"A city named after a color crayon?" a Siena Travel Page by Callavetta

This was my third visit to Siena and not, I'm afraid, the most positive. Siena has held a special place in my heart; charming, romantic, ancient, big enough to be a real city and hiding many tiny alleys and passages to allow one to feel lost and alone.

This trip I never got to feel lost or alone. Siena was teeming with tourists and caldissima. Only a 40 minute drive from the quiet tranquil patchwork landscape of our vineyard, we arrived in a noisy snarl of traffic and parking problems. We followed the signs to Parcchegio il Campo and found a spot. Then we walked up and down hill to what Rick Steeves has pegged "Italy's best piazza".

Location of the world famous Palio, the clamshell shaped piazza is huge and Siena's central tourist attraction. We stepped out into the glaring sun and saw the crowds. We were ready for lunch and planned to eat at one of the dozen ristoranti surrounding the piazza. It was difficult to find an available table (in the shade). A little more abut that in my restaurant review. Admittedly, there are countless great eating choices in Siena, off the campo, but for this visit we wanted to try one of the places on the campo and "people watch". Plus, I had a bad knee and not in the mood to do a lot of walking to find a good spot. (The walk from the parking lot had already done me in.)