Although I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite city in Tuscany, a couple of people told me that they thought Sienna to be one of the most beautiful cities they've ever been to. It certainly ranks quite high. We set today to be almost exclusively dedicated to Sienna. There's a breathtaking cathedral, wonderul shops, local cuisine, and great history.
I know I said that the cathedral at Pisa was incredible. Well, the cathedral in Sienna was incredible, too. There's something about Sienna that feels "lived in". In some ways, you could see yourself living in Sienna i na way that you can't imagine yourself in other cities. And on the other hand, there are ways in which you realize that you could never belong to Sienna because it only belongs to its locals.
This was a good place for tourist tchotchkes. It was also a good place for local food. One of my favorite recipes is a Sienna Tart that I got from one of my first cookbooks. It's based on "panforte" from Sienna. We bought several to give to friends and eat for ourselves. For lunch we ate at a local place. I don't think I mentioned this before, Sienna is very hilly. We got quite a workout walking around this city. You can see how they've levelled the tables and chairs for the outdoor seating in this restaurant.
