Rendevous in Florence/Siena

Florence (top right) Siena (top left & bottom right)


Friday after work I grabbed the earliest plane possible and hightailed it to Siena. I will not be able to make it to the Palio or to the big party on July 4th so I wanted to visit a really good friend of mine (Saranya) before I left for Romania. The first day we went to Florence and the following we stayed in Siena. She told me that the weather has been rainy and cloudy since the program begin. Perhaps I brought it with me from Rome but it was hot! It seems that 5 minutes after getting out of the shower I start sweating. I can not imagine what it is going to be like in August. This is a picture from the bell tower on the main square of Siena, Piazza il campo. The going up the 400 steps are quite an adventure since it is this tiny staircase made for midgets so you must be bent over to not hit your head on the ceiling. It was amazing though and for the first time you get a glimpsed of the Tuscany countryside. Every day I pass here, the more I am convinced that I do not want to leave. We also went to the Duomo which you can see as the large white and black structure here. There is an interesting story behind its construction. It was started in 8th century and continued intermedently until the time of Pope Pius the third. However, it is awkward looking for three reasons. There was some technical issues with the structural plans, the war between Siena and Florence left them devastated financially, and during one of its phases of construction a third of the population was lost to the plague. As you see it was similar in style (on the outside at least) to the Duomo in Florence as they were trying to outdo each other. I think it is better off because Florence spent all its money on the size and its outside while the one in Siena is smaller but absolutely amazing on the inside. Everyone was gearing up for the Palio so the 17 contratas could be seen wearing there scarves with their own symbols and mascots plus some even had there flags out so that the streets were decorated. Plus some times if you were lucky you could here whole contratas marching and drumming and singing down the streets practicing. It was a huge spectacle. One surprise was the music festival in Siena on saturday night. It was then that I discovered that the italians do not dance and they prefer to sing in English to ("imitate american music") So besides on RA1, the italian TV channel 1. It is very hard to find music in italian.

In Florence we went to Il Duome, Baptistry, Palazzo Pitti (the second palace of the Medici family), Giardino di Boboli, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria as well as part of Palazzo Vecchio. It was impossible to see it all all. Florence is a place that you need at least two days to see. I will say that I have spoiled with all the public fountains in Rome. Water was very expensive there.

I will have to write more about it later and post some pictures of the view from where I work. Right now I must get ready for the Vienna Opera House. I am going to see Don Carlo with Said Saab (one of my best friends) at 7!