Yes, I know - this is an ITALY blog - says so in the title! However, after 15 years of going to Italy (yes, friends - since 1995, with Baylor - the first Baylor in Italy group), I am finally branching out and heading to France this week!
First of all, thank you, Mlle. May (http://spienfrance.blogspot.com/) for your French talk with me earlier this week! I can't wait to share this experience with you and whatever random other person wants to see ME in culture shock. Yes, kids - I do expect it - remember those feelings you had at the beginning of the Italy trip, and you wished I could sympathize? I did, and I REALLY will this time - the only phrase I really have down is "je ne parle pas Francais", and maybe "ou sont les toilettes?". Maybe "je voudrais deux croissants, sil vous plait".
Upon our arrival, Jay and I immediately head to the Loire Valley, where we join family and friends at the end of their week's stay at a chateau - www.loirechateau.com - and I can't wait to see what is in store for us in this experience! Already have done a few firsts:
1. Pre-reserved train tickets. Craziness to me. And bigger craziness that the price changes, like airfare, as you get closer to the departure? No more 18E 3-hour a/c'd bus rides for us - we're paying over 10 times than that for a two-hour train ride!
2. Accepted the fact that I'm not the super-tourist. My mother-in-law found some rockin' awesome fares and trains which would get us into Tours a few hours' earlier, but, upon realizing that I'd never navigated CDG, nor the shuttles, nor Montparnasse Gare, I knew I couldn't make those trips in the time given. AUGH
3. Set important goals for the trip. I'll be teaching an English class along with my Latin classes in the next academic year, so I have a novel to complete. Also, knowing the delicacies France has to offer, I MUST have a cheese and wine every day. Crepes will happen sometime during the trip, but probably not every day - I'm saving myself for fromage. Also, we are there for two Sundays. I'd love to be able to attend Mass or Vespers at least twice during our stay - one Sunday is in Avignon, after all! I was thinking it would be fun to pick up some papal stuff during my few days in Avignon (we are there two days during the cruise), but I hesitate, being the self-respecting Roman I am ("City of the Popes" belongs to one city only, thank you!!! At least St. Catherine shares the same opinion)
Our second night is in Villeneuve des Avignon (SP?), at a BEAUTIFUL hotel which Nancy (suocera mia) found - http://www.hostellerie-la-magnaneraie.com/ - and, yes, I will be doing some pool time there.
So, see - we all have the fun of newness for this summer! I hope to find a computer - our boat is wireless - and get a posting or two during this trip! But until then . . .
Laura :)
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Il giorno ultimo!!!!
Buon Giorno, Tutti!
Wow - I can't believe it's our last day in Siena! How time has REALLY flown by!!! Yesterday was a "free" day for the kids - some did a little shopping at the market, some enjoyed hanging around town, some caught up on e-mails.
Today, the kids will be taking a test in class. I absolutely LOVE how they handle examinations and grading here (it's how I think we should do it) - the teacher scores the test, and considers the student's improvement as an individual (not on a score of 1 - 100), and decides if the individual has been putting in the effort to learn something.
Can I just stop and say how many times the kids' teachers have told me how impressed they are with our group's performance this year?
This afternoon, we all return to our homestays to get everything packed up (mettere - it's such a great verb - with one verb, you can make the bed, pack your suitcase, clean your room, and organize papers) before we meet at 4:45 for the festa di pizza, where we'll make pizzas and dessert from scratch, then enjoy it together. It's so much fun, and we'll be getting lots of videos and pictures of the kids making everything. Oh, and they can enter the kitchen, only after they are able to conjugate the verbs "to have" and "to be". What a great last-night-in-Siena experience!
Tomorrow morning, we meet at the train station at 8 AM, and take a private bus (thank you, SPI) directly to our hotel in Rome, which is in an AWESOME location (thank you, again, and even more, SPI). We will tour all the ancient stuff of Rome tomorrow - the Imperial Fora, the Colosseum, the Forum, the Mamertine Prison, the monument to Vittorio Emanuele, the Theatre of Marcellus, the Forum Boarium, the Bocca della Verita) - it's a sweat fest, but very interesting. When I used to get homesick when living in Rome over the summers, I'd always find comfort by sitting in the Forum, reconnecting myself with my ancient Roman family. Friday night, we'll eat at a great restaurant - Pancrazio - which is located right over the foundations of the Theatre of Pompey, where Julius Caesar was really killed (not in the Forum, as according to Shakespeare).
Then, on Saturday, we get to take a nice morning stroll through the center of town - the Mausoleum of Augustus, Piazza del Popolo, the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps), the Cappucin Crypt, Fontana di Trevi, the Pantheon, and then stop for lunch at the Piazza Navona. Everyone gets Saturday afternoon to do their own thing - I'll encourage most people to go to the Vatican museums with Dana, but I've got an idea for those few others who have already been to the Vatican. In the late afternoon, we'll meet up at the Vatican to suffer the security lines and enter into the beautiful Basilica, then return to the hotel for showers and a last night's dinner at a great pizzeria, Montecarlo.
Oh, and Tartuffo at Tre Scalini will happen sometime in there, too.
Then, the flight home on Sunday!!!
I want to thank all of you for blessing me with such a great group of kids this year - really, this has been the best experience for me, in all seven years I've done this. I can't wait to show them around Rome - my second home.
Grazie tanti,
Laura
Wow - I can't believe it's our last day in Siena! How time has REALLY flown by!!! Yesterday was a "free" day for the kids - some did a little shopping at the market, some enjoyed hanging around town, some caught up on e-mails.
