a random school day.

If you are considering going abroad this summer you may be wondering how your school day might look. Will it be a drag getting up for school on a warm summer morning?  Will you be stuck daydreaming about the outside world during class?  Will I have fun?  The answers are no, no, and YES!

This is what a typical day could look like for you if you decide to go to Siena.

You get up (early), get ready, and walk (yes, walk) to school.  Once you arrive you will enter through this  hallway.  The photographs on the wall are of classes dating back many decades.  Did you know that the building which houses the Dante Alighieri school was the sight of one of the first schools for the deaf in Italy?  While classes for the deaf are still held here, this location has also become a museum to the schools history.  

This is the main office.  The lovely ladies behind the desk will help you with almost anything including arranging cooking classes, travel plans, making copies, and sending out your mail.  This spot was also the best place for wifi reception so at break and lunch time it tends to get a bit crowded.

Once you get to class you will enjoy engaging conversation in Italian.  The things we learned in class were immediately put to use on the streets.  On a typical day in Italian class you will act, sing,

We had Italian class 5 days a week and Luca's culture and history class two days a week.  On the days that we were in school until 4 we had a generous 1 1/2 hour lunch.  Some of us went home, other stuck around and did homework, and sometimes we just went out to enjoy the day with some pizza and gelato.  On the days that we did not have Luca's class we still went to the piazza to enjoy pizza and gelato.  Other times we went for great hot sandwiches and a good view or took the walk back to my apartment for the best kebabs in all of Siena.  

Field trips were regular: about once or twice a week.  Sometimes we simply walked around Siena and other times we went away to Florence.  Luca was the best guide and his stories made the city come to new life with its history. 

No day was identical.  We always had something we wanted to do.  After our homework was complete the city was ours.  Hanging in the Piazza was a favorite, but so were night photography shoots, cooking nights, walks to the Fortress, trying new restaurants, and meeting new people. 

The Palio.

It is difficult to understand the power that the Palio has over Siena until you experience it for yourself.  

Siena is divided into Contradas, or neighborhood "clans", which used to battle for territory and for honor.  The Palio now takes the place of these age-old battles and the winner is believed to be chosen by God.  The city starts to prepare for the festivities a few weeks before the race which is held twice each summer, once on July 2 and again on August 16.  The first physical sign of the preparations is the barrier that is installed in Piazza del Campo that divides the designated areas for the horses to run and for the specators to watch.  

Next come the spectator bleacher that line the Piazza.

Flags fly high and proud.

Young men practice for the marches and parades with their flags.

Then they start to represent through the streets.

The horses are hand selected by the all of the Contradas collectively, then they are randomly assigned so that no one has a predetermined edge over anyone. I had witnessed many marches with waiving flags, banging drums, and proud Senesi singing through the street, but nothing had felt so intense up to that point as being in the Piazza for the horse drawing.  People anxiously awaited as horse selections were made and prayed that they receive best horse and that their enemy receive the worst.

In the end, a few left happy, a few left desperately miserable, and a couple of medieval rivalries came to life right in front of our eyes.  

Contrada Dinner:  Pantera.

The mix of emotions combines into one in the same for each Contrada that will run the race on the following day.  The Contradas dine in the streets and celebrate, hope and pray for their victory.  Our class had the chance to participate in this event.  It was a rare treat because these dinners are normally reserved for locals, but the Director of our school, Luca Bonomi, arranged for us to participate in this magnificent cultural event. We had a delicious meal and enjoyed some great local wine, but the best part of it was being in the middle of this Senesi dinner that felt intimate and grand at the same time.  

Day of the Palio:  Time to Battle.

But first the horses must be blessed.  

Parades: more celebration and anxiety for the Contradas.

Final Moments...

All of the anticipation explodes in a ninety second race to determine the fate of the chosen Contrada.

The Oca Contrada Wins.  They will march through the streets in this fashion for weeks to come.

The Palio is awarded and people disperse to celebrate or cry.  

The physical evidence of the Palio was washed away the following morning, but we felt its presence until the day we left Siena.

The Siena we fell in love with: Night.

Siena is most beautiful at night.  Glowing street lamps soften the harshness of the old building as people come out for a late dinner or just to hang out in the Piazza del Campo.  This is where wonderful friendships emerged as we used our new language skills and learned first-hand about Italian culture.  This is where we truly felt at home as the city embraced us and made us feel like family. It all happened here as we sat beneath the soft glow of the Siena lights.

People Watching.