It's been many, many years since my last time in Siena. I was 10 and my parents brought me along on one of their many trips in Tuscany, opening the way to my passionate love for this region.
My most vivid memory is the three of us having dinner at Ristorante Al Mangia in Piazza del Campo, while my father taught me about the history of the square and about the importance of the Palio.
You see, when you are so young and you travel with your parents, every little memory is infused with their presence. It's not just "the main street of the city", it's where my mother bought me the green Peanuts t-shirt I loved so much that I wanted to wear for the rest of the vacation
and everything my father told me about the places we visited, to me, was the absolute truth. He had so much knowledge, and kept my attention alive adding curiosities and quoting books I never heard of before.
And we have always visited museums, churches and castles, but we have also always taken time for lunches, dinners and aperitivi in the best spots my father could find on the Michelin guide, or those that caught our attention while walking around.
And they always bought me souvenirs. T-shirts and pencils and stuffed animals with the symbol of the city.
Yesterday, as I was walking past a souvenir shop, I saw a display of Pinocchio gadgets and I remembered the time they took me to Pinocchio park in Collodi. I'm sure my mother still keeps all the toys from that trip, somewhere.
Now I don't buy gadgets or souvenirs when I travel. I just take hundreds of pictures and write down the things I don't want to forget. And I tell you about the food and the places and the history and the culture of every city or town I visit, just as my father did, and as he keeps doing still to these days.
Just don't expect me to pay the bills.
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