Today we had a great experience, traveling to cities other than Florence, where we are staying. We traveled by bus and explored Siena and San Gimignano. In Siena we visited the (church) where St.Catherine went and prayed. As a peacemaker, she contributed much to the city and to the world. After her death her head and right thumb were preserved and covered with clay, to display in luxurious cases in the church. We also visited the Cathedral of Siena, the Duomo, where we saw many different altars, pieces of art, and religious sculptures. Walking into the cathedral, parts of the beautiful marble floor of the cathedral were sectioned off to prevent people from walking on them so that their beauty can be preserved for many more years. This church, with its unique designs and colors, had a very different feel than the others we saw.
When we traveled to San Gimignano, we first ate on the top of a hill at Fattoria Poggio Alloro, a very beautiful organic family farm and restaurant. We really enjoyed eating the fresh, homemade Italian pasta, bread, olive oils, and dessert. Most of all we enjoyed the view of the hills and valleys and in the distance, the towers of San Gimignano! This really gave us a warm and homey feel for the countryside of Italy. After lunch we walked through San Gimignano and were able to spend some time shopping. We really enjoyed the locals shops selling homemade gifts and crafts. We loved the homemade leather shops for which Italy is famous. Also the”World’s Famous Gelato” line was out the door, so we of course had to wait our turn! Today was such a great experience and we were all glad we got to travel out of Florence and experience a little bit of Italy’s country side.