Yesterday, we took a group tour to SIena. If any of my readers have been on walking tours through Italy, you will know what I mean when I say that we had to mentally prepare ourselves. Walking tours are interesting and informative. A great guide will keep you entertained but they cannot distract you from the scorching weather, rude tourists and rough landscape. On previous tours, we grew extremely irritated because the phrase "excuse me" does not exist in Europe. If someone wants the get through a crowd, they do not care who they push, brush, or flat out run in to. Americans, on the other hand, will get scolded if they behave this way in Europe. I guess you have to be a native to enjoy the luxuries of using physically force.
When we arrived in Siena, I immediately noticed a huge difference from Florence. Siena is located on a hill with the Duomo (Cathedral) at the top, while Florence is mostly flat, making it difficult to view the whole city. As I walked through the streets, I felt relieved to smell the clean air (unlike the stinky, stuffy odor that we inhale in Florence) and to experience a place where the streets don't resemble huge mosh pits of people. It was beautiful as it oversaw hills, fields and the rest of beautiful Tuscany. It was my dream city.
As we started the tour, the guide explained the rich history of Siena. This city once had a population of around 40,000 but after the plague, it only made up a scarce 14,000 people. Can you imagine being a part of such a powerful city then having it all wiped away in months? Although the plagued killed many, it didn't kill the pride or tradition of the inhabitants. I will now introduce you to one if the most important events/traditions that Siena has: the Palio di Siena.
Comparable to a small scale version of the Super Bowl, the Palio is a horse race between the 10 rival neighborhoods in Siena. Competitive horse racing is not your thing? Wait until you experience this kind of competition. Members of each neighborhood line up in the town square (squished in like sardines) according to where they live while the horses race around them. Although the race lasts only a minute and a half, the entire city takes part. Once a winner is declared, the team who won gets bragging rights for the WHOLE YEAR. Maybe this doesn't seem so bad. Then, you notice their obnoxious flags hanging from every building and the people dressed up in their winning flag to gloat almost everyday. To put this in perspective, imagine if the Ravens and Steelers went to the Super Bowl (I'm probably going to get a lot of crap for this analogy). It is a huge rivalry but someone has to win. If you're a part of the losing team, it will probably be devastating for a while. Then you go back to your state to resume your lives and wait until next season. You occasionally hear painful comments about who won the game but for the most part, you can avoid it in the safety of your home state where everyone loves your team. The losers of the Palio cannot escape the winners. They are stuck in the small city with every team. If I had to experience the kind of humiliation that the losing neighborhoods do, I'd probably be passionate about winning too.
Aside from the Palio, my peers could not understand why I fell in love with Siena. I could tell what they were thinking: what's so cool about this little place? I could sense their hangry moods starting to fill the air (hangry= anger due to extreme hunger). They were ready to leave at noon. I admit, at some points during the tour, even my eyes started to glaze over because of boredom. Though we were no fun at times, our lack of interest was not due to a boring venue; it was because none of us had eaten or slept. So, if you were in Siena yesterday and witnessed a huge group of naggy, grumpy college students, we had a good reason.
I never got to answer my peers unspoken question. Besides the astonishing fact that it is the birthplace of Saint Catherine of Siena, the city is what I imagine when I think of Tuscany. It is slow pace, and locals fill the street. I finally felt like I could immerse myself in the culture. Florence is filled with tourists and study abroad students from America, but the inhabitants of Siena are planted in the city forever. It felt more like home to me. Good thing I came with a group, otherwise I'd probably never leave.
When we arrived in Siena, I immediately noticed a huge difference from Florence. Siena is located on a hill with the Duomo (Cathedral) at the top, while Florence is mostly flat, making it difficult to view the whole city. As I walked through the streets, I felt relieved to smell the clean air (unlike the stinky, stuffy odor that we inhale in Florence) and to experience a place where the streets don't resemble huge mosh pits of people. It was beautiful as it oversaw hills, fields and the rest of beautiful Tuscany. It was my dream city.
As we started the tour, the guide explained the rich history of Siena. This city once had a population of around 40,000 but after the plague, it only made up a scarce 14,000 people. Can you imagine being a part of such a powerful city then having it all wiped away in months? Although the plagued killed many, it didn't kill the pride or tradition of the inhabitants. I will now introduce you to one if the most important events/traditions that Siena has: the Palio di Siena.
Comparable to a small scale version of the Super Bowl, the Palio is a horse race between the 10 rival neighborhoods in Siena. Competitive horse racing is not your thing? Wait until you experience this kind of competition. Members of each neighborhood line up in the town square (squished in like sardines) according to where they live while the horses race around them. Although the race lasts only a minute and a half, the entire city takes part. Once a winner is declared, the team who won gets bragging rights for the WHOLE YEAR. Maybe this doesn't seem so bad. Then, you notice their obnoxious flags hanging from every building and the people dressed up in their winning flag to gloat almost everyday. To put this in perspective, imagine if the Ravens and Steelers went to the Super Bowl (I'm probably going to get a lot of crap for this analogy). It is a huge rivalry but someone has to win. If you're a part of the losing team, it will probably be devastating for a while. Then you go back to your state to resume your lives and wait until next season. You occasionally hear painful comments about who won the game but for the most part, you can avoid it in the safety of your home state where everyone loves your team. The losers of the Palio cannot escape the winners. They are stuck in the small city with every team. If I had to experience the kind of humiliation that the losing neighborhoods do, I'd probably be passionate about winning too.
Aside from the Palio, my peers could not understand why I fell in love with Siena. I could tell what they were thinking: what's so cool about this little place? I could sense their hangry moods starting to fill the air (hangry= anger due to extreme hunger). They were ready to leave at noon. I admit, at some points during the tour, even my eyes started to glaze over because of boredom. Though we were no fun at times, our lack of interest was not due to a boring venue; it was because none of us had eaten or slept. So, if you were in Siena yesterday and witnessed a huge group of naggy, grumpy college students, we had a good reason.
I never got to answer my peers unspoken question. Besides the astonishing fact that it is the birthplace of Saint Catherine of Siena, the city is what I imagine when I think of Tuscany. It is slow pace, and locals fill the street. I finally felt like I could immerse myself in the culture. Florence is filled with tourists and study abroad students from America, but the inhabitants of Siena are planted in the city forever. It felt more like home to me. Good thing I came with a group, otherwise I'd probably never leave.
