We went to Siena and then Perugia for a weekend in April. We took a bus to Siena first thing Saturday morning. After a guided tour of the city, my roommates and I went exploring throughout the town. We saw the main piazza famous for the Siena horse races (also the piazza James Bond climes out of in the most recent 007 film)!

For lunch, we found a yummy pizzeria. After, I found a cafe that sold the famous almond and powdered sugar cookies Siena is known for. They were quite yummy!

That afternoon, we went to thermal baths to relax. They were a bit stinky because of the sulfer, but they felt wonderful! I managed to fall down the marbel steps of my apartment a few days prior, so it felt great to soak my arm and soulder in the water (I had pulled my shoulder muscle when I grabbed onto the stair railing to break my fall - I was only mildly successful as I ended up with a bruise on my tush).

The following day, we went to Perugia. Josh and I walked around, bought the famous Perugian chocolate, and spoke in Italian for the afternoon.

That evening, we stopped at Verrazzano castle for winetasting. We learned how to properly taste wine:

1. Fill the wine glass only partway (1/3 full)

2. Tilt the glass to the side while holding it above a white napkin to see the color of the wine.

3. As you tilt the wine class back upright, see the wine on the sides of the glass to see how strong the wine is (look for the speed at which the arches fall).

4. Next, swirl the wine in the glass and smell it.

5. Right after smelling the wine, take a small sip, swish it around your mouth and inhale a bit as you swallow to allow you to fully taste the wine.

We of course had food with the wine so we wouldn't end up tipsy!