In which Amber posts many pictures that uploaded very slowly, and is thanked profusely in comments
Basically a picture post today, with pictures from the beginning (way back on Sept. 4th, until Sat. Sept. 12), all from Siena. Saturday's Florence trip will have to be in a separate post. This took me over 4 hours to do, so if it's screwed up, let me know and I'll do what I can but only if it's easy. You'd better like them, and you'd better tell me that you do!
My room!
My room part 2! It actually appears less tidy here than it is now. (This was taken while I was still unpacking.) Fabrizio has told me I am the tidiest American student he has ever seen. I laughed and told him he should see my room at home. He didn't believe that it was super-messy.
Random picture of horses in my room!
My bus! #19-Ravacciano. I live at the end of the line. I get picked up here, in Piazza del Sale, which looks like just a street on this side.
Piazza del Campo at 9am, the first half....
...and the second.
Part of the Palazzo Publico at the foot of the Piazza del Campo.
The view of San Domenico from the top of Via Fontebranda, and the back of Big Frank's head. Our school is down the hill, and so far down that it's around the corner. Probably 1/3 of a mile. I get less out of breath going up it than I used to. I must be getting in shape or something.
Basilica of San Domenico, which houses several relics of Santa Caterina di Siena--her head and finger! The mummy-looking head is on display inside. Sadly, no pictures allowed, though maybe I can find a postcard I can take a photo of and post.
The Fontebranda, for which Via Fontebranda (which my school is at the bottom of) gets its name. According to a tourist pamphlet, it is "perhaps the most important and famous water fount in Siena"
A daytime view of the Basilica of San Francesco on my walk home on Via di Duccio Buoninsegna.
At the bottom right, that is indeed beer in a vending machine. Oh Italy...
The fountain of L' Onda (Wave), the contrada of my host-father Fabrizio. Each contrada has a fountain. My goal is to find and photograph them all.
L' Onda fountain with a view of the Tuscan countryside and a church I *think* is Santa Maria di Servi.
A view of the church of San Giuseppe in L'Onda contrada. The contrada's museum is inside--I really want to get in there sometime. Each contrada has its own museum and its own church where children are baptized--I don't think the museums are always inside those churches, though. I think for L'Onda the two might be one and the same.
Poster I saw in L' Onda. I am super-bummed that I missed this concert!
Seal of L' Onda (Wave) contrada, . The mascot is the dolphin, though, as Fabrizio says, it looks more like a sea monster. Their colors are light blue and white.
Sign for the next L' Onda contrada gathering.
The motto of L' Onda contrada is, "The color of heaven..."
"...the force of the sea."
Park in front of what I now know to be Sant' Agostino, between L' Onda and La Tartuca (Turtle) contradas.
View of the Tuscan countryside from a park in L' Onda.
View from L' Onda of what I think is Santa Maria di Servi.
Part of my walk to school in La Civetta (Owl) contrada. Note the flags and streetlamp. La Civetta won the August Palio this year. They hadn't won the Palio in 30 years. I went to a contrada party there last night, in their contrada's museum. Good food, and all the Palio banners they have won in recent history were on display.
Streetlamp in L' Istrice (Porcupine) Contrada.
La Selva (The Forest) contrada fountain. Their mascot is the rhinoceros!
The fountain of Il Leocorno (Unicorn) contrada, beautifully illuminated at night. During the day, however, it is so unassuming that I didn't notice it until this past Saturday night .
Random sculpture in someone's window in Il Bruco (Caterpillar) contrada.
The intersection of the La Tartuca (Turtle) contrada (to the left) and L' Aquila (Eagle) contrada (to the right).
The flag of La Tartuca (Turtle), the contrada that won this year's July Palio.
Street in La Tartuca (Turtle) contrada. Note the picture of the Palio-winning horse.
The Botanical Garden is in La Tartuca. I have yet to explore it thoroughly.
Inside the Botanical Garden.
Random plant in the Botanical Garden. Any intrepid gardeners care to help me identify it?
View of the Duomo, on the way up to the Basilica of San Domenico from the Fontebranda office.
