The Colour of Heaven and the Strength of the Sea

or: IL COLORE DI CIELO E LA FORZA DEL MARE

The motto of ONDA, and there has been a lot of that blue (and white) lately...Here above is the final flourish in what has been a seemingly never-ending celebration of Onda's July Palio win last year. It was called the 'Cena del Piatto' and the plate in question is the one that is carried above by the Onda Capitano and the successful jockey Carlo Sanna, AKA Brigante. It is inscribed on the back with the year and the contrada who won it and it was now handed over to the authorities who will in turn hand it over to the next July winners. 

I had these two lovely companions to the dinner: Alexander and Enrico, both students of Italian literature here at the University of Siena. 

And yesterday was the ONDA Giro, the yearly outing  to the other parts of town to greet and give homage to  the other Contradas in a ceremonial celebration: Here we are at the Contrada of Leocorno, who meets us with one of their alfieri.

And here at the Contrada of the Civetta (the Little Owl).

It is a long and rather exhausting day to follow the cortege through the winding steets of Siena to the deafening sound of the marching drums. But also an exhilarating and moving experience. Although the Sienese are not really any more religious than anyone else as far as I can make out, there is nevertheless a strong cult of Mary here, that is reawakened every year when Palio is around the corner. And for the Contrada giro to  greet the other neighbourhoods, there is the obligatory and joyous entry into the chapel of each Contrada, when a hymn to the Virgin is sung by everyone in front of a picture of the Madonna and child. This is an ancient and beautiful hymn unique to Siena, sung in Latin which they call the TE DEUM, although it is not the same as what normally carries that name. It asks the protection of the Virgin against enemies and salvation at the time of resurrection:

https://www.ilpalio.siena.it/5/contrade/tedeum

And in the middle of all this ONDA involvement  I decided also to take a day off to enjoy the blue and white of  my favourite seaside establishment in Castiglione della Pescaia: The Bagno Castiglionese, where the sun was hot but the water still quite cool and refreshing. 

But back at ONDA again, there was another street dinner along our major street the Via Giovanni Dupre, and a whole series of evenings in the ONDA garden, to one of which I took Hettie and also Sanjay, here for a few days. And this is of course only the beginning of all things PALIO: the stands are beginning to go up around the Piazza, soon the tufo will be arriving to transform the most beautiful 'square' in the world into the crazy racetrack it will become on the 2nd of July...
 

Swedish Interlude

 It has been too long. But things have happened that must be recorded: the most important of these my recent trip to Sweden, where my dear friend Pia married her Farz in a ravishing 18th c chapel on the West coast, near the town of Halmstad: 

                 Pia was with me on that auspicious journey to Mali for New Year  2005/6, which became the  launching pad for my new life in Mali, since we visited Djenne, and  I decided to go back eventually. It was Pia's idea to go to Mali, and 8 of us went on our adventurous journey not only to Djenne, but through the northern part of Mali to places totally beyond reach today. 

At Pia's wedding I met up with some dear friends I had not seen since that journey, and others I had not seen for a very long time, as well as making many new friends. Much fun was had by all, and although it was cold and it rained most of the time, a clement deity decided that on the Wedding Day itself the sun shone down on us from a brilliant blue sky. 

                                      

                                       I had time to admire an interesting example of Swedish Public Art: (!!!)

and after the wedding I went to my Childhood Paradise, just around the bay at Torekov, where the early summer roses were already spreading their intoxicating fragrance. 

This short Swedish interlude ended at Staffanstorp, close to Lund, with a  couple of chess matches between cousin Pelle and me, 1-1.

                                                                                  

Back in Siena now where it is already quite warm and I spent an enchanting evening just outside Siena in Montalbuccio, with dinner under the stars at Claudio's beautiful garden where his horses are roaming around freely, just like mine used to in Mali...

                                                   

Bologna; a Chinese Encounter; and the Beginning of Siena summer!

I managed to squeeze in a very brief visit to Bologna and dear friend Les and Patty on Easter Saturday, where we took a walk around the marvellous foodstalls in the streets around the Piazza Maggiore- jostling our way through pedestrian traffic jams  with locals getting their supplies for the Pranzo di Pasqua. Had to be back early Easter Sunday to greet new visitors- the long Siena  summer season is now well and truly upon us again...

One of my new guests was the wonderful Weiyu, a young Chinese girl studying for an MA in physics at Copenhagen University. She was a perfect example of why I want to do this Airbnb/Auberge business: representing the joy of discovering a kindred spirit; the adventure of an inspiring encounter.  She was only here for a night. A very unremarkable looking Chinese girl of about 20. We had just said hello  when I let her in and gave her the keys etc. She was about to leave the following day when she asked me politely if she could sit down for a while: I was sitting in my  customary corner in my sitting room which is the communal space for everyone who stays here. 

