After the long
day of travelling from airport to airport to get to Siena, I was glad when my
plane finally set down in the Florence Airport and my adventure in Italy began.
By the time I finally arrived by bus to my new home I was tired and excited for
the incredible experiences I was going to have. I stepped off the bus and was
immediately greeted by Christina’s smiling face and eager to help attitude. I
remember as I walked through the streets to my apartment
with my bags, I looked up in wonder to the amazing architecture and beauty
of the city. I forgot how little sleep I had gotten in the last twenty four
hours and felt reinvigorated by the prospect of being in a new city.
When
we reached the apartment in the Lupa Contrada district we were greeted by my
new Italian roommate Aurielo. With a friendly “Ciao!” he opened the door and
asked if I wanted some coffee. I gratefully accepted and spent the next 45
minutes or so talking to him about the rich history of Siena, and of course the
best places to eat around the city. Soon my other two roommates Phil and Tim
arrived and after everyone was settled in, Aurelio showed us some the sites. We
first walked down the Banchi di Sopra past the oldest bank still in operation
the Monte dei Paschi which was founded in 1472. Continuing on our way, Aurielo
showed us where the cheapest gelato in town could be found at the Kopakabana Gelateria.
I got a small cone with fragola and cioccolato, strawberry and chocolate, which
made for a delicious first taste in Siena.
Continuing
on our tour of the sites of Siena, Aurielo took us to the center of the city
the Piazza del Campo where the old town hall and the Fonte Gaia are located
within the biggest square of the city. It is here Aurielo explained where the
world famous, biannual Palio di Siena horse race occurs. Each of the
neighborhoods in the city or contrade puts forth a horse and rider to compete
for the Palio, the coveted award of the race. Aurielo described how incredibly
crazy the race is with fights happening between opposing contradas and the
explosion of lunacy when one contrada wins.
From the Piazza
del Campo, we journeyed up to the highest point in the city of Siena where the
Duomo was erected. Here, we were faced with beautiful sculptures and intricate artistry
adorning this huge house of worship. The
front of the church was nothing short of spectacular, particularly considering
construction was started in 1215. After finishing our first glimpse of Siena, we
went back to our apartment and chilled out on our new patio taking in the
vibrant city life around us. After a while Aurielo came and told us dinner was
ready. We feasted like kings on a giant calzone type dish and two different
pastas, one with a pesto sauce and another with a meat and tomato sauce. By the
end we were very full and all the food was gone. 
After such a
great meal, we decided it was time to check out a bit of the nightlife. Tim,
Phil and I made our way back to the Piazza del Campo where we sat and relaxed.
While hanging out at the piazza, having a few cold beverages, it finally began
to sink in that this was our new home. To cap off a great evening, the recently
victorious contrada Onda had a great procession all around the Piazza del Campo
displaying there recently won Palio while singing and playing drums. All in all
it was an incredible first day, and by the time my head finally hit the pillow
later that night I could not wait to see what the next day would bring. Mike Babineau, UVA
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