Today, the kids will be taking a test in class. I absolutely LOVE how they handle examinations and grading here (it's how I think we should do it) - the teacher scores the test, and considers the student's improvement as an individual (not on a score of 1 - 100), and decides if the individual has been putting in the effort to learn something.
Can I just stop and say how many times the kids' teachers have told me how impressed they are with our group's performance this year?
This afternoon, we all return to our homestays to get everything packed up (mettere - it's such a great verb - with one verb, you can make the bed, pack your suitcase, clean your room, and organize papers) before we meet at 4:45 for the festa di pizza, where we'll make pizzas and dessert from scratch, then enjoy it together. It's so much fun, and we'll be getting lots of videos and pictures of the kids making everything. Oh, and they can enter the kitchen, only after they are able to conjugate the verbs "to have" and "to be". What a great last-night-in-Siena experience!
Tomorrow morning, we meet at the train station at 8 AM, and take a private bus (thank you, SPI) directly to our hotel in Rome, which is in an AWESOME location (thank you, again, and even more, SPI). We will tour all the ancient stuff of Rome tomorrow - the Imperial Fora, the Colosseum, the Forum, the Mamertine Prison, the monument to Vittorio Emanuele, the Theatre of Marcellus, the Forum Boarium, the Bocca della Verita) - it's a sweat fest, but very interesting. When I used to get homesick when living in Rome over the summers, I'd always find comfort by sitting in the Forum, reconnecting myself with my ancient Roman family. Friday night, we'll eat at a great restaurant - Pancrazio - which is located right over the foundations of the Theatre of Pompey, where Julius Caesar was really killed (not in the Forum, as according to Shakespeare).
Then, on Saturday, we get to take a nice morning stroll through the center of town - the Mausoleum of Augustus, Piazza del Popolo, the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps), the Cappucin Crypt, Fontana di Trevi, the Pantheon, and then stop for lunch at the Piazza Navona. Everyone gets Saturday afternoon to do their own thing - I'll encourage most people to go to the Vatican museums with Dana, but I've got an idea for those few others who have already been to the Vatican. In the late afternoon, we'll meet up at the Vatican to suffer the security lines and enter into the beautiful Basilica, then return to the hotel for showers and a last night's dinner at a great pizzeria, Montecarlo.
Oh, and Tartuffo at Tre Scalini will happen sometime in there, too.
Then, the flight home on Sunday!!!
I want to thank all of you for blessing me with such a great group of kids this year - really, this has been the best experience for me, in all seven years I've done this. I can't wait to show them around Rome - my second home.
Grazie tanti,
Laura
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Homestay Experience
Buon Giorno, Tutti!
Seeing as we'll be leaving for Rome on Friday morning, I thought I'd give you two more entries, today and Thursday!
When your child returns home, you can probably have a week's worth of discussion about their homestay family, experience, and communication lessons. I know that I have a LOAD of them, just from my own homestay, and I thought I'd share a little about my own with you!
My homestay mom is generous, loving, caring, and hospitable. She wants every person who stays in her home to be comfortable and well-cared for. She's also an excellent Italian teacher, always wanting to help us improve in our speaking (seeing as that's our biggest goal here). She has had a blessed life, but not without difficulties - her husband passed away around 11 years ago (I think), and she just lost her son - who is just a little older than I - about a year and a half ago. Seeing as I have stayed with her for five years out of the past six (took one year off to get married to a WONDERFUL, UNDERSTANDING husband - I love you, Jay), I have seen her life go through changes, and appreciate her even more now that I did at my first stay. And she has seen me go through changes, too - going from single and dating, to married (and graciously inviting my husband to stay with me and enjoy living in her house and eating at her table). She's been with me through many challenges with students (I haven't said enough about how wonderful your kiddos in this group are), and with my inability to communicate with her as well as I wish I could.
Just as in any house, there are quirks with the house. The shower head leaks if you don't push the handle all the way up against the hot direction, or else the hot water drips out and is wasted (miscommunication on my part the first year - I took cold showers the entire time, thinking that she didn't want me to WASTE the hot water), and the button on the upstairs handle needs only be pushed a few millimeters to work, or else the toilet quits working (not good, when you have post-travel tummy fun). When, in my third year there (and my husband's first year), I thought she was upset about our both taking showers every day, but it turns out she just wants to be able to clean the shower between each person's use, to assure good cleanliness in the house! Even this year, I have had more misunderstandings, all on my part, but care for Dina so greatly that I want to make sure there's always peace in the house.
When we eat, well, it's a beautiful and miserable experience, all at once. Dina is a great cook, and her food is always delicious. She generously serves us HUGE servings (cracks me up to see our roommate get served the large bowl of pasta - and he eats it all!), and talks about the fact that if you don't eat well, you can't study and learn well. At the end of dinner, every night, we have to go for a walk after dinner, because a human can't sleep well with as much good food as is on our stomachs (Jay learned that in his first year).
While I'm really happy that we're going home on Sunday, I do leave behind a little myself with Dina every year. I care greatly about her, and wish her well, hoping that I get the privilege to stay with her again the next year. She's my mama Italiana. ;)
L ;)
Seeing as we'll be leaving for Rome on Friday morning, I thought I'd give you two more entries, today and Thursday!
When your child returns home, you can probably have a week's worth of discussion about their homestay family, experience, and communication lessons. I know that I have a LOAD of them, just from my own homestay, and I thought I'd share a little about my own with you!