'Of course'! I replied, and she sat down. A most remarkable conversation followed, when in the space of about 20 minutes we managed to touch upon the most fundamental questions of existence, such as : the impossibility of proving (or disproving) the existence of God; the meaning of Schroeder's Cat, ( and how we decided it could be a metaphor for life: boxes must be opened); what Quantum Communication signifies (that is her subject) and the meaning of ALICE and BOB in this field of quantum  studies as well as the nasty EVE  who wants to 'Evesdrop'. 

Most inspiring. The  second marvellous Chinese woman to stay just a night here and inspire me! Who knows. Maybe there were many more? We just didn't talk to each other?

 

And yesterday, Sunday, came once more the most sure sign that summer has arrived, or is imminent at least: the Valdimontone Contrada did their 'giro' around Siena to all the other contradas, the first of the 17 to start and thereby setting in motion the summer months when almost  every Sunday the sound of the drums will be heard all over the city... The 'Montone' was invited for lunch at the Via Giovanni Dupre, at the ONDA,  since we are their allies. Above they are being greeted at the Aquila, by one of their cute young alfieri (who works in my local supermarket), and below they are being welcomed by the ONDA alfieri.

Brussels and Siena in London

If you accused me of being extravagant, I would have to agree... Have been flitting around Europe in the pursuit of pleasure ever since the Rites of Spring party. The weekend before last took me to the Millenium Documentary Film Festival for the International premiere of my distant cousin Elisabet's (AKA Pussy Galore) film Dreams of Djenne.  Of course I went. How many more chances will I have to walk up the red carpet for an International film Premiere where I figure as one of the main protagonists? To the right below is Linda Mutawi, the producer of the film.

There was not, in fact, any red carpet rolled out for us at the charming Art Deco cinema which hosted the Festival, but never mind. The film was well frequented and many people asked questions at the discussion afterwards, when we were interviewed. 

The surprising and unexpected realization was the splendour of Brussels! Rather than the grim, grey, administrative, bureaucratic non-entity I though it would be,  it turned out to be a grand, fun place made for eating, drinking and jolly making- ah, those moules/frites! Ah, those blonde beers!  And the sun kept streaming down on us as we discovered street after street, neighbourhood after neighbourhood with fine buildings, particularly of the Art Nouveau period, with their intricate  bay windows protruding from the Piano Nobile.  

                                                                                   

          A more sombre, and moving,  note was struck when we ran across a large Palestinian Demonstration. Linda is Palestinian but she has grown up in Sweden. She is passionately involved in the frequent Stockholm demonstrations, so we joined in...                                                                          

The following weekend saw me flitting over to London, 'just' to see the Siena exhibition, which started at the Metropolitan in New York before Christmas and was transferred to London's National Gallery at the beginning of March. I went with Kathy, (AKA The Mona Lisa, who better to see it with?)

I had had my doubts about the need to see it 'in the flesh', because I have after all seen all the pictures in books, as I have slowly deepened my interest in 'all those golden Madonna's', which to start with seemed of little interest, but which have grown into something of a passion during my nearly four years in Siena.

Of course I had to go, and I was not disappointed. There were not very many paintings from Siena, as a matter of fact, but the majority were on loans from art galleries across the world: Europe and America. Many were reassembled with their 'partners' and seen together for the first time in many centuries. 

This one above, The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew' is one of my favourites, it was once part of the great series of scenes from the Life of Christ painted  on the back of Duccio's Maesta (In the Opera dell Duomo, Siena) but now sits in Washington's National Gallery of Art.

The one above is one of the few loaned from Siena: Pietro Lorenzetti's Birth of the Virgin, which I know well from the Opera della Metropolitana, Siena. I love the precious details showing what would have been a medieval Sienese interior. 

The largest and most ambitious piece exhibited is Ambrogio Lorenzetti's 'Pieve Polyptych' from the Chiesa Santa Maria delle Pieve in Arezzo, commissioned painted and installed in that church in Arezzo around 1320, and never moved from that day for 700 years until now, a fact which caused certain controversy as people were wondering if is should have been moved at all...

