Another short blog tonight. We all have to pack for our departure from Italy and our arrival in France. YEP, it's arriverderci to Italy and E stato un soggiorno molto piacevole, mille grazie, (Our stay has been wonderful many heartfelt thanks).
Siena was worh another visit, so that was all of us again today.
This is your villa in Tuscany. Absolutely excellent accommodation and the pool is great too. It's part of the famous Il Borgo di Vescine winery. Great vista's of the Toscana valley. The swimming pool is great too and comes with a self service bar, snack food and ice-creams. Just write down what you use and charge to your room. I had heaps but the guy at reception said forget about it Mr Fizzgera, so I wasn't about to correct his pronunciation. I'll be Mr Fizzgera for a couple of days.
Siena is famous for the horse race that pits neighbouring districts against one another in a crazy horse race around the piazza. 2 Races are held each year, 1 in July and 1 in August. The July race was just held and the winner is shown in the photo. (not supposed to photograph the event or copy the photo) The race winner is not important, the focus is on beating the district that your district has had a rivalry since medieval times when the race first began. 14 districts compete in the race and jockeys try to knock one another off the their horse or try any means, fair or foul to beat their rival. The cobblestone piazza is covered in packed down silt to create a track just for the one race. It's a huge event with thousands of people attending to support their district's horse and jockey and fly the flags of their district. The race lasts only 90seconds. Tourists are rarely able to get into the event because it is so crowded and focussed on the local residents.
The venue of the race as it usually is, a market place and piazza with restaurants opening onto the piazza.
There are green and white flags flying from the windows of the winning district. The shutters on the windows of each district are usually in the colours of the district. This is the green and white district.
Frances, Rosy and Joanna in downtown Siena.
The basillica of San Domenica with the chapel of St Caterina. We went inside the pay our respects to St Katherine whose relics, including her mumified head, are on display. We remembered Katerina Mataria and had our own karakia for her here in the church of her namesake. St Caterina was a visionary who also maintained a strong political position on many issues affecting the people she worked with (a lot like Katerina Mataira). She was the first nun to be canonised (sometime in the 1300) Her head is preserved in a glass cabinet above an altar dedicated to her life. It has been there for over 700 years. She still has the nun's veil and habit over her head. Her features are still intact. She was a beautiful woman.
That's our car in the middle getting benzine from the only petrol station with 50kms in any direction. It is closed from 7pm every night and during the siesta time btween 1-4pm. If you're lucky enough to have a credit card that works, you can get gas through a swipe card operating pump.
Computer is about to run out of power.
Enjoy the train trip to Roma and flight to Paris tomorrow.
Next blog from Paris.
Ciao arriverderci.
No comments:
Post a Comment