My homestay mom is generous, loving, caring, and hospitable. She wants every person who stays in her home to be comfortable and well-cared for. She's also an excellent Italian teacher, always wanting to help us improve in our speaking (seeing as that's our biggest goal here). She has had a blessed life, but not without difficulties - her husband passed away around 11 years ago (I think), and she just lost her son - who is just a little older than I - about a year and a half ago. Seeing as I have stayed with her for five years out of the past six (took one year off to get married to a WONDERFUL, UNDERSTANDING husband - I love you, Jay), I have seen her life go through changes, and appreciate her even more now that I did at my first stay. And she has seen me go through changes, too - going from single and dating, to married (and graciously inviting my husband to stay with me and enjoy living in her house and eating at her table). She's been with me through many challenges with students (I haven't said enough about how wonderful your kiddos in this group are), and with my inability to communicate with her as well as I wish I could.
Just as in any house, there are quirks with the house. The shower head leaks if you don't push the handle all the way up against the hot direction, or else the hot water drips out and is wasted (miscommunication on my part the first year - I took cold showers the entire time, thinking that she didn't want me to WASTE the hot water), and the button on the upstairs handle needs only be pushed a few millimeters to work, or else the toilet quits working (not good, when you have post-travel tummy fun). When, in my third year there (and my husband's first year), I thought she was upset about our both taking showers every day, but it turns out she just wants to be able to clean the shower between each person's use, to assure good cleanliness in the house! Even this year, I have had more misunderstandings, all on my part, but care for Dina so greatly that I want to make sure there's always peace in the house.
When we eat, well, it's a beautiful and miserable experience, all at once. Dina is a great cook, and her food is always delicious. She generously serves us HUGE servings (cracks me up to see our roommate get served the large bowl of pasta - and he eats it all!), and talks about the fact that if you don't eat well, you can't study and learn well. At the end of dinner, every night, we have to go for a walk after dinner, because a human can't sleep well with as much good food as is on our stomachs (Jay learned that in his first year).
While I'm really happy that we're going home on Sunday, I do leave behind a little myself with Dina every year. I care greatly about her, and wish her well, hoping that I get the privilege to stay with her again the next year. She's my mama Italiana. ;)
L ;)
Monday, July 6, 2009
Dolce Senesi
In the midst of all the trip business I've been sharing with you, I have completely overseen the priorities - DAILY LIFE, which is so beautiful in Siena!
First of all, the Campo is the center piazza of the city. Siena is situated on two hills (and surrounding areas), with the Campo in the center (they call it the "drain", and there really is a central drain in there). When it rains, it's a crazy-good drainage system.
And rain, it has. It has rained on us practically every day. In other places, and on other touring experiences, this may seem like a hindrance, but the kids have learned to really appreciate it. Often, the day starts off stifling and warm (when you have A/C nowhere, your body learns to handle the weather differently), then the clouds blow in, and we get a little cloudburst (this stay, usually with some thunder, even we rarely see lightning), then it's cool with a nice breeze the rest of the time. The weather groups say that this is supposed to stop tomorrow, and it'll get a little warmer, but that's fine - we can pit out our clothes this week, and bring them back home for cleaning in our washing machines at home. Dirty laundry is the best packing material for pricey gifts - no one's going digging through that!!!
And the kids are learning to appreciate the sweets of Siena. We're still on the search for the best gelateria (I know my favorite one, but often students challenge me on this by the end of the trip), and we have some avid seekers. But, in Siena, baked goods are the BOMB. There are:
Ricarelli - soft, sweet cookies which are dusted with powdered sugar. I bring these home every trip, but they often harden before you can serve them to family, so they're probably not coming home with me this time (sorry, Mom);
Cantucci - really hard cookies which look (and are made) like biscotti. Caveat: if your child brings these home, don't eat them straight up - you'll break your teeth on them! They're intended to be served with vin santo, a very strong after-dinner wine - you fill shot glasses halfway with the vin santo, then put the cantucci in the glasses to soak, before eating them. I guess you could use regular wine to serve these, if your kiddo brings them home without vin santo, but it's just not the same . . .
Panforte and Panpepato: I am not the biggest fruitcake fan (even though I AM a fruitcake - parrotheads!!!), but this is something completely different. It's a small, round cake, but far thicker in consistency than cake, with nuts and candied fruit in it. I serve this in small slices to friends and family - a little goes a long way. The ingredients differ a little between the two, but they both have the same intent, which is totally accomplished - YUM
If your child brings anything else home (ciambelli or ciambellini - little cookies; dolci tipici - typical sweets), feel free to share on these, or ask questions! Above are the standard, common ones.
Of course, there are Baci ("kisses"), which are sold throughout Italy. It's something I encourage kids to buy when we're hanging out in the international lobby, waiting for our flight, to bring home to you. They're a little bigger than Hershey's kisses, and always have little bits of hazelnuts in them. Several of the kids on the trip have discovered their love for Nutella (seriously, Alex, Nutella on goldfish?), so you may see some containers of that in their bags, too. Please know I DON'T enourage that! :) It sits right next to the peanut butter at home . . . DUDE
This week, the music school in town (Chigiana - originally sponsored by the Chigi family) is hosting the beginning of their summer music program, and they have concerts every night. Each concert (like at home) is sponsored by a different group or company, and sometimes they give great discounts for students (i.e. our kids), so I encourage students to check out the concerts, if they're interested. Actually, during our last night (when we have our pizza-making party at the culinary school), they have a concert in La Piazza di Jacopo Della Quercia, which is pretty much an open locale. They have a small amount of seating, but the public can sit on the steps by the Duomo and still enjoy the beautiful concert. We may just go there together after our fabulous dinner of pizza, to enjoy our last evening in Siena!
