On Tuesday, we headed off on our five day tour of the north. We headed out of Rome around 7.30am and by the time we got into Hotel Adriactico in Florence it was after 10pm. In between that we learned all about the lovely region of Umbria, the ONLY Italian region without a seaside border. Our tour guide is Niccola but think George Michael from WHAM, complete with pick shirt, batting for the boys and with a lisp that would make Silvester the cat impressed. George is very good at telling us lots of interesting things and likes saying the word, Umbria, a lot. Apparently Umbria is the Green Heartland of Italy, and we'd have to agree with that, everythings quite verdant here. Ceramics are very popular too but I'm more of a chianti girl, so was quite happy to sample some of the local wines at dinner that evening. While in Umbria, we visited Assisi, home of Saint Francis of Assisi. Of course, the two churches there were quite magnificent and the artwork on the ceilings and surrounds equalled the Sistine Chapel in my view. The Assisi township is very picturesque with loads of light coloured marble, so while the buildings are centuries old, they look remarkably new. Of course, the Franciscan priests were out and about, but I didn't see any donkeys, sheep or other animals seeking refuge or a lump of sugar from the padres. Assisi is also very compact. You can easily walk from one side of the township to the other in about 20 minutes. Of course, there are lots of shops selling scarfs, rosary beads and 'I love Assisi' t-shirts. After a few hours in Assisi, which is in Umbria (did that one for George Michael), we headed off towards the lovely town in Siena, also the name of my gorgeous daughter.

Siena is in the region of Tuscany and according to WHAM man, is one of the five most beautiful cities/towns in Italy. I would have to agree. Siena is reknowned for a horse race that has been run twice a year for the past 700 years. Locals definately get good wear out of their race outfits and hats. According to our local guide, Siena has 17 regions without the township and each has its own flag. When children are born they are given the symbol of an animal, which once chosen, cannot be altered throughout their life. Some of the options include the bull, sheep, porcupine, and eagle. Then come race day, people wear the scarves of their region, crowd into the town piazza along with 200,000 other locals and tourists, and cheer on the riders. The township is festooned with the 17 flags and at the end of the race, the rider's flag is then displayed throughout the township. Apparently it doesn't matter whether the rider is still on the horse (as it's a backback race), just who crosses the line first. No doubt there is much cheering, drinking and partying until the next race of the year. While in Siena, we discovered a great gelato place called the White Horse. I'd highly recommend the coconut and chocolate gelati. Just when you think you can't be blown away by other church, along comes the confection that is the pride of Siena. Imagine a church made up of white, pink and green marble that is so ornate that even if you had a piping bag of 'marble' icing you couldn't possibly add any more detail. The church's facade is just jaw'dropping but I don't know why I am so surprised, after all, these are the people who made white columns and lion head features into an suburban art form. Luckily, for us Cath and I come back to Siena in about another two weeks when we do a tour of Siena and San Gimiano. I'll leave it to Cathy to tell you about our first night in Florence, but in anticipation you can start humming that famous Italian anthem, 'Quando Quando'. Buona sera, Krista XX