Travel Story «Sienna, San Gimingano, Venice!»

Italy | 0 Comments 27 October 2008 - Last Update 03 November 2008

Ciao Tutti!

As usual my update is over due! So instead of one city you get three!  Last weekend I want to sienna and San Gimingano, down in the heart of chianti!  The two cities are very different but equally lovely!

Sienna is a bit like a smaller Florence.  its chill and the streets are small, but tis still a bit touristy.  I went to visit two different churches, the main cathedral and the church that houses St. Catherine's relics.  Yes I have already seen too many churches to remember all their names!  I have to admit, i'm becoming a fan of St. Catherine.  I don't know if its just that she is a semi-local saint so her image is everywhere, or if i just like the idea of a women telling the pope what to do... but seeing her relics was way cool!  The main Duomo of Siena is absolutly georgous! Its incredibly gothic for a church this far south but every inch is covered in beautiful decoration!  I also got to see the colors of all the different neighborhoods on parade.  Little boys in period costumes with drums and flags... too cute! Sienna has a crazy hourse race every year in the center octagon and each neighborhood has a racer.

From there we went to san gimingano.  Some of the best wine in chianti comes from this small town, but we went to see the church and all the towers! The city, still surrounded by midieval walls, is filled with tower houses! It like a middle ages version of NY! Too cute! And a photographers dream come true!

This weekend i went to venice! It was love at first sight! between the canals, the boats, the east meets west architecture, and the sweet modern art gallery, the city was a breath of fresh air!  I barely saw any renissance art and it was suprisingly refreshing.  the only catch was that venicians don't like anyone who isn't venician and they speak a dialect that is almost not italian.  I couldn't even understand them when the were rude to me but for the tone of voice! No worries though, while i was so close, a few of my classmates and I ventured out of the city to padua.  Padua has one of the most beautiful chapels in the world, Giotto's arena chapel! It was heaven for 15 minutes, that as long at the would let me stay in!  I can't even begin to tell you how exciting and surreal it was to stand in the arena chapel! words don't even begin!

thats all for now, germania next weekend!