In Siena

This morning, we began classes. There was a little confusion about schedules, but no big deal - it's a good learning experience to realize that they should always follow MY schedule, not a different schedule given by others. :) Everyone had a good dinner, a good night's sleep (I think a few of us were excited about today), and came to the school bright-eyed!

They have already been placed into their classes, and are laughing . . . a lot. So, I thought I'd share with you the excitement of today.

June 29th is a holy day everywhere in Italy, first of all. It's the feast of SS. Peter and Paul, when the Pope inaugurates (right word? inducts?) the new archbishops. Seriously - in the Vatican Piazza (Piazza di San Pietro), throngs of people crowd in to see the Pope and all the excitement! In Siena, it's an important day, too, as it's the first day of the Palio. The city is set up for the festival - everyone has their flags and lamps up, decorating their contrada, and the track and all the important regalia is all placed around the Campo. The dirt track makes it fun on years like this - it has rained for a week in Siena, and it's supposed to rain a little every day. Which Rose and I don't mind, at all.

ANYWAYS, this morning, everyone is out, wearing their contrada's scarves (which you receive when you're little) and excited about today. Today, at 9 AM, they let the 30 chosen horses make a few laps around the Campo, just to let everyone see the potential of the horse (as if it really means anything - without a jockey, an excellent horse could just stroll around). THen, at 1, is when they do the selection of the horses. If you don't know what's going on, it means nothing. Numbers are matched to colored balls (each, the color of each competing Contrada), which sets the jockey with the horse for the next four days. The BIG event today is at 7 PM this evening, where they have the Prima Prova (first trial-run). This is the first time the jockey gets to publicly ride the horse around the Campo. Even though they've had quality time already - from the minute the selection is made, the jockey and horse are together. Eating. Sleeping. Bonding. There are a few myths surrounding the Prima Prova, one especially that, if something goes wrong during this one, the Palio is CURSED. A few years ago, a horse got tangled up in the starting-line ropes, and broke a leg. The owner of the horse promised to honor the horse (he, the rider, and the Contrada didn't get to compete) by not putting it under, but you and I both know what happens to horses with broken legs . . .

I just realized - I never said what a CONTRADA is!!! Siena, as tiny as it is, is divided into 17 neighborhoods, or contrade, throughout town. Each contrada is assigned to an animal (usually, but there are a few, like "tower"), and has its own special colors. And people take major pride in the maintenance of their contrada. Someone using graffiti? Some child misbehaving? They can expect to be reprimanded by any random person within that contrada. It's really pretty cool. I wonder what our city would look like if everyone had such pride in their own neighborhood. Anyways, there are actually two Palio events each year, one on July 2, and one in August. They have NOTHING to do with each other. There are ten teams who compete on Thursday, and the other seven are promised a spot in the next July 2 race (and three others who are drawn sometime in October). I haven't heard about anything promising yet, but all the gossip starts while hanging around for the Prima Prova tonight.

If you never hear from your kiddos, keep a big list of questions which may arise from this experience, and from what you read, and you'll have conversation to share for MONTHS following!!!

Hugs,
Laura :)