Think: Every Gorgeous Italian Instagram Photo You've Ever Seen, Only Real. As we drew closer, I could see the crenellated battlements of a castle. From the parking lot, a cobblestone path led to a medieval archway. We piled off the bus and headed toward the village, dazed in the way of Americans who have never seen real beauty before. A feral cat darted past my feet. Pigeons cooed and flapped around the village’s ancient walls, which soared gloomily above our heads as we panted up the hill.
Siena... the first time I actually thought there were ghosts (despite scientific training!), I was standing at the Angle at Gettysburg, where the Confederates came over the wall at Cemetery Ridge during Pickett's Charge... and I swear the ground spoke to me. The second time the hairs on my neck sprang up was visiting Siena, realizing that the place had remained pretty much unchanged for 500 years. Pretty f*cking epic.
Siena... the first time I actually thought there were ghosts (despite scientific training!), I was standing at the Angle at Gettysburg, where the Confederates came over the wall at Cemetery Ridge during Pickett's Charge... and I swear the ground spoke to me. The second time the hairs on my neck sprang up was visiting Siena, realizing that the place had remained pretty much unchanged for 500 years. Pretty f*cking epic.