Siena - Chance or faith?

Our second week in Tuscany has been quite eventful! No, no fights with neighbours involved, fortunately, just lots of arguing with kids, but that’s another story, I don’t want to bother you with.

Anyway, past are the times where Jason and I were travelling solo, no kids in tow, long walks, long aperitivos, long uninterrupted conversations,  and no tantrums to deal with! Ah … I must admit that was a very different way to travel, definitely easier! But, here we are, with 2 kids, Sienna and Julia, who make our life a bit more challenging but also fun and … interesting!

Now, going back to our 2nd week in Tuscany, we finally head to a city that is very dear to us, Siena.

Jason and I visited Siena pre-kids and fell in love with this beautiful city. Siena is very famous for the “Palio di Siena”, the most important and peculiar horse race in Italy.

Those who truly know me are aware that horses have been my passion and the very essence of my life, especially during my time in Italy. Even to this day, these magnificent creatures continue to hold a significant place in my heart and play an essential role in defining who I am. The profound connection I have with horses seems to have been passed on to my children as well..

We chose the name Sienna for our first daughter because we thought it really had something to do with us! An Italian beautiful place we both connected too, the fact that horses are an important  part of this city.. but it's only recently that we found something quite extraordinary that seems to confirm our choice!

Il palio, the horse race, happens on the same day every year! Guess what day? The 2nd of July, Sienna’s birthday!
Not only, the race actually occurs twice every year, in two different days! The first race on the 2nd of July and the second one on the 16th of August, which is Julia’s birthday, our second child! Isn’t this just incredible? We were stocked. This has been happening for centuries! We really wonder if this has a deeper meaning than just chance…