Oosterdam European Adventure, Livorno, Italy...

It was a very, very cool morning, sailing into Livorno…a nippy 39 degrees and not much to see in the container port. Our driver Leonardo picked us up on the pier and we started our day touring Tuscany, specifically Siena and San Gimignano. We drove from the Port to Sienna about 1.5 hours through the beautiful country side on the back roads of Tuscany. Our first stop was Siena. Siena is a historic city in the region of Tuscany and is the capital of the province of Siena. This city is well known for its gorgeous architecture and beautiful main square – the Piazza del Campo. Set on three hills, the city center of Siena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Leonardo dropped us at Piazza del Duomo where we met our guide, Sophia. The Duomo Square is flanked by the Siena Cathedral, one of the premier pieces of Gothic architecture in the whole of Italy. This building is simply fantastic and both its exterior designs are over the top. The façade and exterior of the cathedral features hundreds of white stone and marble design features, plus several beautiful frescos. Originally constructed in the 13th century, the cathedral has stood for hundreds of years as an icon of the city and sits in the historical town center. Unfortunately, being a Sunday morning we were unable to enter the cathedral due to Sunday mass services. Siena’s historic center is a maze of charming narrow streets and alleys. With Sophia we wandered through the medieval streets, discover hidden corners, and enjoyed the picturesque views of the city. I was in heaven with so much incredible architecture…  We were amazed at the colorful neighborhoods and the spectacular Medieval flair of the town. We made it to the Piazza del Campo, undoubtedly, the main square of Siena – this superb open square contains some simply stunning architecture and even on a Sunday morning buzzed with local life and tourists. This square is designed in the shape of a shell…the curved lines of the building make it quite inviting and provides an enclosed feeling. Notable buildings located on the square include the gigantic Torre del Mangia, the beautiful Palazzo Pubblico, the Fountain of Gaia and a wide range of cafes, restaurants and shops. We stopped for a coffee at the Palio Cafe and Sophia explained about Sienna’s legendary Palio horse race that takes place twice a year and draws hundreds of spectators… This race is an annual competition between the 17 districts within the city of Siena. We walked to the San Dominica Square saying farewell to Sophia and meeting Leonardo for our onward journey to San Gimignano. Driving through the beautiful Tuscany rolling hills, you see the town well before you arrive there. The famous towers of San Gimignano, rise up from the hilltop as you approach, creating its distinctive medieval skyline. San Gimignano is a small Italian town with a population of around 8 thousand perched on the top of a Tuscan hill, and surrounded by 13th-century walls. We parked just outside the walls, entered by the San Giavanni Gate and made our way on Via San Giovanni to the Piazza della Cisterna one of the main squares in San Gimignano. Before getting to the square, I branched off to climb the 214 steps to the top of Torre Grossa, the tallest tower in town. This tower offered the best view of San Gimignano and surrounding area. After the climb, I caught up with the ladies and Leonardo. We visited the iconic Piazza del Duomo. Constantly bustling with activity, Piazza del Duomo is the main square in San Gimignano. It remains the center of the city with the Cathedral much like it was in the medieval era. The interior of the cathedral is quite breath taking – practically every angle is decorated; from striped marble arches, to the ornate golden dome and the beautiful frescos above the main altar and along all the walls... The Duomo square is connected to Piazza della Cisterna. This square is framed with cafes and traditional world winning Italian ice-cream shops. Of course, no visit to Italy would be complete without having Gelato. I had a huge serving of my favorite Stracciatella…  We left San Gimignano and made a brief stop at a viewpoint overlooking the Tuscan hills with its olive trees and grape vines…the scenery is absolutely beautiful. Our trip to both Sienna and San Gimignano far surpassed our expectations…it was a wonderful sunny day.  I’m just amazed at how many amazing places we have visited and things we’ve seen since we boarded the Oosterdam on 5 April in Fort Lauderdale, what an incredible start…