After two weeks Florence felt like home. But it was time to move on so we rented a Nissan Micra (surprise - Hertz had the best rates!) and headed off to see Italy.
Siena was a rival to both Florence and Venice in the Middle Ages, eventually falling to the former, with a little help from their French allies. The Black Plague made certain that Siena didn't rise again. Its population today, 60,000, is the same as it was in the Thirteenth Century. Except for some restaurants and tourist shops, the rest of Siena hasn't changed much either. It is ancient and charming but just didn't have the vibe of Florence. That probably changes during the annual "palio," when Il Campo is crowded with neighborhood teams waving flags and racing horses around the piazza.
The Duomo, though less well-known than the one in Florence, is more impressive. The marble floors alone took over 200 years to complete. And there is another statue by Michelangelo, St. Paul, plus a work by Donatello. All streets seem to go uphill to the Duomo, but finding your way down to the correct porte isn't easy. We always knew where we were in Florence; after only two hours in Siena we were hopelessly confused.
