Day 10 – May 29, 2025 – Venice to Siena, Italy
We were up fairly early, so we had light breakfast and finished the rest of the packing and we were on our way to the train station. We grabbed a sandwich for both of us and boarded the train. The train from Venice to Florence is about 2 hours and we had first class seats, which and nice and even better is that they were in the quiet section. In that section, you are not allowed to talk loudly or be on your phone for calls, etc. As I’ve said before, nothing annoys me more than for someone to be on their phone face-timing and I have to listen to both sides of a conversation, usually in a foreign language and always loud.
We made it to Florence, then had to wait about 15 minutes before the platform was posted for our train to Siena. On this train, everyone just grabs a seat wherever, so we took our seats and waited to leave. It was very hot on this train, and it amazed me to see so many people with long sleeves and coats on. Luckily, I had our printed-out train tickets so I was able to fan myself with that. From Florence to Siena 1 ½ hours so between the heat, the small seats and then a couple with a small crying child sitting behind us, I was ready for a drink, lol!
We made it to the Siena train station and our host, Duccio, was there to meet us and help with the luggage. He always picks up his guests from the train station, which is a nice gesture. It was about a 15-minute drive from the train station to the BNB, which is located within the walls of the city. They have very strict rules regarding parking regardless of if you are a resident or not and it seems very complicated, so glad we don’t have to worry about that.
We arrived at our BNB, got the tour, then did some unpacking and decided to grab some groceries first. I will tell you, our view from our patio is GORGEOUS, and it is also located in a great area! After unloading the groceries, we just walked around awhile as most of the day was spent sitting. Our host recommened a few places to eat, but most would need reservations so we just decided to pick something. We headed towards the Piazza del Campo area that is a touristy spot, but with great views. We know the food might not be the best, but the scenery is wonderful and it’s also a great place for people watching. We chose La Speranza and started with a three-cheese plate with jelly/honey and bread. I got beef with a side salad, which was okay, but I’ve had better and John pasta cacio e pepe, which he really liked. We ended with a Sienese dessert, which was some sort of confection that had a hard chocolate shell with cocoa powder over the top and something creamy with chucks of stuff on the inside. We didn’t get the name of it, but it was good, lol!
We headed back to the BNB to settle in for the evening and sit on our back patio to enjoy the view. Tomorrow, we have a private tour with a local guide for most of the day so looking forward to that. Ciao!
