This former trattoria has gone midscale and greatly improved its menu to offer excellent innovative dishes rooted in Sienese traditions in a classy, but not frosty, atmosphere of... more
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This former trattoria has gone midscale and greatly improved its menu to offer excellent innovative dishes rooted in Sienese traditions in a classy, but not frosty, atmosphere of soft jazz. The main dining room is a crazy medieval mélange of stone, brick, wood supports, and naked rock, while the rooms in back and in the basement are actually Etruscan tombs carved from the tufa. Pici al ragout di lepre (thick hand-rolled pasta strands in hare ragù) and gnochetti di patate con erbe cipollina e pecorino di fossa (gnocchi with chives on a parmigiana pastry crust swimming in melted pecorino cheese) are palate-pleasing primi. For the main course, they ascribe to the growing school of Italian cooking wherein a side dish is included with each secondo (making a meal here less costly than the prices below would suggest). A perfect example: the exquisite petto d'anatra al vin santo con patate allo zafferano (duck breast with crisp balls of saffron-kissed mashed potatoes).
Advantages: Best city to be at Disadvantages: None
...I lost my heart in Siena (several times and in different meanings (Luigi and Giulia should know)) ;-) And so I have to go back there as often as I can trying to find it.
I found so many friends in Siena and I consider some of them my best friends (hi to Luigi, Stefano, Michele and Michele, Pippo, Giulia, Paola (un bacione), and many more).
But enough about that. I recommend to go to Siena in autumn, and to stay on the countryside. In the hunting season it's the best place to be at.
Of course there is also the Palio, which, if I had a last wish before I die would like to see a last time.
If you go there, pretend not to be a tourist. Wear long trousers and a shirt, don't walk around the town like you walk on the beach and you will see that Senese people become very open-hearted. Go to Siena once, and you will always come back!...
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Advantages: Il Palio is unique Disadvantages: None
...I am a big fan of Siena and would recommend it to anyone going to Italy. If you can afford to go there during "Il palio", this is the best period. Il Palio is a horse race which happens twice a year in one of the old squares of the town. Each borough of the town competes against the others. These borroughs are called "cONTRADA" and come from the medieval past of the City, when it was very much divided. There is a lot of excitement, people from contradas prepare il palio for 6 months a year, and there are 2 of them. The contrada which wins gets absolutely crazy and they party all night long. People from Siena are also very friendly and lively. Go and see by yourself....
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...Siena is a small but exquisite Italian city. It is one of the lesser Italian tourist attractions, however, it is easily navigable and locals are friendly.
A must see is the Piazza del Campo - the shell-shaped piazza which is the heart of the city. I have spent many hours sitting out there of an evening or lunchtime watching the world go by. Each July and August it is the location of the Palio - the city's horse race. This is quite an event as every contrade (district) in the city has an opportunity to compete against the others and it is a great event in the Sienese calendar. The Palio is quite a colourful affair as there is a parade of the contrade who enter a horse into the competition and is a whole day of ceremony and celebration before the relatively short horse race. The Campo is also where little children in all sort...
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30.03.2001
20.08.2000
