Siena & Italy Tours with Anna

03/03/2026

Oops, it is now the Lenten period, but due to an eye ailment (finally on the mend!) I have been taking as much of a screen break as I can. That said, I had perfect vision for the incredible spectacle that was the Carnevale di Viareggio!! I had been wanting to go for years, and thanks to a dear friend (Melissa at Hub&Spoke Tours!) I was finally able to. These floats were truly out of this world, and viewing them from the grandstands was the best way to appreciate the craftsmanship and engineering involved. Specialized artisans work on them all year, and a prize is awarded to the best one (‘In Bocca al Lupo’ 🐺 ❣️was the winner this time!). As you can see, the weather was perfect, the company supreme, and the atmosphere one of joy and celebration (as well as political commentary - see any familiar faces here?! 😈). I must go again!

27/01/2026

What a difference an hour can make!

20/01/2026

🎨Sometimes an art break is what we truly need, and January is the perfect time to do this in the Renaissance city. ⚜️ Festivities officially end on the 6th, and then you’ve got the place practically to yourself for a few weeks. No reservations? No problem! We didn’t even wait one minute to get our tickets to the Uffizi, and most rooms were practically empty.* 🖼️ It was also a great opportunity to catch up with dear friends, and even though we had snow just a few days before, check out that sun! ☀️

*There are always changes being made to the museum…the Botticelli rooms are now closed but the Birth of Venus and Primavera have been moved into another room on the 2nd floor for viewing, fear not!

18/11/2025

09/11/2025

Palazzo Strozzi always has fantastic exhibitions, and this one is no exception! Through 25 Jan you can delve into the world of Beato Angelico (then you can always enjoy his works in San Marco!). As is often the case with such important shows, many works were restored for the occasion, and altarpieces that haven’t been together in a century or more have been reunited for a short while. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, as I always appreciate a chance to get up close and personal with art (check out some of my favourite details in these photos!). Make sure to book your tickets in advance, especially if going on a weekend, and if it gets crowded with a tour group, just be patient. My friend and I would wait for the large guided groups to finish in one room and then we’d head back to what we couldn’t see before. Even with this going back and forth, we were in the museum for just under 2 hours, which really was the perfect amount of time. I hope you can go too!

06/11/2025

There are few places I enjoy more than the Room of the Nine in the Palazzo Pubblico of Siena, especially when I have the whole place to myself with special clients! (No, I don’t have that much sway, but it’s low season 😅). After the recent elections in the States, the messages in the frescoes resonate even more.
“Love justice, you who rule the earth”. One must rule for the common good and not for one’s own interests. Ambrogio Lorenzetti illustrated the benefits of a good and just government, guided by wisdom, and the perils of tyranny when the leader rules with pride and justice is bound. What lessons can we learn from 14th-c Siena? ⚖️

28/10/2025

‼️Wed 29 Oct at 10pm/9pm ET on PBS!! 📺
It’s finally here! I had the distinct honour and pleasure of working with Impossible Factual when they were filming “CHASING THE PLAGUE” here in Siena. What a treat to be behind the scenes of this fascinating documentary! Please let me know what you think when you watch it! 🐀

06/10/2025

Morning office.

23/09/2025

Current mood 🥰

18/09/2025

I’m still here! I’ve fallen woefully behind on social media, but I had a wonderful summer with a trip to France (will post pix soon!), England (family wedding and reunion with university friends!), and amazing tours with wonderful people. Looking forward to meeting more of you!!

16/08/2025

TODAY IS THE DAY! PALIO DELL’ASSUNTA 2025!

Here are the 10 Contrade in alphabetical order (with year of last victory), horses (all geldings this Palio; C = “castrato”), and jockeys (with their nicknames and Palii run):

1. Aquila (1992) - Diosu de Campeda (C6, 2nd Palio) - Andrea Sanna aka Virgola (Comma) (3rd Palio)
2. Bruco (2008) - Diamante Grigio (C6, 1st Palio) - Mattia Chiavassa aka Tambani (2nd Palio)
3. Civetta (2014) - Benitos (C8, 2nd Palio, 1 victory) - Jonatan Bartoletti aka Scompiglio (Havoc) (33rd Palio, 5 victories)
4. Drago (2022) - Zenis (C10, 4th Palio) - Andrea Coghe aka Tempesta (9th Palio, 1 victory)
5. Giraffa (2019) - Ungaros (C12, 4th Palio) - Elias Mannucci aka Turbine (Whirlwind) (11th Palio)
6. Leocorno (2022) - Diodoro (C6, 2nd Palio, 1 victory) - Giovanni Atzeni aka Tittia (How cold!) (41st Palio, 11 victories)
7. Onda (2024) - Veranu (C11, 4th Palio) - Sebastiano Murtas aka Grandine (Hail) (14th Palio)
8. Pantera (2006) - Viso d’Angelo (C11, 8th Palio) - Dino Pes aka Velluto (Velvet) (11th Palio, 1 victory)
9. Tartuca (2018) - Entu de Pedra Ulpu (C5, 1st Palio) - Antonio Siri aka Amsicora (Sardinian patriot) (8th Palio)
10. Valdimontone (2012) - Anda e Bola (C9, 3rd Palio) - Giuseppe Zedde aka Gingillo (Knickknack) (34th Palio, 3 victories)