An excellent cultural illustration

Today, I went to buy a phone card to put a few more euro on my phone; I went to the local supermarket, Conad, and picked it up and proceeded to get on line. At first, all of us waited in a centralized line for one of the three registers to open up. Logical? Of course. But then, at the behest of the cashiers, they changed it. Given that there are 3 separate registers, there should be three separate lines, thus rendering the line area total chaos. And the Italians liked this better.

In other news, I went to Rome this past weekend. Summary to happen soon.

Ferrara!

Last friday we went to Ferrara, a lovely little city about 3 hours away, to visit some museums and locales. Some were very pretty:

Cattedrale di Ferrara: Super Gothic, Super pretty

And others were interesting:

Palazzo Diamante, made from thousands of chunks of marble

We visited museums, but I would be lying if I said that there were any truly "great" works in here. The greatest was La Sala dei Mesi, in the Palazzo Schifanoia, which I couldn't take pictures of, but depicts the months of the year and the zodiac signs they're associated with.

We also had a few pit stops along the way-- I had my first campari soda ever, and it's a decidedly acquired taste, but this probably stems from the cognitive dissonance between its appearance and its taste. It looks like a shirley temple but tastes incredibly bitter-- but not terrible.

And then, lunch, which was magnificent: various salumi from the region and then grilled vegetables, and then the main dish for me: pumpkin filled pasta with butter and sage. Possibly the greatest meal I've had so far.

Lately it's been quiet here, but slowly I'm coming to explore nearly every part of the city, and seeing the hidden views that it offers to those who look.

Who would think I've only a little more than a week left?

Lunch and Musings

The food here is wonderful. Today we had lunch together as a class, with a family whose patriarch is writing his dissertation on Dante and who lectured on Michelangelo's Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel to us today. And then afterwards, we went to lunch together, at a restaurant that happened to coincide with the meeting of the three terzi of the city-- Città, Camollia, and San Martino.

I ended up rather on the end, to Prof. Mazzotta's left with really no one to talk to but him and a few other adults who I barely knew. Which was fine, as he is wonderful, but it would have been nice to have a few buffer friends around--there's something a bit imposing about being seated to a man as accomplished and ingenious as he.

It was one of the more delicious meals I've had here; many courses, and an overwhelming desire to take a nap, which sadly, the post-meal espresso I had sabotaged the efforts of.

I am more than half done with my time here in Siena. Yesterday, when Whim'n'Rhythm sang Livin' on a Prayer in the cloisters of San Cristoforo, I realized this. I've seen its highlights, its hidden spots, and yet I know that there is still even more to discover here-- I need more time!
Tomorrow we go to Ferrara, to see another Rival of Firenze-- we shall see what shenanigans occur.

Until then: some pictures of places around Siena:Il Duomo: the inside
A lamp in the Onda Contrada

Happy Birthday, America

Things I now appreciate about you:

air conditioning
cold drinks
widely available wifi
less pigeons
walking speed

Things I think this country might be doing better:
food
coffee (caffè!)
speed of life
fashion (no crocs. anywhere)

It's funny how absence made me appreciate my home on a whole different level; as much as I love Italy, and I do love it lots, there is always this sense of being an outsider looking in, in the sense that there are some cultural things I'll never get entirely (hand gestures, etc). But it's getting better; I can navigate bars (not alcoholic ones so much as caffeinated ones) with ease and maintain conversations in Italian. But there still remains this overwhelming desire to keep learning.

And so it goes.

The last few days I've taken a bunch of pictures. Coming soon to this blog!

Palio!

A verbal summary first, and then pictures.

Yesterday started off well enough, with not much happening but a definite tension in the air. The city was on edge, waiting for the afternoon festivities to occur. At about 4 or so, we went to the Duomo to watch the procession of the contradas and the historical court; the historical court includes the crests of old families and lots of hot, fur trimmed, velvet costumes. Then, after a quick breather in the house, I went to L'Entrata dell'Onda (Onda Entrance) to get to the piazza. Oh. My. God. That was chaotic-- so many people, all fighting to get in, and since it's Italians, I was literally rubbing elbows/sides with everyone. After a half hour to travel 50 feet, I finally found the rest of Yale, who had staked out some prime real estate near the Onda side. After watching the end of the parade, we waited expectantly for the race to begin. The horses came out, and silence fell on the Campo; true silence, to the point were it was actually slightly creepy. And then the horses wouldn't line up; they were reset about five times. Finally, the start (or mossa) was valid and they were off, where a 90 second race seemed like an eternity. La Selva, or the forest won, so they've been parading ever since.

And now, some pictures:
an alfiere (flag tosser) for the Aquila (Eagle)

they toss really, really high

Herald TRUMPETS
On the Piazza del Campo: No breathing room whatsoever

A very good day indeed-- I've survived a Palio! And now we're on to some quieter weeks, and now I'll be able to see Siena in a less frenzied state.

Le Prove

Or trials. I went to one today, where they had all the horses come in, accompanied by their be-scarfed contradaioli, belting out the same song, but with 17 different variations, depending on which contrada one becomes a part of.

It's a wonder to hear these voices harmonized, and to see the processions of contradas across town to visit their friends. The other day La Chiocciola (Snail) visited us, and they tossed their flags with those of the civetta and it was good.

I find it a little odd to say "us" because I'm not a contradaiola. Sure, I live here, but I was not born into this insanity of form and function that is a contrada senese. I have my scarf, but I don't feel quite comfortable enough to wear it, given that I know hardly anyone in the contrada outside my family. I want to fix this, and perhaps I will by going to the contrada dinner sometime.... At times, looking at the senesi, I can see how they could truly become a closed city, not in the sense of walls, but in the looks and lack of smiles they give turisti. Whether this is because the turisti are terrible (I've seen it-- many are) or whether they are so encompassed by their contrada, I think that sometimes students like us, who aren't truly turisti but not senesi either get lost in the middle. But perhaps this will get better in time-- even saying buona sera to fellow palazzo dwellers elicited a smile and a mildly confused look; perhaps being more outgoing is worth it.

But back to le prove-- they are essentially Palio lite. Worth it to go to one, but I don't know if I feel the need to go again.

Overall, the tension is heightening in the air-- the next few days should be interesting!

Advertisements on TV are wonderful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDLFJvJekxo

Seriously, they make my day sometimes.