Siena, Italy

I spent the first part of my midterm break in Siena, Italy- a small Medieval Tuscan town.  After flying into Florence on a Meridiana flight, I caught a €6.50 bus into the Piazza Gramsci, on top of Siena's main hill.  From there, I met up with Cameron Moss and Anna Jones, two other Wofford students who are studying abroad with IES in the Siena program.  This was my first trip to Italy and it lived up to (and beyond) my expectations...

After just 24 hours in the town, I had my bearings and a sense of the layout- which was a refreshing change from palatial London.  We cooked our dinners at their apartment, just of the Piazza del Campo (An amazing central location): fresh pasta, bruschetta, cheese, etc...  

I arrived late Wednesday afternoon and so we did the bulk of our exploring on Thursday and Friday.  On Thursday, I joined Anna's Black Plague Case Study in the afternoon.  We climbed up a church tower (not sure of the relevance, but I went along with it) and enjoyed a gorgeous view of Siena and the Tuscan countryside.  After her class, we walked along the medieval walls on the outskirts of the town (once used for protection against enemies). We ate at their apartment with their South African roommate, Rom, and then headed to The Tea Room to catch some live music.  Two middle-aged Italian men serenaded us as we enjoyed the BEST hot chocolate that I have ever tasted!

On Friday, we walked along the main road that leads outside of the city and went to a food co-op to gather supplies for a hearty Italian dinner (#3 of my trip).  Overall, it was a very low key and relaxing trip- just what the Doctor ordered!