Tuscany - Siena

Today I tried to book a shopping tour of all the designer outlets in Florence. Fortunately for my father and unfortunately for me, the tour didn't have enough people to depart. So I hopped on a train to Siena which is a little town an hour and a half away from Florence.

It was also one of the most beautiful places I've been on this trip.

Leaving the city, the countryside changes from industrial to relatively untouched. I'm delighted to say that the rolling hillsides and burnt orange buildings of Tuscany are not guidebook myth. Groves of olive trees flashed by the train window, little gardens flourished next to the railway lines... Adorable little old couples tended their little gardens... It was like a Disney movie.

Siena was also equally charming with its cobblestone roads and tightly crowded buildings. I didn't visit any tourist spots, just walked around the meandering streets and poking my head into every cafe (ahem... for foodie research purposes) and deli. I bought 2 packs of pasta specific to that region and some cantucci (orange and almond biscotti) which i figure I can repack to make into 3 presents. ahahahha... ah kiam little me.

Since today I spent €32 on train, newspaper and food, i decided to treat myself to a hot dinner. A little overpriced for a cafeteria (think food court) but for €7.5 i got a huge plate of tortellini and ravioli. Very filling and I rounded that off with a incredibly rich nutella gelato which was ill-advised. I realised something; gelato prices go up as you go down south. In milan the same scoop cost me 1 euro, which here prices have doubled. I hope they don't go up that much in Rome, otherwise I'll be deprived of my nutritional calcium.

Travelling alone has led me to become very introspective and mildly depressed at times. There's no one who you can depend on or rely on which sucks at times. Sometimes I'm tired of visiting museums and looking at old fusty things or pinching pennies till they squeak. But I can't hang around all day in the hostel(s) because they're even more depressing and boring. I can't give up halfway and go home or even just go back to Amsterdam; that'll just be weak and i'll be really annoyed at myself when I look back and think about it.