Italy Day 3 – Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa (Oct 1st)
Ciao Florence!
Day 3 was a tour of Tuscany — three cities in one day.
We were supposed to report by 7:10, and the bus started at 7:30 with around 75 people on board, two tour guides, and a wonderful driver.
We went straight to the city of Siena. These tour companies have a system — the guide takes you to a spot, explains what to do in the city, and shows a board with the time to meet again.
In Siena, we had a local guide who took us on a city tour. We heard some history, what’s relevant now, and how things work there. We went to the city center and the cathedral, which was extremely beautiful, with lots of artwork on the walls and even on the floor.
The main street was full of shops selling tourist stuff. Looks like the tourist season never ends — dozens of buses come every day. People walk around, shop, and enjoy the city. We didn’t get time to go deep inside Siena.
The next stop was lunch at a winery. Everything was already set up when we got there. The tour guide explained a few things about the wine and grapes. The guy from the winery met us at the gate. The tables were already set with plates and glasses of wine. He explained the different varieties.
The appetizers were a couple of slices of meat, a slice of cheese, and a bowl of salad — just enough to learn about pairing with wine. Then came pasta with a simple meat sauce, which was really tasty. We also tasted their olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Dessert was biscotti.
It wasn’t a huge lunch, just enough to make you want a bit more. Another family had two young kids, and the dad had a great time drinking the kids’ wine. I would’ve loved to do the same!
From the winery, we went to a medieval town — San Gimignano. It’s an old town with a lot of stone buildings and a big piazza. I talked to a shopkeeper girl who said not much happens once the tourist season is over.
Siena and San Gimignano - the bus/car remain outside the city wall so be prepared to walk - a LOT :)
We stayed there for about an hour and then drove to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower. We had plenty of time to take pictures and walk around. Again, the same story — lots of tourists and many shops selling souvenirs. Pisa was underwhelming for me. I would have loved more time in Siena and San Gimignano than going to Pisa. The leaning tower is just a building. We didn’t go up top.
If you ever go to Pisa, instead of paying a dollar to use the toilet, just go to the McDonald’s outside — buy something, and you can use their restroom.
Keep some snack with you. You will be in the bus for a long time, around 280 KMs and lot of walking.
I would highly recommend this tour as doing on its own will be tough.
We got back to Florence around 8:30 PM after a long day. We ate, walked around the Duomo area, and had another serving of tiramisu.
The tour - https://www.ciaoflorence.it/en/tour-detail/13
Wine Window
https://www.eatingeurope.com/blog/wine-window-florence/
Piazzale Montelungo Bus Terminal The meeting point for the tour.
I had a fabulous cappuccino early morning right outside our hotel, my acid reflux kicked in so I needed something to eat. Mr Husband bought 2 banana's from this shop - Most expensive bananas till date - he paid 3 Euro :) lesson learnt - carry something in the back - always- Even in Italy
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