Via Francigena – Siena and Saint Catherine

Siena's memorial to St Catherine

We had happened to be in Siena on the day of the Palio, a fiercely competitive horserace. After visiting Il Campo where preparations were being made for the race later in the day, we found ourselves back at the piazza in front of the Duomo where the procession of the Contrades, representatives of Siena’s seventeen [...]

Italian water guzzler

Paolo raises the flag

How much water do you need on a walk? It’s really good to know. I’ve seen a lot of articles and guidebooks say “take enough water for the walk”, but how much is enough? We were in Siena, Italy by good fortune on the day of the Palio and planned to spend the day enjoying [...]