People-Watching in Siena

At the heart of Siena lies the famous Piazza del Campo*, flanked by restaurants and historic buildings. During our few days in Siena we  crossed through the piazza again and again. We enjoyed eating pizza at the edge of it while watching people come and go.

Wow, Italians are sharp dressers. We played at being The Sartorialist, looking for classily-dressed locals we’d award for their fashion sense. The older gentlemen really know how to do it up—a common theme: thin (cashmere?) sweater, button-up shirt, blazer/ jacket, pants, nice leather shoes. Always nice shoes. It is Italy.

Though Siena is popular with tourists, we didn’t find it jam-packed or difficult to navigate. People are friendly, and the restaurants are great. The architecture and general ambiance are charming. Like most of the Italian towns we visited, you’re not allowed to drive in the city center unless you’re a local. The ancient narrow streets just aren’t built for car traffic. You begin to see why motorcycles and mopeds are popular here.

At every single restaurant (was it a rule?) we were given brown paper placemats. It looked like drawing paper, so I couldn’t resist sketching. The kids had their colored pencils along, so we were all set.

The food came before I could finish anything (terrible problem, I know).

I was excited to eat at an official Slow Food member restaurant, Hosteria il Carroccio.

Our other favorite restaurant was La Sosta Di Violante. We ate there twice it was so good, and the staff was very friendly.

One more Italy post and then it’s back to regularly scheduled programming.

*It’s also the scene of Siena’s famed twice-yearly horse race, Palio di Siena.