We arrived in Siena, Italy (Tuscany region) on a rather cloudy day with occasional sprinkles. We, of course, walked down to the Piazza del Campo in the heart of the city. It’s famous for the horse races in the piazza every July and August. The races are an age old competition between the surrounding neighborhoods each represented by their own historic flags.

The Palazzo Pubblico (Old Town Hall) with the Torre del Mangia (Bell Tower) dominate the piazza. The bell tower is the 2nd highest in Italy. We’re told the view from the tower is fantastic and well worth the effort of climbing 505 steps. We plan to work up to that endeavor during our 3 day stay.

The large, fan shaped piazza is semi-ringed with restaurants and cafes.  The narrow streets filled with tourists all feed into the piazza.  The cafes (bars in Italy) are great places to hang out for a while and enjoy the sights and sounds.  The locals avoid the piazza during the busy season and visit the smaller places hidden somewhat along the many narrow streets.   We look forward to enjoying a bit of both.