Today was such an extraordinary day! But then again, the past 3 days were just as extraordinary… It kind of started slow, with a 3 hour bus ride to Siena & San Gimignano, but it was well worth the trip! Riding the bus through the countryside was so beautiful; like a landscape painting made reality. Full of different shades of green with bright houses dotting the fields. It’s amazing to know that these fields haven’t changed, that they looked the same in the period of the Medieval Ages.

After 3 long hours, we finally arrive in Siena – a quaint little town, built on 3 large hills. We started off at a church dedicated to the Saint Catherine. Although, she was never technically made a nun, she as lived one and made a huge difference in the Catholic church. She was a beloved, respected women and a healer to all who came her way. The church’s original structure is still intact with more recent renovations – such as, the roof and ceiling of the church, which had to be replaced due to a fire.  They were so dedicated to her, that her mummified thumb and face are on display for all to see! After leaving Santa Catarina’s church, we walked around some more while our tour guide Fernanda explained to us various locations. I loved how Siena is divided into 17 different districts; each with its own symbol, such as unicorn and dragon, to represent it. When citizens are born, they are baptized twice – once for the church and second for their district. This tradition has been going on for centuries and is still occurring till this day! It helps create a great sense of pride among the citizens of Siena. Although, there were many interesting and beautiful things we saw and learned about, the best of it all was The Cathedral. Words do not do this work of architecture justice, it is the epitome of Italian Gothic. The amount of detail that went into this magnificent church is unbelievable , I mean they took 250 years just to complete the floor! The Cathedral is one reason (among many) to come to Italy. Afterwards, we left and headed back to our bus to go to San Gimignano  – a medieval town frozen in time. The town is divided into 2 – the medieval portion, where only 1,000 people live, and the outside portion. This medieval town had originally 72 towers looking over it, but now there’s only 14 remaining.

We walked around for a little and had time to shop! This was our first time to actually shop! I went crazy, with all the nick-knacks and goodies – I got to eat the world’s best gelatin (which it was!) and buy gifts for my family. We finished the day off in Florence with a real Tuscany cuisine – it had to be the best food I’ve eaten so far! I think…. Well, everybody’s off exploring, so I think i should go too! Until next time!  🙂