It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve last written and let me just say, there’s a lot to tell! Shortly after I posted last, we went on a bike tour of the Crete Senesi, the clay hills just outside of Siena. We got on a bus early in the morning and rode for about an hour to a small, gorgeous town called Buonconvento. We got off the bus and immediately were greeted with what felt like a small hometown, complete with Sunday market and country homes. This town contrasts Siena completely, in that everything was shorter. It felt so much more open and airy and I really began to see the other side of Tuscany, without the massive medieval buildings that constitute Siena.
After a short wait for our bikes, we hopped on and began our journey. In total, the ride took about three hours, with a stop in the middle, atop a hill with a castle and fig trees, for lunch. I love fresh figs so a couple of us decided to pick a few and they sure were tasty. It helped quench my thirst because I forgot to bring a water bottle :( Anyway, we biked through the clay hills on gravel covered roads and witnessed some incredible scenery of the true Tuscan countryside. The most difficult part was trying to make it up the steep hills. I failed and ended up walking after a certain point. Once we finally got to the top of the highest hill, we saw the expanse of hills, homes, vineyards, and small lakes. A few of us decided to try the tiny green grapes used to make wine. They definitely tasted like wine grapes - very sour. After we descended from the top of the hills, we returned the bikes and had a few hours to wander around the market in Buonconvento. Of course, I ate a slice of pizza and bought a pair of handmade twisted copper earrings (I couldn’t help myself). The next day began the first week without having Italian language every day, so we were very grateful to be able to sleep in!
This past weekend we had our first traveling seminar to Rome! I had been to Rome once before a few years ago and fell in love with it, so I was very excited to return and see all the sights again. I spent the night before packing and finishing an internship application that was due until 2:30AM and had to wake up at 6:00AM. We got to bus station at 7:15 and departed for Rome shortly thereafter. We arrived a few hours later, checked into the hotel and rested in the lounge there for an hour or so before heading out to our first tour of the trip. We visited the Colosseum and the Roman Forum; it felt incredible to be standing in such historical monuments - you know, being a history major and all. That day was also one of my roommates' birthdays so after the CET sponsored dinner, we explored the nightlife of Rome and had a great time.
The next day proved to be a very long and tiring one, but oh so worth it in the end! We visited the Vatican museums and all it has to offer, seeing original paintings by Raphael and Michelangelo, and obviously including the legendary Cappella Sistina. Being in the same room that Michelangelo once occupied was so surreal for me. After we exited, we went inside St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest Christian church in the world. Inside it, they have the body of the Good Pope, John XXIII, who I just read about for my cultural history class. That was awesome to see the real body on display in the center of the church. We had a little free time before going to the Senate, so we stopped for pizza and gelato once again and walked over to check out the market in Piazza Navona – it was huge! There were so many talented people painting and drawing.
Since it was our last night in Rome, we decided to meet up with the Florence CET group for a nice dinner. We went to L’Ambasciata D’Abruzzo, where everyone enjoyed meals of wild boar, filet mignon, veal sirloin, risotto, pasta with mussels and desserts of tiramisu, panna cotta, fresh fruit, and chocolate mousse. Oh, can’t forget the wine either. About half of the group decided to go out again but I was thoroughly exhausted from the day and was starting to get a little sick, so I went home and hung out with a few of my roommates and enjoyed a quiet but fun night in the hotel. We got up early, packed our bags, visited the Vatican Historical Museum, saw the tallest obelisk in the world, and THEN, saw the steps that Jesus Christ walked up to his trial before Pontius Pilot. That too felt surreal. People are only allowed to walk up the stairs on their knees. We left that afternoon for Siena and were home by dinnertime :)
Last but not least, we traveled to San Gimignano today with our Sienese Art and Architecture class. You’ll be with me when I say that San Gimignano is like a miniature version of Siena if you’ve ever been to both, which I highly recommend! When we got off the bus, we realized we were actually very high up, surrounded by an expanse of beauty. After our lesson, we climbed what felt like a thousand steps to the top of the highest tower in the Town Hall. We were in awe – we could see for miles and miles around us. I still wonder if some of what we saw was Siena. Later, were free to wander about for a few hours. We went into the leather shops, ceramic shops, gelaterias and cafes, and all spent a little too much money, even though it was cheaper than Siena. We hopped on the bus home after quite a long day and slept until we got home sweet home to Siena :)
Check back soon for updates on possibly Cinque Terre, wine tasting, Florence, and my fall break adventures!
Melanie Bianco
CET Siena Student Correspondent, Fall 2010
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