BusinessWorld Weekender: Focus

I’ve been to all of those places, but the town I consider my favorite in Europe is a quiet little medieval community tucked in a hidden corner of Italy’s Tuscan region.

Siena is the veiled charm to Paris’ proud beauty or Rome’s ancient glory. It is a quiet stroll along narrowly winding cobblestone streets, with a view of quaint apartment entrances, and perhaps a glimpse of local entering her home. There is an abundance of brick buildings in varied hues of, yes, siena — burnt, raw, etc..

Siena dazzles in the sunset; a drinking fountain in the shape of a dog’s head

Towards the center, there will be more shops, increasingly familiar to the big city dweller. Nannini, which is one the world’s oldest bakeshops, has now sprouted branches. There are also lingerie and swimsuit stores that have branched out from Florence. McDonald’s is still used by visitors as a landmark and meeting place. Still, there are none of the droves of tourists that flood Venice.

As you walk further along on the roads that extend from the center, the town’s essence becomes more evident. Many religious folk can be seen crisscrossing your path, and students are also everywhere.

My Florence-based host, Chinqui, invited me on a day trip to Siena, and it is only a one hour train ride away from the Santa Maria Novella Station. From the Siena train station, a bus will take you to the city center. Once in town, you have the day to laze away, getting lost among the winding roads. It is a small enough town to tour in one day, and ours started at lunch in one of the restaurants with a lovely view of medieval buildings gently rising up a hill. At midday, the buildings sport a paler hue, reflecting the sun’s strong rays.

Siena Sights A plate full of picci and beef steak with cream sauce

Tuscany is known to have the best gelato in the world; the Duomo sports a facelift

At La Pizzeria di Nonno (which roughly translates as lolo or grandfather) Mede Ristorante, we had grand repast of pici (their local version of pasta, a kind of thick spaghetti resembling mami) with tomato sauce, and a beef steak (a Tuscan specialty) with white cream sauce.

We strolled afterwards toward the Duomo, passing through narrow winding roads lines with brick buildings of a shade the town made famous, and still carries its name. We found ourselves in front of the newly renovated (scrubbed clean) faáade of the Duomo, and it is breathtaking in its detail. It is Gothic in design, created in the period before the Renaissance, and is characterized by the high ceiling, sharply pointed spires and sculptural detail such as gargoyles. This particular cathedral is done in pink marble combined with the characteristic green and white stripes.

As we drank in the wondrous view, we were grateful that the crowd was manageable, and the church plaza in front was not teeming with people.

The quiet of Siena reminded me of Laos, but without its tropical intensity. In other words, it is quiet and laid-back in a cool way, and impressed me with strong religious and academic tendencies.

This time, the buildings were all baking and decidedly "burnt" in the sunset’s rays. Our best pictures were taken at this time. As the spires of the Duomo towered above the brick structures, all I could think of was, "Beautiful!"

Our final stop as the sun undertook its long trip down was the town’s main square, called Piazza Del Campa. In the late afternoon, people flock here to sit on the gently sloping brick tiled "square" (for it is oblong actually). In July or August, this is the setting of their most awaited sporting event. The Palio is a horse race that dates back to medieval times, and pits all of the town’s contrade or districts against each other. The locals are very passionate about this race, and the piazza is filled to the rafters at this time.

We purchased our gelato at one street corner, and sat down on the ground at the piazza. As I licked the most delicious ice cream cone I’ve ever had — their version of Black Cherry — I took in the scene of other people taking pictures, strolling, taking bites out of a pizza, or savoring their ice cream like me. I’ve been to countless churches declared architectural wonders, museums housing the most celebrated works of art, but I find that watching life go by is still my favorite traveler’s pastime.

As the sun took its final dip, we passed by Nonno Mede’s restaurant again, to catch a glimpse of the brick buildings as the colors blended with the fading light. This time, the buildings were all baking and decidedly "burnt" in the sunset’s rays. Our best pictures were taken at this time. As the spires of the Duomo towered above the brick structures, all I could think of was, "Beautiful!"

Just before the sky turned dark, which in the European summer means around 9 p.m., we headed back to the train station to catch the last trip back to Florence.

Many places are labeled "must see" by travel books, lifestyle guides, etc.. Venice, Paris, Rome — people who get a chance should certainly see these places at least once.

Next time, I will stay overnight. Oh what dazzling spectacles could possibly be awaiting me in Siena at dawn?

Focus

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Oh Siena!