Universita per Stranieri di Siena

If you are worried about cleanliness, odds are you will not have problems staying with a host family. Most host families are pretty good, almost obsessed, about how clean their house is! In general, families differ in Italy just as they do anywhere else. Some are a good match, some aren't. But it's almost always very exciting, and one should never expect things to go easy or slack.

The housing was provided by my home university. The apartments were very clean, spacious, and close to campus and the center of town.

Train transport is pretty cheap. I loved going to the market on wednesdays.. nice clothes and other items for cheap!

I LOVED Siena and Italy. I want to come back more than anything. Take every opportunity you can and you'll never regret them.

The best views of Siena are on top of the Museo Dell'Opera Metropolitana and the Fortezza. The best time to go to Siena is during the summer. The Palio - the horse race/festival Siena is known for is a must see. The Sienese get all worked up and party all through the summer representing their contradas (neighborhoods) by wearing flags. Go to Il Campo at night - have dinner, or sit around and share some wine with friends. Don't drink? Have some gelato or a granita from Gelateria Caribia.

The exchange rate is awful. The cell phones are incredibly expensive to call other countries. I suggest finding a way to have internet in your living space so that you can use Skype instead of cell phones for longer conversations.