Siena

Yesterday we got to Siena, and right away, we went on a walking tour of the city. Siena is really small and it’s definitely nothing like Rome or Florence, but it’s pretty. In Siena, we have nice views of the countryside.  There are tons of tiny cobblestone alleys that are really pretty too. Siena is really clean and quiet in comparison. Also, the sky is really, really blue. They told us it’s because they don’t have much pollution and they have neon lights that make the sky look bluer.

Last night we had dinner at the hotel, which was okay, followed by a beer tasting, which everyone seemed to really enjoy. The best part about the meals is definitely the cheese. Most places give cheese and meat before dinner, and every place we have been so far has had really good cheese.

This morning we got up really early for breakfast and a discussion about the wine industry, and then we drove about an hour away to a vineyard. We learned a lot about Italian wine and how it is made and distributed. We had a wine tasting in a wine cellar. I drank all five kinds but I couldn’t taste the flavors that she was talking about. One was supposed to have a cherry and tobacco taste, but to be honest, they all tasted really similar to me, and not like cherry or tobacco. This afternoon we toured a bank in Siena, which is the oldest bank in the world (1472).  It’s been a really long day walking in uncomfortable shoes, and a lot of people are getting sick, so tonight we’re just going to have dinner and hang out at the hotel and then get to bed early.

Tomorrow we have another vineyard and wine tasting in the morning, and then a business panel discussion in the afternoon. After that, we are taking a cooking class and we’re making our own dinner.

The weather has been really nice – we’ve been lucky. Everyday has been in the mid 50s  and we only had rain for about a half hour one morning in Rome. Siena is a little bit colder, but not much – still warmer than home.

I’ll try to update again soon!