Part 2: Siena hotel was the Hotel Santa Caterina, located just outside Porta Romana. 250,000 lira/night with view of beautiful garden and a big, buffet breakfast. Pleasant, multi-lingual staff. Parked on busy street about half block from hotel each night and took day trips each day. Ate all our evening meals in Siena. Didn't want to risk driving back to our hotel after having the requisite bottle or half-liter of vino rouge. <BR> <BR>Day trips took us to nearby monastery (name escapes me for now), Cortona, Perugia, Assisi, Deruta, Florence, Montalcino, and Chianti area, as well as a few more small spots along the way. <BR> <BR>Fog in the a.m. made sightseeing a problem a few days, but had almost no rain. Temps in 60s during the day and only low 50s at night. Parking outside a town and walking in was our usual approach. Saw so many cathedrals that they began to blur together. Really enjoyed the countryside and farming areas --- vineyards and olive trees. Much of the other farmland had just been plowed, so the colors were probably not what one might see in the spring or summer. <BR> <BR>Generally pleasant, helpful people in most towns. Saw mostly European tourists but some Americans, too. Florence was a bit of a downer for us --- crowded, not-as-friendly people (I know that's a generalization), extremely annoying and loud motor scooters all over the main tourist areas Academia, Uffuzi, Duomo) and more dirt and trash than we saw anywhere else in Italy...... <BR>

&lt;&lt;Florence was a bit of a downer for us --- extremely annoying and loud motor scooters all over the main tourist areas...&gt;&gt; <BR> <BR>Steve, I felt the same way. As the days went on it felt more and more noisy and unpeaceful, with nary a park in sight. I thought there must be something wrong with me, as "everyone loves Florence!" If I never hear another motor scooter again, it won't be too soon. <BR> <BR>I found Venice and rural Tuscany to be totally delightful, on the other hand. <BR> <BR>Liz

Hi Steve - sounds like you did quite a lot. Can you compare your time in Tuscany North - Cortona vs. Tuscany South - Montalcino, etc. Did you spend only one day in each and what did you see? Thanks. Sue

Steve and Liz, I spent 5 nights in Florence after a stay in Siena. I spent about four nights in Siena, after which I was very ready to get back to the city. When I first got to Florence, I was so frazzled from the noise, I walked throught the city and kept on walking until I got to Piazzale Michelangelo. Then I walked around for a while to 'acclimate.' After that, I was fine. I loved Florence and, what I would call, its energy. I like the bustling and the people watching, the vendors and the artists. I did need quiet every now and then, but found a walk across the river into the Boboli Gardens or Piazzale Michelagelo did the trick for me. I also took a day trip to Fiesole. I think I'm just a city girl at heart though. Everyone's different. It's amazing how Italy has so much appeal on so many different levels. Ciao.

Sue: We only spent part of a day, at most, in any one city during our trips in Tuscany and Umbria. Cortona was hilly but with beautiful views and relatively uncrowded streets. Not many tourists and few Americans; we were there on a Sunday and spent a few minutes watching a service in the cathedral. There's a nice walkway/trail around the inner edge of the city. I'm still a bit tired from the trip, trying to catch up at work, and will have to look at our photos to refresh my memory about southern Tuscany. We enjoyed it, too, but I don't have any striking memories that stand out.