All my life I’ve wanted to see Florence….and was thrilled to finally make it there recently. My best friend and I flew from London to Pisa for a five day break, using excellent trains and buses (did you know that bus tickets in Tuscany are cheaper if you buy from a newstand or small shop?)
We  spent a day in Pisa – not long enough, it is worth a longer stay –  and two days in Siena before arriving at the famous city, where we gasped at David (the original) and strolled until we dropped, stopping off for huge ice creams, of course!
It was Siena that captured my heart, though. Â It is even better than Florence!
This is where Il Palio horse race takes place twice a year, around the edge of the square. Bareback riders wear the colours of their district and the crowds watch from the centre.
La Prosciutteria di Siena: this restaurant is a fun place to eat, but make sure you have enough euros for a meal with a recommended wine: it will be worth the cost!
In the Ospedale Santa Caterina museum you can see the beautiful painted ceilings the in patients could look up at while recovering.
For me, the highlight of the visit was this exquisite Tito Sarrocchi sculpture of a child – possibly one of the hospital orphans – gazing into the eyes of …. her father? a another patient? her rescuer? So much love expressed, carved out of stone!
