Two more days have passed of wandering, exploring, getting lost and finding my way again.
All of the pictures which I posted yesterday I took while exploring Siena with my roommate. We left our house with our cameras and a map in case we got lost, and set out to find out way around Siena and familiarize ourselves with the city. It was a huge success. We found all kinds of beautiful places and things which I plan to revisit later either to look closer at or just to sit and read a book.
We wandered for over two hours, eventually making our way to a market where I learned two things. The first is that Italian cash registers do not have scales built into them. You have to weigh the fruit yourself. The second is that you have to buy grocery bags. I was informed of both of these things by a rather impatient Italian woman. I guess I have to learn somehow.
Later in the day we had the opportunity to visit the Museum of the Contrada Della Selva (Forest). Siena is divided into seventeen different contrade by neighborhood. In the Palio, the horse race held in Piazza del Campo in July and again in August, ten of these contrade are represented (the ones that do not race in July will race in August. Sadly, I will not be here for my contrada's race!) Every contrada has a private museum and chapel, and a sort of club for the members of the contrada, which as far as I know is anyone who lives in the contrada. It was a very special opportunity to be able to eat at the contrada's headquarters with the members of the contrada and to be able to see the contrada's museum.
Many of the contrade have rivals and friends. We were all fortunate that none of us are living in a contrada which is enemies with Contrada della Selva! I learned today that my Contrada, Giraffa (Giraffe) has no enemies, only friends. One of the other members of my group is part of a contrada which is allies with the Contrada della Selva. The jockeys in the Palio will work with allies and can bribe each other to get what they want.
Today we traveled an hour and a half by bus to the town of Arezzo, another small town in Tuscany. We weren't able to stay for very long, but we went to see a market that we heard is held there on Sundays, and we certainly were not disappointed. It was an antique market, mostly, and it was huge! Usually in the States such markets are held in one large open space, but this one was held over multiple roads spread across the city center. All of it was blocked to traffic and packed with people. I heard more people outside of my program speaking English there than I have heard since I arrived in Siena. Italians and tourists alike seemed to be at this market though. The city itself was very old, like Siena. There was a beautiful park at the top of the hill in the city, and a fort. This one, unlike la Fortezza in Siena, I don't believe you can go into. The Duomo, the cities cathedral, was at the bottom of this park, and surrounded by ancient public buildings. It was not so ornate as the public buildings and the Duomo of Siena, but it was still very beautiful. I will post pictures soon.
We had to leave after just two hours because of the bus schedule and dinner time, but it was a very nice city, and I will perhaps go back before the end of my time here to explore more.
When we arrived home, it was pouring rain! So much that even if I had an umbrella with me, it would not have helped. A few of us dived into a local pizzeria where pizza is sold for one euro a slice, and waited out the weather. When we did finally get home though, I got to meet my homestay family's daughter and grandson, who were here watching Palio videos because today was supposed to be a holiday for la Contrada della Giraffa but the party got rained out! I showed Nicola, the grandson, a picture of the giraffe my sister saw on safari in South Africa. He then pointed out that I have blonde hair. (Sei bionda!) He has blonde hair too, so I guess that means we have something in common and so must be friends!
Another good day. It was a great conclusion to orientation, and tomorrow I am ready to start class.
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