This morning we woke up at 6:30, ate breakfast at 7:00, and left for Siena at 8:00. The bus ride took about an hour and was extremely windy and bumpy. We met our tour guide, Cristina Amberti, outside the San Domenico Church, where she told us the story of Saint Catherine’s life. We were also shown Saint Catherine’s head and finger that was still located in the church. We went on a walking tour and visited Saint Catherine’s home and father’s workshop, which is now converted to a Church. I was fascinated by the information on the different contrade of Siena. There are 17 contrade (district or ward within an Italian city) in Siena. They race each other in a horse race twice a year called in the Palio. Each contrade is named after an animal or symbol: Aquila (Eagle), Bruco (Caterpillar), Chiocciola (Snail), Civetta (Little Owl), Drago (Dragon), Giraffa (Giraffe), Istrice (Crested Porcupine), Leocorno (Unicorn), Lupa (She-Wolf), Nicchio (Seashell), Oca (Goose), Onda (Wave), Pantera (Panther), Selva (Forest), Tartuca (Toroise), Torre (Tower), Valdimontone (Valley of the Ram).
After we walked through the Oca contrade, which was the one Saint Catherine belonged to, we headed to the Siena Cathedral at the very top of Siena. This one was a little bit darker on the inside than other churches we’ve seen; however, it was still extremely elaborate. My favorite part was the ceiling, which was decorated with gold stars on a blue background. We then went to the town hall of Siena and were able to see some beautiful frescos and take pictures on the roof. This tour was extremely informative and gave some insight in to how influential Siena was in the religious and artistic development of Tuscany.
After the tour finished, we were given free time to explore Siena on our own. Kimberly, Sean, and I went to a little place called San Desiderio. I was able to get a fresh salad as well as a plate of gnocchi in a creamy alfredo sauce. After lunch, Kimberly and I did a little bit of shopping. I found a makeup/nail place that I’ve been looking for since my friend Julie from France came to visit. It’s called Kiko Cosmetics and I am obsessed with their nail polish. The best part is that it is fairly inexpensive! I can get a nail polish for about 2.50 euros. I was able to also get a few souvenirs for my friends and family back home. (That’s right Dre, I picked you up that blue nail polish you’ve been wanting). I finished off my day in Siena by getting Gelato of course!
We headed back to Florence and I took a nap to get ready to explore the town at night. 15 of us went to a restaurant called Il Latini. I had ravioli for dinner stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese. It was pretty good; however, the portion was really small and I had to over compensate by eating more bread! It wasn’t my favorite restaurant but it was nice having the big group sitting at one table together. After, we went to this place called Lions Fountain where we met other American’s studying abroad as well as local Italian students. It was an extremely long day and I was exhausted by the time I got to bed. That’s why this blog is being hooked on with my Sunday morning!
So flash forward to Sunday (Today)…. I was able to sleep in (that was amazing)! I then woke up and proceeded to lounge around and watch Scandal and Greys Anatomy until people were ready to leave for shopping downtown. Downtown we ate at a little Pizzeria/Sandwich/Gelato Shop. It was decent, I was so hungry by that point that anything would have tasted good! It was also really cheap. That was a bonus because I knew I was about to do some damage shopping wise. We then headed to H&M where I got a black fringe Beyonce Swimwear top for the cruise at the end of the month. Then it started to thunderstorm so we ran through the rain (I got soaked, anyone who knows me, knows I HATE getting my hair wet…). We made it to the market next door where I bought matching red leather bracelets for all the Overtone ladies! We waited for the rain to calm down a little, which it didn’t, so we decided to head home to the Instituto. Now I’m going to start working on some reading assignments for tomorrow before dinner!
ALSO, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO THE BEST MOM EVER! LOVE YOU! <3
Ciao!
Courtney
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