Under the Tuscan Sun

Today started at 7:00 AM. "Katherine, wake up!!" I was tapped on the shoulder and whisper-harrassed (It's no secret that I'm the hardest person to wake up in the morning, for those of you who don't know, now you do). The four of us rushed to get dressed and made it to the breakfast area of our hostel in perfect time for the hostel guys to open up the breakfast bar, which was amazing! Espresso machine, yogurt, toast, orange juice, pastries, etc. Definitely the best continental breakfast we've had thus far. The reason we woke up so early was because late last night, after exploring Firenze (I prefer this name to Florence because it has a mystical quality to it) and its absolute gorgeous city streets and scenescapes, we decided that we wanted to make the most of our time here. Our Australian roommates suggested a tour and gave us information on one they had done. It's funny because we had planned in our itinerary to go to "Tuscany" as a day trip, but it turns out that Tuscany is a region...and Florence is a Tuscan city. So, we didn't have far to go! The tour we had our eyes on started at 8:45 at the train station, so we walked there and thank goodness there was room for us! (And we got a student discount!).
We boarded a coach bus and began the day. The tour name was "Tuscany in a day." The tour guide's name was Agathe, and she was perfect. She was in her late 20's, I'd say, and was a student of Art History and 14th/15th Century Italian Culture. She had come to Italy after finishing school in Poland and had interned at several museums. She decided that she loved being a tour guide because she could share all her knowledge with people! Her accent was extremely endearing. We were big fans. We started the tour with a 1.5 hour ride to Siena, a Tuscan city known for several things. The first is the Palio, which is an annual 4-day horse race that everyone goes crazy for. The race takes place in the center of the city, in the Piazza del Campo. The city is divided into 3 regions, and each region has its own mascots and flags and all these crazy shenanigans, so the people really get into it and have been doing so for centuries. It reminded me of SEC rivalries, except that the horses get blessed by priests... Siena is also home to the Cathedral of Siena, which is devoted to the Virgin Mary, and is probably the most gorgeous church we have seen so far. (Note: We have not yet been to Rome!). I was in absolute awe, when we entered this church. The colors were so vibrant and everything was done in marble that is from the surrounding area. The fact that gave me goosebumps, though, was that there were works of Michelangelo, Donatello, and Bernini all inside the church. WHAT!?!? Only some of the greatest artists of all time! Definitely had to blink a few times and remind myself to close my mouth, when my jaw dropped.
After Siena, we took a 45 minute drive into the Tuscan countryside. I have really seen nothing like it. Gorgeous rolling hills and valleys, with orchards and vineyards, alternating with small but beautiful clay-looking estates. It definitely lulled me to sleep, and I got a nice 20 minute nap in before arriving in Chianti, the city we'd be in for lunch. I wish I remembered the name of the Organic Farm that hosted us because I had the best meal of the trip (aside from my first meal in Paris) today!!! 99% of what we consumed was produced on the farm. Wine, cheese, beef, pasta, salad, biscotti...all of it was made where we ate it. And throughout lunch we had a gorgeous view of the countryside and the nearby city of San Gimignano, which is known as "Medieval Manhattan" because of its skyline. After lunch, we were so stuffed, but we went to tour San Gimignano, a 10 minute bus ride from the organic farm location. Apparently the town is known for their gelato (it won best in the world twice...2007 and 2008, I believe), so we got suckered into buying and eating gelato, even though we'd just had a 3-course lunch. There wasn't much else in the town, to be honest, its greatest appeal was its gorgeous location. We kind of bummed away the hour that was dedicated there. The final stop was Pisa!!!!!! And it's leaning tower! Galileo performed his gravity experiments off of the Tower of Pisa -- I either never knew that or knew it at one point and was again reminded today. Also, it was originally a bell tower for the cathedral that is right next to it -- another thing I never knew. The tower had been increasing its lean since it was built in the 14th century up until 1998, when restoration began on it. Now, engineers have made it so that the tower maintains its current angle for the next 200 years. We stood in awe looking at the tower from all different directions (I was fixated on the gravity experiments, since I took Physics this summer) and then had a tour of the city, where we saw the University of Pisa and a few building that reflected Medici influence. (I have managed to remember the main facts regarding the Medicis from my high school European History knowledge. Thank goodness for that because it has helped me appreciate everything we've seen so much more than I would have otherwise. It's amazing how historical context enhances an experience).
We got in around 9 PM and walked back to the hostel. The day was absolutely perfect. It was around 100 degrees until sundown, but I have no complaints. My life is unreal. The past week, I was in front of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, works of Gaudí, the shores of the Mediterranean, and the canals of Venice. Today, I thank you, Tuscany!