Tuesday we took a class trip to the two towns of Siena and San Gimignano. Started the day off in Siena where we saw the famous church in the town where they have 2 relics of Saint Catherine on display. The first relic is of Saint Catherine's skull that they have in a small glass case covered with a special covering to prevent any decay. The second is of the thumb of Saint Catherine which is also incased in a similar fashion. We also got a chance to see the famous Piazza del Campo which is home to the Palio horse race on July 2nd. This is a horse race with 17 horses and jockeys each representing a neighborhood in Siena. We were told each neighborhood pays for a professional jockey to ride bareback in the race but the horse's and the neighborhood they represent are always the real winners in the races, not the jockey's.
This is the stadium where the race takes place.
Then we were off to San Gimignano.
San Gimignano is a medieval hilltop town in the Tuscan region. While we were here we got a chance to try something I will never forget. Once we made our way to the first piazza we saw the crowds of people standing in line waiting for a special type of gelato. Turns out San Gimignano is home to the World's Best Gelateria. The gelateria has won this prestigious award since 2006. Of course being the fat kid that I am I had to taste several different kinds. On my TWO trips to the counter I got a chance to try mint with real mint leaves mixed in, imported vanilla infused with saffron, imported vanilla with chile spice, chocolate with grand marnier, and coconut with real coconut shavings. After this feast we decided to wonder around the small town to walk off the gelato. I bought a couple T-shirts and then it was time to head back to the bus to get back to Florence.
This is a couple pictures of the gelateria.
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