inside getting the chill off their bones.
Ribollita
This was a perfect day to try a kind of soup that’s one of this region’s specialties. It’s called ribollita. The word translates to something like “reboiled.” Sounds a lot better in italian, eh? No surprise. EVERYTHING sounds better in italian.
The recipe varies, but ribollita is usually made from vegetables, beans, and bread. Italian mammas used to make it from the previous day’s minestrone, bread, and any other leftovers than might be handy. They threw in some extra garlic and herbs, reheated everything, and presto! Ribollita!
Thinking about it today, I got motivated and made some myself. I used a recipe from The Mediterranean Dish. This particular recipe calls for tearing up bread into rough pieces, tossing it in olive oil, and toasting it in the oven. Nice!
I forgot to buy kale at the store, but I had Swiss chard on hand, so in keeping with the ribollita use-what-you’ve-got idea, I threw it in. The ribollita turned out great. So good! Thank you Suzy at The Mediterranean Dish!
OK. Let’s take a break. We’ll get back to Siena next week.
To be continued…