Then, there's always the option to just hang out at home or in the Campo in the evenings, an absolutely enchanting experience!!!
Grazie tanti!
Laura :)
First of all, the Campo is the center piazza of the city. Siena is situated on two hills (and surrounding areas), with the Campo in the center (they call it the "drain", and there really is a central drain in there). When it rains, it's a crazy-good drainage system.
And rain, it has. It has rained on us practically every day. In other places, and on other touring experiences, this may seem like a hindrance, but the kids have learned to really appreciate it. Often, the day starts off stifling and warm (when you have A/C nowhere, your body learns to handle the weather differently), then the clouds blow in, and we get a little cloudburst (this stay, usually with some thunder, even we rarely see lightning), then it's cool with a nice breeze the rest of the time. The weather groups say that this is supposed to stop tomorrow, and it'll get a little warmer, but that's fine - we can pit out our clothes this week, and bring them back home for cleaning in our washing machines at home. Dirty laundry is the best packing material for pricey gifts - no one's going digging through that!!!
And the kids are learning to appreciate the sweets of Siena. We're still on the search for the best gelateria (I know my favorite one, but often students challenge me on this by the end of the trip), and we have some avid seekers. But, in Siena, baked goods are the BOMB. There are:
Ricarelli - soft, sweet cookies which are dusted with powdered sugar. I bring these home every trip, but they often harden before you can serve them to family, so they're probably not coming home with me this time (sorry, Mom);
Cantucci - really hard cookies which look (and are made) like biscotti. Caveat: if your child brings these home, don't eat them straight up - you'll break your teeth on them! They're intended to be served with vin santo, a very strong after-dinner wine - you fill shot glasses halfway with the vin santo, then put the cantucci in the glasses to soak, before eating them. I guess you could use regular wine to serve these, if your kiddo brings them home without vin santo, but it's just not the same . . .
Panforte and Panpepato: I am not the biggest fruitcake fan (even though I AM a fruitcake - parrotheads!!!), but this is something completely different. It's a small, round cake, but far thicker in consistency than cake, with nuts and candied fruit in it. I serve this in small slices to friends and family - a little goes a long way. The ingredients differ a little between the two, but they both have the same intent, which is totally accomplished - YUM
If your child brings anything else home (ciambelli or ciambellini - little cookies; dolci tipici - typical sweets), feel free to share on these, or ask questions! Above are the standard, common ones.
Of course, there are Baci ("kisses"), which are sold throughout Italy. It's something I encourage kids to buy when we're hanging out in the international lobby, waiting for our flight, to bring home to you. They're a little bigger than Hershey's kisses, and always have little bits of hazelnuts in them. Several of the kids on the trip have discovered their love for Nutella (seriously, Alex, Nutella on goldfish?), so you may see some containers of that in their bags, too. Please know I DON'T enourage that! :) It sits right next to the peanut butter at home . . . DUDE
This week, the music school in town (Chigiana - originally sponsored by the Chigi family) is hosting the beginning of their summer music program, and they have concerts every night. Each concert (like at home) is sponsored by a different group or company, and sometimes they give great discounts for students (i.e. our kids), so I encourage students to check out the concerts, if they're interested. Actually, during our last night (when we have our pizza-making party at the culinary school), they have a concert in La Piazza di Jacopo Della Quercia, which is pretty much an open locale. They have a small amount of seating, but the public can sit on the steps by the Duomo and still enjoy the beautiful concert. We may just go there together after our fabulous dinner of pizza, to enjoy our last evening in Siena!
Then, there's always the option to just hang out at home or in the Campo in the evenings, an absolutely enchanting experience!!!
Grazie tanti!
Laura :)
Firenze e il giorno libero
Buon Giorno, Tutti!
Saturday, we headed to Florence for a day of culture, art, and pushy vendors! We all met EARLY - caught an 8 AM bus (Firenze Rapida - the diretto takes 30 minutes longer and stops in all the towns between) and wove through the countryside to Florence. Since SPI had booked reservations, we didn't even have to sweat in lines! We strolled by the Duomo of the city (BEAUTIFUL), then into the Piazza della Signoria, with the Loggia della Signoria, which has some great ancient pieces in it. The kids had some free time before we entered the Uffizi to see infamous works by artists like Lippi and Botticelli. The Uffizi is no small place - you could spend DAYS in there if you wanted to take the time with each piece of artwork!
After a lunch break and some more free time (gotta get in that shopping - at the leather market near San Lorenzo, or at other random markets throughout the city - they know how to keep tourists busy!), we met at the Accademia to visit the David and see some other great works. They also have a museum of musical instruments in there (Natalie went there to check it out), then we had time to make an easy stroll back to the bus station to return to Siena. Some students even chose to stick around and check out other parts of Florence, and return home a little later.
But everyone was happy to be back in Siena - we all agree that we like it better!
Sunday was a "free day" for everyone. The note says to hang out with your homestay, but, with our adventurous group, they were ready to see Tuscany at its finest! Several students went to the beach (Amanda, Chelsea, and Rose actually went with their homestay; others caught the bus themselves, and had a great time - I saw them all at the bus station upon their return, some ruddy from the sun, some hardly touched, Clint's face looking a little strange, with small stripes of red on the sides - a tough lesson to learn, how to apply sun block FULLY - I had the same stripes on my arms from Capri for a week!). A few of the guys went to Arezzo, to see the Roman Amphitheatre and the Antiques market. Some girls went to Volterra (with help from their wonderful homestay family) to check out the palace . . . something with "Twilight!? I'm so out of the loop), and others checked out San Gimignano, and enjoyed even some countryside strolls! I think everyone returned, happy to be back home in Siena, and receive a little rest.