View of the Torre of the Palazzo Publico in the Piazza del Campo, as seen over the Sanctuary and House of Santa Caterina di Siena
Random restaurant on the way up to San Domenico. Check out fake chef man!
The front of the famous Duomo (Cathedral) di Siena.
Steps from the back up to the front of Il Duomo.
On the way from the back of the Duomo up the steps to the top.
I was a little lost when I found this, but I think it is Porta Camollia in L' Istriche (Porcupine) contrada. I will confirm before I include it in my official tally of Porte found.
View of the Tuscan countryside from a park in L'Istrice (Porcupine) contrada.
Plaque outside of the Synagogue. More on the synagogue, which I finally got into yesterday, in the next entry. Sadly, no photos allowed inside, but I will take a picture of the postcard I bought of the sanctuary. I may go to Rosh Hashanah morning services there this Saturday.
Chinese restaurant in Siena! They have great veggie fried rice for only 3 Euro per plate! In fact, I'm so hungry (it's five PM and no dinner until 8), I may go get some after I post this.
I found the philosophy section of the University of Siena!
The Porta Romana, one of the entrances to the city center, or Il Centro di Città.
Park in front of the church of Santa Maria di Servi. With real (very unmowed) grass!
Santa Maria di Servi
View of the Torre of the Palazzo Publico in the Piazza del Campo, on the way up to the Basilica of San Domenico.
Pretty street scene in La Tartuca (Turtle) contrada.
And I finally found the Basilica di San Francesco! And now I have discovered that behind it there is a series of five long escalators that give me a shortcut from my house that doesn't involve the Hill of Doom! Well, it involves going up the HOD by escalator, which is definitely an improvement.
Night view of one of the oldest banks in Europe--Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena. The sky, it glows!
Wow, a picture of a person! Kristina (of UC Santa Cruz) poses for a picture near the Leocorno fountain on a lovely Siena night.
View of San Francesco on my walk home at night. It is all pretty and glowy, though less blurry in real life.
More pictures of people in the next post, I promise. Also, I have no idea why my typing is underlined now, but I can't fix it and I am done. I will give a more text-based report of my recent adventures once I recover from the five-hour adventure that was making this post. Let me know how you like it!
My room!
My room part 2! It actually appears less tidy here than it is now. (This was taken while I was still unpacking.) Fabrizio has told me I am the tidiest American student he has ever seen. I laughed and told him he should see my room at home. He didn't believe that it was super-messy.
Random picture of horses in my room!
My bus! #19-Ravacciano. I live at the end of the line. I get picked up here, in Piazza del Sale, which looks like just a street on this side.
Piazza del Campo at 9am, the first half....
...and the second.
Part of the Palazzo Publico at the foot of the Piazza del Campo.
The view of San Domenico from the top of Via Fontebranda, and the back of Big Frank's head. Our school is down the hill, and so far down that it's around the corner. Probably 1/3 of a mile. I get less out of breath going up it than I used to. I must be getting in shape or something.
Basilica of San Domenico, which houses several relics of Santa Caterina di Siena--her head and finger! The mummy-looking head is on display inside. Sadly, no pictures allowed, though maybe I can find a postcard I can take a photo of and post.
The Fontebranda, for which Via Fontebranda (which my school is at the bottom of) gets its name. According to a tourist pamphlet, it is "perhaps the most important and famous water fount in Siena"
A daytime view of the Basilica of San Francesco on my walk home on Via di Duccio Buoninsegna.
At the bottom right, that is indeed beer in a vending machine. Oh Italy...
The fountain of L' Onda (Wave), the contrada of my host-father Fabrizio. Each contrada has a fountain. My goal is to find and photograph them all.
L' Onda fountain with a view of the Tuscan countryside and a church I *think* is Santa Maria di Servi.
A view of the church of San Giuseppe in L'Onda contrada. The contrada's museum is inside--I really want to get in there sometime. Each contrada has its own museum and its own church where children are baptized--I don't think the museums are always inside those churches, though. I think for L'Onda the two might be one and the same.
