Rome to La Spiezia via Sienna

Sadly today we are leaving Rome, we have seen some fantastic sites, my favourite was the Trevi Fountain, it was just so magical, especially as it has just been renovated. Geoff’s favourite was the Colosseum because of it’s sheer size and the fact it only took eight years to build. I came here with the mind and body of an eighteen year old, sadly my body has gone into old age, with all my aches and pains. Rome is certainly a beautiful places, but we have found it very expensive.

We start our journey home now, and on Martin’s recommendations we travelled to Sienna,

it is on route so no problem. We arrived at 13.00hrs, just in time for some lunch, we hadn’t done our homework, so had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for, so when we arrived and looked up, we saw a walled city, oh dear more climbing!
Surrounded by olive groves and vineyards of Chianti, Siena is one of the most beautiful cities in Tuscany. Set on three hills, the historic city has been declared by UNESCO a world heritage site, and is drawn together by winding alleyways and steep steps. Famed for the “Palio” the annual historic horse races that take place in July and August, it is home to one of the oldest Universities in Europe, which ensures a vibrant Italian student atmosphere.
We parked the car, came out of the car park, and immediately steps and more steps, my knee is very swollen still, along with my legs etc., so I struggled a bit, but it was worth the climb.
We walked around but sadly I was not able to go far, but what we saw we enjoyed, perhaps one day we will go back. We did stop for some lunch in one of th local cafes, which was good, and then we made our way back to the car.
Back in the car we headed for La Spezia, where we had stayed on a previous occasion, we managed to park outside, and Geoff sorted the parking ticket.
We then showered and went for dinner in the Hotel Restaurant, which was lovely as usual, although a bit noisy, as they had a coach party in.