jamieroyer

When we went the duomo was covered with a scaffolding bearing it’s image, but, as we were going in the off season, we didn’t get to see the real thing because it was being restored/maintained. We also got a REALLY expensive parking ticket and it was one of the most crowded cities we visited. Still, it cannot be denied that Siena has it’s charm. The shopping is great and there are a lot of picturesque little buildings that don’t make it into the tour guides. I would probably skip Siena if we went to Tuscany again, but it does need to be seen at least once.

During our month long vacation in Italy we visited Florence five times. It was beyond amazing. It will always have a special place for me. After all, I had my quintessential Italy moment while there. We were exiting the Uffizi on a perfect day with perfect weather and making our way through the streets to the Duomo when pair of street musicians started playing Vivaldi. The birds that were resting in the eves of one of the buildings took to the sky at the sound. It was so beautiful it was almost painful.

You’re going to get some of the rudest waitstaff in Florence. The six dollar cup of hot chocolate was the best hot chocolate I ever had in my entire life. For that alone it was worth it.

The drive here is so beautiful it will make you cry. We went in October when all of the leaves were turning, but missed the fields of sunflowers which I can only imagine were breathtaking. The city itself offered a great view and plenty of alabaster, but I would have taken the trip just to see the country side. Hit this and San Gimignano on the same day.

Lucca was one of the best day trips we took while in Tuscany. It is a small town without the big attractions of Florence, but the people watching there is great and there are plenty of wonderful places to eat and the pedestrian scene is the best in Italy. If you go, go by Prospero’s on via San Lucia for the best olive oil in the world.

In the Mexican rainforest is a remote mountain village called Xilitla,
home to the extraordinary surrealist architecture of Edward James