To turn a corner in SIENA is to be presented with a gift...

This weekend was an extended weekend so Elena, Keith, and I went to Tuscany. We stayed in this cute guest house in Siena. After our house mom made us breakfast Friday morning, we headed into the city to do some exploring. It is such a beautiful place. First, we climbed to the top of the Torre del Mangia. Although it was rather windy up there, the views were epic...

Then we did a little shopping (I bought a pair of adorable flats and a purse) before continuing our explorations of Siena. According to our travel book, "to turn a corner in Siena is to be presented with a gift" so we were in search of as many "gifts" as we could find. And it was surprisingly easy. Within this walled city, there are amazing views of the Tuscan rolling hills, hidden streets with lush garden patches, and quiet parks full of sunlight. 

Saturday we thought it would be fun to visit Montepulciano (Piazza Grande pictured below), a nearby city that Twilight: New Moon was partially filmed in. Turns out that was a terrible idea. The train station is 20 Km outside of Montepulciano in a city called Chiusi. I know that the busses in Italy tend to run a little late but in Chiusi, sometimes they just don't show up. After over 2 hours in Chiusi, and being told by each subsequent bus driver "10 minutes" until the next Montepulciano bus, we finally managed to get a ride to Montepulciano only to be dropped off at a bus depot at the bottom of the mountain that Montepulciano is atop. At this point, we are hungry, cold, and still not in Montepulciano. And it has started to rain. Sounding fun yet? We decided we just want to get our picture taken in the town square then take a  bus back to Siena so we avoid Chiusi, the city we loath, all together. But busses from Montepulciano to Siena don't run on Saturday's. Great, right? After a minbus ride to the town square, we take some pictures (in the rain, mind you) and stop by a pizzeria for a late lunch. We are cold and wet so we catch a minibus ride back to the bus depot only to find out the next bus to Chiusi doesn't leave for another hour and a half. But then the barista at the cafe tells us great news: there is a minibus going to another Montepulciano train station in only 30 minutes. Hooray, we dont have to go back to Chiusi! After being dropped off at the most pathetic train station I have ever seen, Elena and I were about ready to cry. There was no one there, the automated ticketing booths were all smashed, and we had no idea when the next train was coming. In all honesty, it looked like a deserted train station. Finally we saw a train coming, but of course it was on track 2 so after a quick dash down the stairs and to the other side we made it on the train with only minor injuries (Elena had a little faceplant incident but her bag took most of the fall). The train then arrived in Chiusi. We weren't happy about that, but at least we were able to buy tickets for a train to Siena that was leaving in only 15 minutes. Once back in Siena, we took a cab to our guest house after grabbing gelato for dinner.

Thankfully, transportation was much more in our favor on Sunday. We checked out of our guest house then caught a train to Empoli and then one to Pisa. We just wanted to see the Leaning Tower, get silly pictures with it, then get back to PDG by dinner. Pisa isn't a pretty town at all but the Leaning Tower and Duomo were phenomenal. 3 hours there was plenty of time to see the sights and get back to the train.

In all, it was a fun weekend. Siena was absolutely beautiful and we all look back on the Montepulciano adventure and laugh. Pisa was definitely worth the couple hours there but not anymore than that. Next time in Tuscany, I want to visit the Chianti region and tour a winery or go back to Montepulciano on a prettier day and with a rental car! 

This week is going to be filled with LEAP requirements. I have Kepner Trego Certification on Monday and Tuesday, Leap coaching on Wednesday, the 2nd gourmet dinner on Thursday, and "add a seat to the table" on Friday night. This is where we are paired with local families and go to their house for dinner. This weekend Elena, Lauren and I are taking a day trip on Saturday to Verona. And only 6 weeks left in Italy! These 3 months are flying by so quickly.