Siena

Florence and Siena are opposites. The history is, they used to be competing towns until Florence rose supreme and Siena was left to stew in their renaissance obscurity. Their loss is our gain. Siena may not have the museums and popularity of Florence, but it has all of the Tuscan charm Florence lacks. A small walled city, Siena is nearly an entire pedestrian zone. Except for some rowdy motorbikes, it was nice to be able to relax. 

Each hostel experience is different from the last. I've been in small hostels with only ten or fifteen beds and a very personable hostel owner. I've stayed at hostels that are so big, they might as well be a Double Tree. This is one of the times where the hostel was big and I was lucky enough to be in a room by myself. I really needed to the space to get organized for Rome. 

Siena was a bit more upscale than I expected. The Via del Banco, the main street that leads into the heart of Siena, the Del Campo, is a bustling street of expensive shops. Many are designer. I have also heard that it is a university town, but I saw mostly high schoolers. It's a nice place to hang out when the weather is nice, so many families and teens will take the bus in and spend the afternoon. I saw a few churches, a few museums, and walked around the whole city, but mostly, I relaxed, ate gelato, and read a book. It was sunny enough that I actually got sunburned! 

In my time in Tuscany, I also did a day trip out to Pisa and Lucca. I got up early and got to Pisa. Two things that surprised me about the leaning tower: how small it was and how cool it was. I've grown up seeing pictures of it all my life, I thought it wouldn't be that special. But it was so weird! It seems so unnatural. You could go in but I think the cool part is probably the outside so I didn't. 

Lucca was pretty cute. There was even less to do than in Siena but a quaint stop none the less. 

Siena was a place to enjoy the renaissance in a less intense city. I would definitely recommend spending at least a day in Siena if you are doing an extended trip through Italy. Some do Florence with a day trip to Siena but I would flip that. Make Siena your home base in Tuscany, and then do day trips to Pisa, Lucca, and Florence. All are short trains away.

Half of my journey from Siena to Rome was in a bus, so I got to enjoy the rolling Tuscan countryside. 

Time to trade the peaceful tuscany for the hectic and culture-drenched Rome!