Siena – Part 1: Through the Alps

Hi, fellow backpackers! This post is meant for all of you who love travel adventures. More and more, I see people just booking last-minute flights and venturing off on their own to explore, relax, and have fun in a new place. As I am writing this post, one of my friends is traveling along the coast of Portugal. But this is about my adventure, the very first time I packed my things and went alone seeking something new.

Storytime!

I had my backpack ready; it was time to go. I was taking a bus to Siena, in the southern part of Tuscany in northern Italy. Ahead of me were seven days of something new and, at that time, unique for me. Why Siena? Why not Rome, Florence, Naples, or another large city? Why pick a small town of sixty thousand instead? I am from a large town myself, and I wanted a change of pace. Simply changing countries would not be enough; I wanted more familiarity, which is hard to achieve over a few days in a large city, even the more walkable ones. I had this picture etched in my mind: myself, a glass of wine, good food, and no swarms of tourists in sight. I wanted a break, needed some time to think, somewhere far away from home and the perceived sameness of passing days.

So I headed to the platform in the evening only to catch an announcement that my bus ride was canceled. Oh! Now what? My first adventure alone was already going south, and I wasn’t even there yet. No way was I letting this slide. A last-minute call before the ticket office closed, and I was there, haggling. And I got lucky. My tickets got exchanged for a ride heading off in two hours, not to Siena, but Florence. Close enough! Phew.

Now I had some time on my hands, and I had to figure out how to get from Florence to Siena during the night. It was my first time trying to figure out how transportation worked in a different country, and my adrenaline was pumping. But it was fun! I got excited. Before even leaving my home city, I already felt like I was on an adventure.

Before I knew it, I was on the bus and heading towards the Alps. Eighteen hours on the road, plenty of time to get some sleep along the way. But I couldn’t sleep. The views, the Alps, the cities we passed; I wanted to take it all in, even at the cost of being exhausted the day after. As a reward for my diligence, I ended up with a stiff back and a slightly cricked neck.

It was worth it.

I could have easily gone by plane, but no, I wanted to feel more engaged, and add another element that would enrich the experience, and flying just seems too convenient sometimes. You hop on a plane in one place and could easily be on the other side of the continent within hours.

The first stop in Italy was at the pumping station to refuel and take a short break. I used this opportunity to go and get my first solo traveling encounter. A small crowd of travelers strolled out of the bus and went into a small service station. Everyone started ordering espresso at the counter, so I joined in with the addition of a sweet croissant for a quick snack. And Italians know their espresso; no matter where you order, it just tastes right. Not only that but it’s served at drinking temperature, just hot enough not to burn your lips.

First taste of Italy, and off we went again. A few hours later, we arrived in Florence. I had my tickets for the train to Siena ready; bought them online earlier, so now I just had to get through the city without getting lost – or not too lost at least. Fortunately, Florence was easy to navigate through, and public transport went straight from the bus station to the train station. Well, that was easy. I saw just bits and pieces, but that alone made me think I had to return one day and see the whole city. My list of things to do from that day started growing rapidly.

Since I was in a state of constant overwhelm, it was hard to realize that I was already enjoying something different, somewhere different. But as soon as I arrived at the train station and things calmed down a little, I took a look around and sniffed the air filled with sweet and bitter scents from a nearby bakery. People talked fast and gestured enthusiastically, as Italians are known to do, and the whole energy of the place was different from what I was used to. Different energy, different smells, and different noise. It was refreshing. I had some doubts before hopping on a bus, but all it took was getting close enough to the final destination to let them disappear.

After waiting for another hour, I walked over to the platform where my train was waiting. I am almost there. What weeks ago seemed to be just a passing thought, a dream of adventure, became reality. Two hours later, I arrived at my final destination, Siena.

It was late, nearing my hotel check-in time, so I worried a little bit. With a phone in my hand and maps loaded, I went for a final walk of the day. After following a strange road up the hill, I finally got there. The time was 22:12 (check-in until 22:00). I rang the bell, hoping for the best, and the best was soon to come.

So, there you have it. This is part one of the story I wanted to share. Watch out for part two, which will take me to the heart of the city, enjoying fully this wonderful Tuscan town.