Wonderful and Majestic Siena

Like many other travellers, Jim and I fell in love with Siena the very first time we experienced it. It was roughly 20 years ago and at the time we didn't have any preconceived ideas or expectations about the town. It was wonderful to be swept away by its elegant architecture, intimate, winding, alleyways and to cap it off - the magnificent Duomo. At Siena's heart though, sits the stunning shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, which is arguably one of the world's most stunning open spaces. Discovering Siena is akin to discovering Atlantis whilst on a snorkelling holiday on the Great Barrier Reef!

As many of you may already know, Siena is also famous for the "Palio", its historic horse-races that take place in the Piazza del Campo annually in July and August. Out of the 17 Sienese districts (known locally as contrade), 10 get to race. Of the 10 that race, one must stand behind the front row because it only fits 9 horses. The horses are ridden bareback, and if a jockey happens to fall from his horse, the horse can still win if it crosses the line first - with or without him! The jockeys are true mercenaries. They have no allegiance to any one district (contrada) and many of them are not from Siena. The contrade do not trust each other, and they do not trust the jockeys either - even the ones riding their own horses! From the moment that the horses are assigned, the contrade keep a dubious eye on their jockeys until they mount their horses on race day. It is said that jockeys are not permitted to depart from neighbourhood soil. Lip readers are hired to ensure that the jockeys are conniving in the interests of their contrada, rather than their own interests. Contrade bribe other contrade and jockeys, and in turn jockeys bribe officials. It is also not beyond the pale to drug horses, or kidnap jockeys before the race! Despite all of this 'accepted' corruption, the Palio is still a great race. Spectators pack the piazza (there's no chance of toilet breaks if you are in the centre of the piazza though - Are you pondering on that one?). The well-to-do, on the other hand, peer down from the balconies of the residences surrounding the piazza. After days of parades and fanfare, the actual race may last for only 75 seconds. But the excitement of it all overrides all the waiting!

Siena is an ideal town to see on foot because access by car is severely restricted. The surrounding countryside is a rich landscape of rolling hills, vineyards, olive-trees and the archetypal Tuscan Cypress or "Pencil" pines. It is a truly magnificent, architecturally-designed landscape that resembles gorgeous paintings at almost every turn in the road! To the north of Siena is the beautiful Chianti region. Also close by are the beautiful towns of San Gimignano, Volterra and Montepulciano. To the south of Siena lies the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Val D'Orcia, characterised by large sweeping hills that depict some of the most famous images of Tuscany. These images are represented in millions of photos in magazines and on postcards around the world. The gorgeous town of Montalcino, famous for its red wine the "Brunello di Montalcino", lies at the heart of this area. Siena and its surrounding towns are definitely not to be missed.