Venice by train - After a quick breakfast at our hotel we checked out and loaded our car. We left the car on the hotel parking lot and walked a couple of minutes down the road to the train station. The hotel provided us with a timetable, so we knew when to be at the station. We got our tickets just in time to catch our ride to Venice, which took around 20 minutes. At the Venice train station we purchased overpriced street-maps of Florence, Siena and - of course - Venice.

Flying rats at St. Marcus Square - We really liked our half-day trip to Venice. It was interesting to see the original versions of the buildings, that we already know so well from our trips to Las Vegas. The weather was excellent and the food - we had salads for lunch - was delicious. There was only one major downer: we absolutely hate this disgusting creatures we like to call "flying rats". Most people also call them pigeons. And there are gazillions of those filthy parasites in Venice. When on St. Marcus Square you literally are being attacked constantly by low flying pigeons. So we just shot a couple of pictures, a few seconds of video, and then got away from there as quickly as possible.

Hours of insanity and madness - Back at the hotel we drove off with our sizzling, non air-conditioned car with the sunroof and windows wide open. We took the Superstrada to Ravenna, on which we experienced even more insanity, madness, recklessness, brainlessness and sloppiness of Italian drivers. Especially their way of overtaking is extremely dangerous. You just can't afford to take your eyes off the road ahead for not only one millisecond. Just when you think it's safe to look elsewhere, a car, motorbike or scooter could be hurtling towards you on the wrong side of the road. Back then we weren't so sure if we would make it to our destination without a serious crash, but we finally arrived alive and well in the tiny Republic of San Marino.

All was quiet - At around 10pm, the time that we arrived at the Hotel Titano in the heart of San Marino, the city centre was extremely quiet. We felt bad closing the doors and the trunk of the car, because it made such a noise. Hotel staff helped us with our luggage and drove our car to the nearby Grand Hotel parking garage. We pre-booked the "San Marino Romantica" weekend for a total of 240 Euros. The package included a stay of two nights in a small, but nice double room (queen size bed), breakfast, one really excellent dinner for two in the panoramic restaurant (excluding beverages), parking and a discount voucher for shopping.

Up and down the hills and stairs - After having just a few bites at the breakfast buffet we took off sightseeing in the beautiful heart of San Marino. The weather was just gorgeous and there were no loud and smelly scooters on the streets. The whole city centre with its narrow and step streets is a traffic restricted zone, where only locals and delivery vans are allowed to drive. Of course we did some shopping too - especially leather goods. Where else can you buy a men's leather belt for just 5 Euro? We also walked up to one of San Marino's three fortresses. The castles are perched along the cliffs of Monte Titano, where they offer panoramic views of the local countryside.

An excellent dinner at the Hotel Titano in San Marino - In the evening we had the "romantic dinner" at our hotel, and were pleasantly surprised. We thought that we would just get some cheap stuff - instead we had the choice of a 4-course and a 5-course meal. Because we like to share our meals to get as many different tastes as possible, we ordered one of each. The hotel reserved the best table in their panoramic restaurant for us, so we got to see the sun setting on the surrounding hills while we enjoyed delicious food and wine. We highly recommend the Hotel Titano with nothing but glowing statements.

And off we go - We spent the morning doing more shopping (two handbags, a women's leather jacket, etc.), and then got in our car to drive to Arezzo and on to our next destination, Siena. We first had trouble to find the right road, as this is by no means a main road. All streets seem to lead to Rimini - and that is also where all road-signs point to. But finally we got it right and we headed up and down a winding country road for about two or three hours, until we arrived in Arezzo, which is situated about 50 miles south east of Florence. We parked our car at the train station, then walked into the city centre. After our lunch-break at a small cafe we walked around the old town for about one hour. Especially the Basilico San Francesco with its origins in the 13th century is worth a visit.

Arriving in Siena - After another hour of driving we arrived in Siena, where we stayed at the brand new 4-star Best Western Hotel Palazzo dei Priori, just off the main highway and situated just a 10 minute drive from the city center. Our room was equipped with a comfy queen-size bed, refrigerator, a working desk and a completely silent air conditioner. Parking was free and the breakfast buffet was included in the room rate of 74 Euros per day. We stayed there for the next three nights.

Siena: definitely a major highlight of our trip - Driving from the hotel into the city centre is quite easy, and so is the parking situation. Parking around the "Stadio Comunale" is free and there is always a spot left for you. After arriving in Siena we went straight into the cobblestone maze of Siena's historic city centre looking for a restaurant. We ended up in the Trattoria La Tellina, located at Via delle Terme 52 - a tiny, always packed restaurant with lots of atmosphere. The food was excellent, and the staff was very nice and courteous. Maybe this was also because we took 28 hours of Italian in evening classes before we went off for our vacation and tried to use our new "skills" as often as possible. Anyway, we were so satisfied with our visit at La Tellina that we returned for dinner again two days later.

Siena's Piazza del Campo by night - So after our delicious culinary experience we went further into the city centre and there it was: breathtaking, jaw-dropping and stunning - the Piazza del Campo. This shell-shaped town square lies at the heart of Siena and has served as a focus for life in the city for centuries. In July and August it provides a splendid backdrop for the Corsa del Palio, a fast and furious bareback horse race dating back to the 15th century. The Palazzo Pubblico (Town Hall), which stands at the top of the piazza, was constructed around 700 years ago as the seat of the Governo dei Nove, or Government of Nine, who ruled Siena back then. Next to the Palazzo Pubblico stands the Torre del Mangia (Mangia Tower), a belltower which rises to 334 ft.

A day of walking and shopping in Siena - As shopping is an essential part of our vacations this day in Siena was mainly dedicated to that purpose. We just enjoyed walking around, stopping in shops and finding interesting things (mainly women's clothes and shoes) to look at and try on. We also went to a little movie theatre that shows a short film about the Palio, the horserace which is held in Piazza del Campo twice a year. The film gives some history behind the Palio and shows scenes of the preparations and the actual race. We ended the day with a dinner at "La Taverna di Cecco" located at Via Cecco Angiolieri.

A day in Florence - A 90 minute drive led us from Siena to Florence. We jostled our way into the city centre heading for the parking garage at the Central Station (Stazione Centrale) followed by a four hour walk passing by the most important sights. The most impressive must-see is the Duomo (Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore), the cathedral of Florence. The present church is the result of continual alterations made over the course of the last 700 years and dominates the entire Florentine panorama. Just across the Duomo is the 15^th century Porta della Mandorla, with a bas-relief of the Assumption. Other than that we experienced Florence as an extremely noisy city with lots of scooters, tons of market stands selling handbags and way too much garbage in the streets. We were glad that we didn't book a hotel there. So we drove back to Siena, where we just enjoyed a walk through the city. In the evening we again went to Trattoria La Tellina for more great food.