Today is the beginning of our second week. The kids can't believe how the time is passing! Today, we'll go on a stroll of St. Catherine's life, and learn about pilgrimages and the idea of patron saints. We will see the Church of San Domenico, where they have a relics of hers, then we'll go to her house, where we will see the floor on which she actually walked. Her house has been turned into a sanctuary (with scenes in her life, described in Latin), with a church in the courtyard. It's the central church for the Oca (goose) contrada. We'll then stroll down to Fontebranda (familiar to Sara and Shannon!), where the largest of the four great fountains of the city is located.
The weather seems to be getting a little warmer here, but in the shade it's still comfortable, with the breeze. We'll be enjoying Siena in its normalcy, and life in normalcy. We will be dealing with even laundry or packing up, as everyone will have to be packed before we meet to have our pizza-making party at the cooking school on Thursday afternoon-evening, seeing as we catch our bus to Rome early on Friday morning!
Speaking of Rome, please feel free to contact me if you'll be in Rome (Ralph!) when we're there - I'll be calling (on Wednesday) to make reservations at the restaurant and pizzeria for Friday and Saturday nights, and would love to include any of you who will be present! And, please, you can join us for our ancient Rome stroll on Friday or our medieval-Renaissance stroll on Saturday morning (or our Vatican visit on late Saturday afternoon).
Off to the fun of the week!
Laura :)
Saturday, we headed to Florence for a day of culture, art, and pushy vendors! We all met EARLY - caught an 8 AM bus (Firenze Rapida - the diretto takes 30 minutes longer and stops in all the towns between) and wove through the countryside to Florence. Since SPI had booked reservations, we didn't even have to sweat in lines! We strolled by the Duomo of the city (BEAUTIFUL), then into the Piazza della Signoria, with the Loggia della Signoria, which has some great ancient pieces in it. The kids had some free time before we entered the Uffizi to see infamous works by artists like Lippi and Botticelli. The Uffizi is no small place - you could spend DAYS in there if you wanted to take the time with each piece of artwork!
After a lunch break and some more free time (gotta get in that shopping - at the leather market near San Lorenzo, or at other random markets throughout the city - they know how to keep tourists busy!), we met at the Accademia to visit the David and see some other great works. They also have a museum of musical instruments in there (Natalie went there to check it out), then we had time to make an easy stroll back to the bus station to return to Siena. Some students even chose to stick around and check out other parts of Florence, and return home a little later.
But everyone was happy to be back in Siena - we all agree that we like it better!
Sunday was a "free day" for everyone. The note says to hang out with your homestay, but, with our adventurous group, they were ready to see Tuscany at its finest! Several students went to the beach (Amanda, Chelsea, and Rose actually went with their homestay; others caught the bus themselves, and had a great time - I saw them all at the bus station upon their return, some ruddy from the sun, some hardly touched, Clint's face looking a little strange, with small stripes of red on the sides - a tough lesson to learn, how to apply sun block FULLY - I had the same stripes on my arms from Capri for a week!). A few of the guys went to Arezzo, to see the Roman Amphitheatre and the Antiques market. Some girls went to Volterra (with help from their wonderful homestay family) to check out the palace . . . something with "Twilight!? I'm so out of the loop), and others checked out San Gimignano, and enjoyed even some countryside strolls! I think everyone returned, happy to be back home in Siena, and receive a little rest.
Today is the beginning of our second week. The kids can't believe how the time is passing! Today, we'll go on a stroll of St. Catherine's life, and learn about pilgrimages and the idea of patron saints. We will see the Church of San Domenico, where they have a relics of hers, then we'll go to her house, where we will see the floor on which she actually walked. Her house has been turned into a sanctuary (with scenes in her life, described in Latin), with a church in the courtyard. It's the central church for the Oca (goose) contrada. We'll then stroll down to Fontebranda (familiar to Sara and Shannon!), where the largest of the four great fountains of the city is located.
The weather seems to be getting a little warmer here, but in the shade it's still comfortable, with the breeze. We'll be enjoying Siena in its normalcy, and life in normalcy. We will be dealing with even laundry or packing up, as everyone will have to be packed before we meet to have our pizza-making party at the cooking school on Thursday afternoon-evening, seeing as we catch our bus to Rome early on Friday morning!
Speaking of Rome, please feel free to contact me if you'll be in Rome (Ralph!) when we're there - I'll be calling (on Wednesday) to make reservations at the restaurant and pizzeria for Friday and Saturday nights, and would love to include any of you who will be present! And, please, you can join us for our ancient Rome stroll on Friday or our medieval-Renaissance stroll on Saturday morning (or our Vatican visit on late Saturday afternoon).
Off to the fun of the week!
Laura :)
Friday, July 3, 2009
Tartuca ha vinto!!!
Yesterday was a LOAD of fun! And the weather was perfect, too! So nice that I even joined the group in the center!!!
Early on the day of the Palio is La Messa del fantino, where each horse rider is blessed and given communion (along with the top of the city) in the Campo. at the small chapel which is attached to the front of the Palazzo Publico. We attended class, as usual - 9 - 11, 11:20 - 12:30, 12:40 - 1:30 (a standard day - Mondays are a little different - start an hour late because of the new students taking placement tests). Then, we all split from each other and went out to attend the Benedictione del Cavallo. At each of the competing contrada's church, they all meet in the church or courtyard, then bring in the horse to give it a blessing, before everyone parades through town, winding through the streets with their contrada's flag and standard bearers, drummers, and representative and horse, all in 13th C garb. One stop is in front of the Duomo, where the flag throwers (two per contrada) do a routine in front of the Bishop of the Duomo (who is up in his window), and they receive a blessing from him. Then, everyone marches into the Campo, with much regalia, a large procession, more flag throwing, and horn playing (the city band marches along, too, playing the city song).
