| Italy 2008 |
| Siena: We Arrive |
| "I love Italy, because I love Siena, because I love my Contrada." - Piero Bargellini |
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We rose in the morning and walked to the train station, bidding farewell to Viterbo.
We were bound for Siena, and our Italian language school. We were going to be
studying the language for two weeks, staying in an apartment and trying to be as
Italian as possible.
Boarding the train in Viterbo, we found that we had it all to ourselves. It was Sunday,
and a gorgeous day. We took turns dashing from one side of the car to the other,
pointing out the beauty that flew by us. You never escaped the feeling that you were
missing something fabulous behind you, as you gaze ahead in fascination.
We were bound for Siena, and our Italian language school. We were going to be
studying the language for two weeks, staying in an apartment and trying to be as
Italian as possible.
Boarding the train in Viterbo, we found that we had it all to ourselves. It was Sunday,
and a gorgeous day. We took turns dashing from one side of the car to the other,
pointing out the beauty that flew by us. You never escaped the feeling that you were
missing something fabulous behind you, as you gaze ahead in fascination.
The train took us through Attiligiano, where we would return in several weeks, through
Arbia and into Siena. We took the bus to the Piazza Gramsci in Centro, and walked
to our apartment. We then followed the sound of the drums to the Campo, where the
Civetta Contrada (the Owls) were taking their turn parading.
Arbia and into Siena. We took the bus to the Piazza Gramsci in Centro, and walked
to our apartment. We then followed the sound of the drums to the Campo, where the
Civetta Contrada (the Owls) were taking their turn parading.
| Italy: Brought to you by TrenItalia |
| The view from our apartment. The black and white is the flag of Siena. |
| The Owls take to the streets, led by drummers and flag twirlers, and followed up by a marching band and a parade of citizens, old and young. |
| This furtive figure, dashing across the street through the parade, turned out to be one of our classmates and soon to be good friend, Alexis. We didn't realize we had caught her on film, in her native habitat, until well after we were home. |
| Click on the fazzoletto of the Civetta Contrada above to return to the main Siena Page |