Poster I saw in L' Onda. I am super-bummed that I missed this concert!
Seal of L' Onda (Wave) contrada, . The mascot is the dolphin, though, as Fabrizio says, it looks more like a sea monster. Their colors are light blue and white.
Sign for the next L' Onda contrada gathering.
The motto of L' Onda contrada is, "The color of heaven..."
"...the force of the sea."
Park in front of what I now know to be Sant' Agostino, between L' Onda and La Tartuca (Turtle) contradas.
View of the Tuscan countryside from a park in L' Onda.
View from L' Onda of what I think is Santa Maria di Servi.
Part of my walk to school in La Civetta (Owl) contrada. Note the flags and streetlamp. La Civetta won the August Palio this year. They hadn't won the Palio in 30 years. I went to a contrada party there last night, in their contrada's museum. Good food, and all the Palio banners they have won in recent history were on display.
Streetlamp in L' Istrice (Porcupine) Contrada.
La Selva (The Forest) contrada fountain. Their mascot is the rhinoceros!
The fountain of Il Leocorno (Unicorn) contrada, beautifully illuminated at night. During the day, however, it is so unassuming that I didn't notice it until this past Saturday night .
Random sculpture in someone's window in Il Bruco (Caterpillar) contrada.
The intersection of the La Tartuca (Turtle) contrada (to the left) and L' Aquila (Eagle) contrada (to the right).
The flag of La Tartuca (Turtle), the contrada that won this year's July Palio.
Street in La Tartuca (Turtle) contrada. Note the picture of the Palio-winning horse.
The Botanical Garden is in La Tartuca. I have yet to explore it thoroughly.
Inside the Botanical Garden.
Random plant in the Botanical Garden. Any intrepid gardeners care to help me identify it?
View of the Duomo, on the way up to the Basilica of San Domenico from the Fontebranda office.
View of the Torre of the Palazzo Publico in the Piazza del Campo, as seen over the Sanctuary and House of Santa Caterina di Siena
Random restaurant on the way up to San Domenico. Check out fake chef man!
The front of the famous Duomo (Cathedral) di Siena.
Steps from the back up to the front of Il Duomo.
On the way from the back of the Duomo up the steps to the top.
I was a little lost when I found this, but I think it is Porta Camollia in L' Istriche (Porcupine) contrada. I will confirm before I include it in my official tally of Porte found.
View of the Tuscan countryside from a park in L'Istrice (Porcupine) contrada.
Plaque outside of the Synagogue. More on the synagogue, which I finally got into yesterday, in the next entry. Sadly, no photos allowed inside, but I will take a picture of the postcard I bought of the sanctuary. I may go to Rosh Hashanah morning services there this Saturday.
Chinese restaurant in Siena! They have great veggie fried rice for only 3 Euro per plate! In fact, I'm so hungry (it's five PM and no dinner until 8), I may go get some after I post this.
I found the philosophy section of the University of Siena!
The Porta Romana, one of the entrances to the city center, or Il Centro di Città.
Park in front of the church of Santa Maria di Servi. With real (very unmowed) grass!
Santa Maria di Servi
View of the Torre of the Palazzo Publico in the Piazza del Campo, on the way up to the Basilica of San Domenico.
Pretty street scene in La Tartuca (Turtle) contrada.
And I finally found the Basilica di San Francesco! And now I have discovered that behind it there is a series of five long escalators that give me a shortcut from my house that doesn't involve the Hill of Doom! Well, it involves going up the HOD by escalator, which is definitely an improvement.
Night view of one of the oldest banks in Europe--Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena. The sky, it glows!
Wow, a picture of a person! Kristina (of UC Santa Cruz) poses for a picture near the Leocorno fountain on a lovely Siena night.
View of San Francesco on my walk home at night. It is all pretty and glowy, though less blurry in real life.
More pictures of people in the next post, I promise. Also, I have no idea why my typing is underlined now, but I can't fix it and I am done. I will give a more text-based report of my recent adventures once I recover from the five-hour adventure that was making this post. Let me know how you like it!