Then, around 7 pm, the Palio itself comes through, pulled on a cart by these ENORMOUS white bulls (seriously - their backs are taller than most men) through the Campo, and everyone waves their scarves at it, hopefully putting their own contrada's luck the most onto the Palio. Then, the fun begins. For an hour to an hour and a half, you suffer false starts, confusion, and frustration, until finally the race happens, and it's all over in 1.5 minutes (three times around the Campo).
This year's race had no contest - Tartuca was at the beginning for the entire race (as you can see on YouTube). Many of our students had chosen Tartuca for their contrada - first of all, our school is located in Tartuca, plus their colors are HP blue and gold, not to mention they were the favored group, and it is the American way to favor the winner! After the Palio, everyone returned home, except for Tartuca, who marched throughout the streets. All night. They woke me around 3 AM.
From today on, the kids might see some Tartuca members (they're all still wearing their scarves) with pacifiers - it's a symbol that this is their first time to be winners - they're "Babies" to victory. Tartuca will hold a celebration dinner in a few nights, but they'll parade through the city every day from now for the next three weeks. Then, there's another Palio on August 16, and it starts all over again, until next July.
Today, we begin normalcy (Grazie Dio - I'm happy to get to start taking regular SHOWERS). We'll go out to the Fortezza Medicea to do a little sharing at the end of our first week, as well as share our plans for this weekend! Tomorrow morning, we head to Florence for a day of fun art and history. We'll visit the Uffizi (Botticelli!) in the morning, then head over to the Academia (Il Davide!)in the afternoon, which will fill our day before we must head home in time for dinner at the houses.
Sunday is a free day for everyone. I know that many of the kids are headed to the beach (which is nice, and the return home, smelly), and some are thinking about going as groups to Pisa or San Gimignano (for which I will be giving them schedules). I do pursue a personal experience of my own, as well - I take a tour with a group, just to remind me of how it feels to be on the other side of a tour.
As we hit the mid-way point of this trip, I just want to thank you for sending us with such AMAZING kids. We are all having a wonderful experience because everyone in this group is so respectful, fun-seeking, adventurous, responsible, and considerate. Next week will be a more normal week - piu tranquilita, piu normalita, piu come la citta di Siena. The kids are loving their teachers, and learning Italian so quickly!!! I can't believe it's just a week until we head to Rome!
Hugs to you all,
L :)
Early on the day of the Palio is La Messa del fantino, where each horse rider is blessed and given communion (along with the top of the city) in the Campo. at the small chapel which is attached to the front of the Palazzo Publico. We attended class, as usual - 9 - 11, 11:20 - 12:30, 12:40 - 1:30 (a standard day - Mondays are a little different - start an hour late because of the new students taking placement tests). Then, we all split from each other and went out to attend the Benedictione del Cavallo. At each of the competing contrada's church, they all meet in the church or courtyard, then bring in the horse to give it a blessing, before everyone parades through town, winding through the streets with their contrada's flag and standard bearers, drummers, and representative and horse, all in 13th C garb. One stop is in front of the Duomo, where the flag throwers (two per contrada) do a routine in front of the Bishop of the Duomo (who is up in his window), and they receive a blessing from him. Then, everyone marches into the Campo, with much regalia, a large procession, more flag throwing, and horn playing (the city band marches along, too, playing the city song).
Then, around 7 pm, the Palio itself comes through, pulled on a cart by these ENORMOUS white bulls (seriously - their backs are taller than most men) through the Campo, and everyone waves their scarves at it, hopefully putting their own contrada's luck the most onto the Palio. Then, the fun begins. For an hour to an hour and a half, you suffer false starts, confusion, and frustration, until finally the race happens, and it's all over in 1.5 minutes (three times around the Campo).
This year's race had no contest - Tartuca was at the beginning for the entire race (as you can see on YouTube). Many of our students had chosen Tartuca for their contrada - first of all, our school is located in Tartuca, plus their colors are HP blue and gold, not to mention they were the favored group, and it is the American way to favor the winner! After the Palio, everyone returned home, except for Tartuca, who marched throughout the streets. All night. They woke me around 3 AM.
From today on, the kids might see some Tartuca members (they're all still wearing their scarves) with pacifiers - it's a symbol that this is their first time to be winners - they're "Babies" to victory. Tartuca will hold a celebration dinner in a few nights, but they'll parade through the city every day from now for the next three weeks. Then, there's another Palio on August 16, and it starts all over again, until next July.
Today, we begin normalcy (Grazie Dio - I'm happy to get to start taking regular SHOWERS). We'll go out to the Fortezza Medicea to do a little sharing at the end of our first week, as well as share our plans for this weekend! Tomorrow morning, we head to Florence for a day of fun art and history. We'll visit the Uffizi (Botticelli!) in the morning, then head over to the Academia (Il Davide!)in the afternoon, which will fill our day before we must head home in time for dinner at the houses.
Sunday is a free day for everyone. I know that many of the kids are headed to the beach (which is nice, and the return home, smelly), and some are thinking about going as groups to Pisa or San Gimignano (for which I will be giving them schedules). I do pursue a personal experience of my own, as well - I take a tour with a group, just to remind me of how it feels to be on the other side of a tour.
