On venerdì (Friday) some of the girls and I went to the police station to get our finger prints done for our permesso di soggiorno(permit of stay). We needed to give the police a couple passport pictures as well. I had gone to a photo shop the day before and gotten my picture taken. It truly looked like a mug shot and I felt like such a criminal as I stood in the police station getting each and every one of my ten fingers scanned. After going to the police station Bekah led us into a pet shop outside the Sansepolcro walls. Inside the store there were some adorable cucciolo (puppies) jumping up and down in the window. Being obsessed with dogs, I really wanted to buy one and bring it back to the Palazzo. Friday night we stayed in and watched Romeo and Juliet for our art history class. I went to bed early so I could get a full night of sleep and be well rested for the adventure that was in store for me the next day.
February 27th
Sabato (Saturday) morning I woke up at 6:30; the group and I were going to Siena and were catching a bus that left Sansepolcro at 7:15. Siena is a beautiful medieval walled city located in Tuscany that is about a 2 hour bus ride from Sansepolcro. After getting off our connecting bus from Arezzo, Bekah showed us the post where the bus times could be found. We were extremely lucky because the sun was shining and it was relatively warm. She then led us to the information station and I bought a 50 centesimi map. Acting as our tour guide for the beginning part of our Siena adventure, Bekah lead us into the San Domenico where Saint Catherine, the female patron saint of Italy, saw visions of Christ. There is a whole cappella (chapel) dedicated to the saint, in which her holy face is located. Next Bekah led us to the Duomo.
Surprisingly I learned that the word Duomo does not actually mean Dome. It means grand cathedral. There are many cathedrals in each city, but the grandest and largest is the Duomo. It just so happens that many of the Duomo’s actually have a dome. Bekah informed the group that at one time Siena was a very large and powerful city. Siena had planned to have the largest Duomo, which would have been bigger than the one in Florence. In 1348 the black plague came from fleas in China and killed 3/5 of the population. After the plague the people of Siena no longer had the people, power or money to construct a Duomo larger than the one in Florence.
The Cathedral was very pretty; it had three main peaks at doors. There were many sculptures and reliefs on top of the cathedral. At the very top were three peaks or pilasters that had different paintings and depictions of Jesus.
The next stop on our tour of Siena was the Piazza del Campo. Bekah told us that it is a very popular place for people to sit for lunch, after work and on the weekends. We saw couples enjoying a drink, children chasing after pigeons and some people sleeping.
We went into the Palazzo Pubblico which had beautiful art. Each room of the museum was decorated from head to toe. The ceilings were filled with detailed frescoes. I stood with my head facing the ceiling admiring the fine attention to detail, and wondering how long it would have taken to complete such a remarkable work of art. I saw Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Allegory of a Good and Bad Government among many others.
Kim, Megan, Jess, and I went to Alfieri, a nice sandwich shop for lunch. I got a ham, cheese and tomato sandwich on delicious thick bread. After lunch we walked around; we had to let our food settle because we were going to climb and conquer the tower! After climbing the Duomo in Florence we wanted to climb this one too so we could see the city of Siena and the rolling green hills. The climb was long and tiring just like the hike of the Florence Duomo was. This time the hallways and staircases were so small and skinny that some points were hard to walk and we had to duck. I’m not sure if this top of the tower seemed higher, or what, but I was scared at the top. Once I got adjusted I was able to look at the amazing views. I took a lot of pictures, but unfortunately the pictures do not do the breathtaking views justice.
On the tower is a (campana) bell that rings every thirty minuets, and we were right under; we stayed on top of the tower for about 35 minutes, so it rang twice, and each time we jumped and screamed.
After our climb to view the Siena we went and found Bekah. She was resting and reading a book in the Piazza del Campo . Exhausted I joined her, took of my scarpe (shoes) and lay down to rest! I enjoyed the atmosphere and people watching.
The rest of the group met up with us and we all went to get gelato! Bekah had previously studied abroad in Siena so she knew the place to get the very best gelato. She took us to Kopa Kabana Gelateria. I picked one that looked pretty and got it, I can’t remember what the name was, but it tasted like almonds with raspberries on it. I liked it, and ate every last bite.
Kim, Jess and I went to the Museo Opera del Duomo which was the Museum for the Duomo in Siena. Unfourtnealty they were closing within 30 minutes, so we were practically forced to run through. We saw some really cool cloaks that the priests would have wore. They were embroidered different colors.
On the way back to the bus stop we stopped in a paper store. Some of the girls had gone in a paper store in Florence and loved it. They had been able to see the process of hand dying paper, and came back to the Palazzo Alberti with some. I stopped in and looked around and got some pens that were covered in the hand dyed paper.
Once again, we were very pleased and felt accomplished when me managed to get on the right bus, as well as the connecting bus and safely made it back to Sansepolcro. We had wanted to go out that night, but after waking up at 6:30 and walking around all day we were exhausted! I was in bed at about 11:00, and got some much needed sleep!
February 28th
Domenica (Sunday) morning I woke up and did some school work. Bekah had the idea to go on a walk so we could get some vitamin D. She took us around to some of the different churches in Sansepolcro. Though the sun was not shining it was a nice day and I was happy to be out. As we were walking from one church to another we past a park and I saw a couple making out. After visiting another church and walking passed the park again the same couple was still making out! I found it very disturbing such a public display of affection. I have never seen anything like that back in the United States and it was grossing me out. After saying “get a room” Bekah informed me that most families live in small houses together, so there really is no place to “ get a room”, so most couples will just go to public places. She also informed us that most families live in buildings that house anywhere from 2 to 4 families. This is much different than most of the neighbor hoods where I am from which are single family homes.
I love pasta and could eat it every day, but I have been craving a nice juicy cheeseburger. I made it my mission to find a good cheeseburger. I was told to go to Compass Rose which is an Irish pub here in Sansepolcro. I was so excited to go and get my much desired burger, but I was very disappointed when I found out that it was closed for the day. Jess, Kelsey and I remembered seeing a sign for cheeseburger over by the bus stop so we walked over there to get one. I ordered it and was very excited to get back to the Palazzo and eat it. I am pretty sure that I was not eating a regular cheeseburger; I think that it might have been a lamb-cheeseburger. It was not good, and it was a major let down. Hopefully next time I go to Compass Rose it will be open and my craving can be fulfilled. I will keep you posted on my mission for a good cheeseburger!
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