Day 7 San Gimignano to Siena
- Thomas Delker
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
Up at 7 am and rolling out of the cafe before 8 am on our way to Siena. The view back toward San Gimignano was breathtaking as we started the climb after the decent. The route wound around the hills and vineyards along white gravel roads and narrow paths for most of the day. The views were beautiful and the biking hilly but rewarding. As we approached Colle di Val d’Elsa we pedaled along a beautiful path following the river through trees and shade.
We came out into the town and had a short stop to get more cold drinks and then a cafe. I managed to also get a replacement tube for the two of the 4 we had used. They have been hard to come by and this bike store only had one! We continued on and up out of town. We rode by castle ruins and continued on up and down until we reach Siena’s main gate at 2 pm. Hard biking but very manageable. Saras back tire went flat again. Following protocol, I pulled the tube out of the tire and careful not to lose traction of its orientation, I blew it up and the hole was in the same place as last time! After careful inspection on the tire, I found a tiny pieces glass no bigger than a grain of sand lodged in the rubber, too small to feel when I ran my finger around looking for anything sharp, but over time it would puncture the tube. Nefarious! Hopefully that will solve that problem!
Siena’s streets were quite a maze and with three hills in town that were very steep, we had confusing directions up and down through the busy town as we wandered our way to our apartment just a short hop from il Campo, the city center square where they hold the famous horse races. 60,000 people gather there to watch 10 horses from the 13 districts race against each other. It must be mayhem!
We got showered, settled in, rested, and then we headed out to a restaurant. As we were walking, there were groups with colorful scarfs singing and walking around. After a super dinner of pasta and rabbit-stuffed pork(!) we wandered to Giraffe square in search of the sounds. There we witnessed a televised ‘sing-off’ between the various districts here in Siena. Super interesting to see the camaraderie and competition between them as they sang against each other. So fun!
Bed and a day of exploring the city tomorrow!
Comments