As we hit the mid-way point of this trip, I just want to thank you for sending us with such AMAZING kids. We are all having a wonderful experience because everyone in this group is so respectful, fun-seeking, adventurous, responsible, and considerate. Next week will be a more normal week - piu tranquilita, piu normalita, piu come la citta di Siena. The kids are loving their teachers, and learning Italian so quickly!!! I can't believe it's just a week until we head to Rome!
Hugs to you all,
L :)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Events of the Palio
Buon Giorno, Tutti!
Ah, what an exciting week we're having! It's been a little crazy on me, personally, with the chaos of homesickness-culture shock, plus the Palio frenzy which takes over the city. It's possible your child doesn't sense this at all - even after returning to Italy every year since 1995, I'm still sensitive to these emotions (maybe because I'm recently married . . .).
The weather here has been gorgeous! Cool in the mornings, a continuous breeze, and raining every afternoon. For those of us who don't mind feeling like wet rats (or even Tony-Brent-Will, who did a picnic in the rain . . . PAZZI), we enjoy the coolness of the rain and the freshness of the evenings after the rain. In the center of town is the one large square, Il Campo (una piazza), where people may meet up in the evenings, and random events happen there throughout the summer (band or choir concerts, etc.). After it rains, there's almost a hazy quality of Il Campo, because the bricks are steaming off the rainwater. Also, there is a great drainage system in town. Nowhere does water really sit for longer than a few minutes, as the entire city is built on two hills, and the roads are even designed to direct water into small rivulets in the center. All the water runs down roads in the most efficient path, all towards the Campo, where there's a huge drain right at the bottom (center of the bottom of the shell).
The shell can be found throughout the city, and is super-important. The Campo itself is in the shape of a shell, fountains have the shell collecting the falling water . . . Siena was the last stop for pilgrims as they made their way to Rome, back since early medieval times, and the shell was the welcoming symbol of baptism for them as they made their last break before getting to Rome. How similar it is for us, feeling like children (nay, babies), as we learn a new language, and learn to live with new families for this brief time! But this, too, is a much-needed break from the business of our American lives, a way to help us recenter and find ourselves before we return home to take on our last year (or two years) of high school, before entering the world.
The rain has brought a little excitement to the Palio events, too - there are several practice runs (prove) which happen between the selection and the actual race (which happens around 7:45 PM on Thursday - you can actually find it online, and watch it in real time). Each evening, there's a prova at 7:45, and each morning, there's one at 9 AM (but we're in class). On Monday night, the Campo was a mud pit because of the rain, so there was no race (which is a big deal - lots of myths behind each race - if anything bad happens during the Prima Prova, something bad will happen at the actual race . . . you've got to imagine how people feel when it's been rained out!). The kids hear large "boom" noises in the mornings during classes - there's a cannon-type thing they use to give signals to the crowd. It booms when it's time to clear people from the track. It booms when it's time to bring the horses out from their holding area, it booms every time there's a false start (usually 7 - 10 times during the actual race), and it booms when the first horse crosses the finish line. The race itself is only three laps around the Campo (about 1.5 minutes), but the events leading up to the race take 4 days!!!
If you know horses (I grew up in Midland, with friends who had them), you know how terrible the Palio event is for the actual horses. Thousands of people sitting or standing around, cheering and yelling. Some large booming noise. Ten horses fitting on a track the width of about 8 horses. Lining up the horses takes longer than any race - the official reads out the contrada's names in the order of lineup, from one to ten. Position one has a good spot, as they're on the inside of the track. And position ten has a great spot, because he actually determines when the race starts. Once the nine other horses are lined up, the position ten can wait-circle around as much as he wants, then, runs in, and the race starts. While in lineup, jockeys are hitting each other, and bumping horses against each other. If one of the jockeys has a nervous horse, sometimes it falls completely out of line, and they have to all exit and re-line-up.
Then there are the 1.5 minutes when the race actually is happening. The Campo, in the shape of a shell, has two sharp corners which they have to take. One, corner, San Martino, is the most dangerous, and a spot where many jockeys are thrown. Last year, a jockey fell off into the crowd because his horse took the corner too sharp, and caught the jockey's leg against the turning post. There are medics in bright green everywhere near San Martino (there's a church just behind there dedicated to the same saint), if you look at pictures of the Palio, ready to pick up any fallen jockeys. As long as they're not too hurt, it's no big deal - the horse is who wins the race, anyways.
I'll encourage your kiddos to attend all the Palio events tomorrow:
Benedicione dello Cavallo: 2:30 - each competing contrada has the blessing of the horse in the contrada's church. Seriously - they take the horse into the church (everyone's shooshing and quieting everyone else, yelling at tourists who are using flash, etc.), where it receives a blessing and communion.
La passegiata storica: Everyone processes from their home church to the Duomo, the church of the city, where the bishop sits at his window and puts a blessing onto each horse and the contrada. Representative flag throwers and drummers do a flag-tossing routine. Then, a large lineup of people in garb from the Middle Ages process - representatives of every town in Tuscany, representatives of qualities (virtues), and representatives of each contrada, with their horse. Everyone (after the parade passes, the locals follow behind) processes down into the Campo from there, to have the parade circle around the campo, and exit.
Il Palio: The Palio is in that procession, and it's lifted up and posted in the corner near San Martino. For an extended period of time, flag throwers and drummers circle on the track in the Campo, doing their routines for the crowd. Then is the race. Like the prove, they must process out, then line up in the given order, then, after about 1.5 or 2 hours of false starts, they have the 1.5 minute race.
I will be letting you know who wins on Friday! Draco seems to have a pretty strong horse - it took off with a great start. Lupa's horse had good consistency in speed, as well as the Owl's group.
al' Venerdi!
L :)
Ah, what an exciting week we're having! It's been a little crazy on me, personally, with the chaos of homesickness-culture shock, plus the Palio frenzy which takes over the city. It's possible your child doesn't sense this at all - even after returning to Italy every year since 1995, I'm still sensitive to these emotions (maybe because I'm recently married . . .).
The weather here has been gorgeous! Cool in the mornings, a continuous breeze, and raining every afternoon. For those of us who don't mind feeling like wet rats (or even Tony-Brent-Will, who did a picnic in the rain . . . PAZZI), we enjoy the coolness of the rain and the freshness of the evenings after the rain. In the center of town is the one large square, Il Campo (una piazza), where people may meet up in the evenings, and random events happen there throughout the summer (band or choir concerts, etc.). After it rains, there's almost a hazy quality of Il Campo, because the bricks are steaming off the rainwater. Also, there is a great drainage system in town. Nowhere does water really sit for longer than a few minutes, as the entire city is built on two hills, and the roads are even designed to direct water into small rivulets in the center. All the water runs down roads in the most efficient path, all towards the Campo, where there's a huge drain right at the bottom (center of the bottom of the shell).
The shell can be found throughout the city, and is super-important. The Campo itself is in the shape of a shell, fountains have the shell collecting the falling water . . . Siena was the last stop for pilgrims as they made their way to Rome, back since early medieval times, and the shell was the welcoming symbol of baptism for them as they made their last break before getting to Rome. How similar it is for us, feeling like children (nay, babies), as we learn a new language, and learn to live with new families for this brief time! But this, too, is a much-needed break from the business of our American lives, a way to help us recenter and find ourselves before we return home to take on our last year (or two years) of high school, before entering the world.
The rain has brought a little excitement to the Palio events, too - there are several practice runs (prove) which happen between the selection and the actual race (which happens around 7:45 PM on Thursday - you can actually find it online, and watch it in real time). Each evening, there's a prova at 7:45, and each morning, there's one at 9 AM (but we're in class). On Monday night, the Campo was a mud pit because of the rain, so there was no race (which is a big deal - lots of myths behind each race - if anything bad happens during the Prima Prova, something bad will happen at the actual race . . . you've got to imagine how people feel when it's been rained out!). The kids hear large "boom" noises in the mornings during classes - there's a cannon-type thing they use to give signals to the crowd. It booms when it's time to clear people from the track. It booms when it's time to bring the horses out from their holding area, it booms every time there's a false start (usually 7 - 10 times during the actual race), and it booms when the first horse crosses the finish line. The race itself is only three laps around the Campo (about 1.5 minutes), but the events leading up to the race take 4 days!!!
If you know horses (I grew up in Midland, with friends who had them), you know how terrible the Palio event is for the actual horses. Thousands of people sitting or standing around, cheering and yelling. Some large booming noise. Ten horses fitting on a track the width of about 8 horses. Lining up the horses takes longer than any race - the official reads out the contrada's names in the order of lineup, from one to ten. Position one has a good spot, as they're on the inside of the track. And position ten has a great spot, because he actually determines when the race starts. Once the nine other horses are lined up, the position ten can wait-circle around as much as he wants, then, runs in, and the race starts. While in lineup, jockeys are hitting each other, and bumping horses against each other. If one of the jockeys has a nervous horse, sometimes it falls completely out of line, and they have to all exit and re-line-up.
Then there are the 1.5 minutes when the race actually is happening. The Campo, in the shape of a shell, has two sharp corners which they have to take. One, corner, San Martino, is the most dangerous, and a spot where many jockeys are thrown. Last year, a jockey fell off into the crowd because his horse took the corner too sharp, and caught the jockey's leg against the turning post. There are medics in bright green everywhere near San Martino (there's a church just behind there dedicated to the same saint), if you look at pictures of the Palio, ready to pick up any fallen jockeys. As long as they're not too hurt, it's no big deal - the horse is who wins the race, anyways.
I'll encourage your kiddos to attend all the Palio events tomorrow:
Benedicione dello Cavallo: 2:30 - each competing contrada has the blessing of the horse in the contrada's church. Seriously - they take the horse into the church (everyone's shooshing and quieting everyone else, yelling at tourists who are using flash, etc.), where it receives a blessing and communion.
La passegiata storica: Everyone processes from their home church to the Duomo, the church of the city, where the bishop sits at his window and puts a blessing onto each horse and the contrada. Representative flag throwers and drummers do a flag-tossing routine. Then, a large lineup of people in garb from the Middle Ages process - representatives of every town in Tuscany, representatives of qualities (virtues), and representatives of each contrada, with their horse. Everyone (after the parade passes, the locals follow behind) processes down into the Campo from there, to have the parade circle around the campo, and exit.
Il Palio: The Palio is in that procession, and it's lifted up and posted in the corner near San Martino. For an extended period of time, flag throwers and drummers circle on the track in the Campo, doing their routines for the crowd. Then is the race. Like the prove, they must process out, then line up in the given order, then, after about 1.5 or 2 hours of false starts, they have the 1.5 minute race.
I will be letting you know who wins on Friday! Draco seems to have a pretty strong horse - it took off with a great start. Lupa's horse had good consistency in speed, as well as the Owl's group.
al' Venerdi!
L :)
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