The interesting premise of this exhibition is that western painting did NOT, as always assumed, originate with Cimabue and Giotto in Florence, but it was in fact in Siena, with Duccio and his spectacular Maesta altar piece for the Siena Cathedral, and particularly the narrative and dramatic power of the series of small vignettes from the life of Christ at the back of this altarpiece.  That, joined with the fact that it was  Duccio, not in fact Giotto, who  painted the Rucellai Madonna, now in the Uffici, Florence. This very large and prestigious painting was commissioned by the Santa Maria Novella church in 1285, and was always assumed to be painted by Giotto until documentation surfaced which confirms Duccio as its painter. 

All this is of course quite fun for me who is developing a sense of Sienese civic pride and belonging...

The Rites of Spring

 Was the name given to the three days of partying here in Siena which came to an end when the last people left a week ago. I have been aware that I must put something down here, but have not had a moment to spare... But it is now or never! 

Was it fun? Yes.... Was it a success? I think I can truthfully, and without hesitation,  say yes! But it feels like rather a responsibility to have over thirty friends arriving from Sweden, the UK and France to celebrate together. People who represent different parts of my life, people who have never met each other before, but also whole sections that knew each other. It was a seemingly friction less encounter and many new friendships were formed... 

The party started at my flat on the Friday night already, continued on the Saturday at the ONDA Museum where I did my best at guiding the group of 22 who had managed to get up in time.

My old friend Viv arrived a few days earlier to help with the organizing and she was a great helper, getting stuck into making placement cards while I was painting the 'photo studio' back drop. She also made herself a card board machine gun (she was Bonnie of Bonnie and Clyde) while she was at it:

On the day of the party we got up very early and collected ivy from a good spot close to the Porta Romana.

The ivy was mixed with garlands of fake flowers, but still looked pretty good I thought, here below with the placement card for 007, who was joined on one side by Pussy Galore and on the other by Miss Moneypenny:

                                                    

There was a wonderful selection of costumes, and people had really made an effort: Here a small taste  only:   

                                                The White King and Black Queen of Chess.

                                                                                  

                                                          Carmen and Toreador Escamillo

                                                             Leonardo and the Mona Lisa                            

                                                                     Dante and Beatrice

                                                                                     

                                                                Bonnie and Clyde

                                                                                 

                                                            A Musketeer and his sweetheart

                                             And there were many many more great outfits...

                                              I had fun with some Blues Brothers and Sisters:

                                                                                 

                                                     And of course we danced and danced: 

                                                                            

And the following day a bus took us deep into the Crete Senese, to one of my favourite places in the world: The Monte Olivieto Maggiore Benedictine Monastery, with its excellent restaurant Il Torre where we had a long, lingering lunch after the visit to the lovely frescoed gallery, painted by the Sienese painter Antonio Bazzi, called Il Sodoma. There was time for a Spritz in the sunshine first!

                                                                                

Football and Cataracts

I am not always a football fan. It happens every two years, for the World Cup or Euro Cup, just  like for so many others. But nevertheless, it was fun to go to a Siena football match on Sunday, when they took on Orvieto, and the final score was 1-1. My Texan friend Hettie and I stayed for the first part, and were able to join in the noisy celebrations when Siena scored in the first half an hour. Other friends, Bene, Cecilia, Alexander and Andrew below  were more dedicated and stayed the course. 

Siena had a couple of years in the first division, Serie A, but now they are relegated to the D league I believe... I am hoping a recent acquaintance is going to change that: the Siena football club has been bought by a Swedish former football player called Jonas Bodin whom I met a couple of weeks ago, together with the lady who will be in charge of the Siena ladies' team; Jenny Damgaard.

This was all thanks to my cousin Pelle who read an article about her connection to Siena in the Swedish morning broadsheet Sydsvenskan,  and decided to alert me. I wrote her an email which Pelle sent on to the newspaper and they forwarded to her. By that evening both she and Jonas came here for aperitivos and a chat. 

There are not many Swedes at all here in Siena, so I suppose they might have been a little curious... I am wishing them well in their challenge!

Other important matters would have to include the 12th cataract operation event in Djenne, that also involves the above mentioned cousin Pelle, who with his wife Nanni continues to sponsor a hundred and fifty free cataract operations every year in Djenne. It is number 13 in fact, because one of these events were held in Kayes Medine where my Keita's family came from.  For the first few years Keita was there with us, since he worked at the Djenne hospital, and also since he had himself been active in eye operations, not cataracts, but operations for Trichiasis, also called trachoma. Now the operations a given in his honour and there is always a minutes silence for him at the inauguration ceremony. Below centre is Dra, the Mayor of Djenne, and Keita's best friend. The first person to the left is Dembele, representing our MaliMali association, the figurehead through which the admin of the event takes place. The second is Keita's second son Lassi. I had arranged for the team to pick him up in Segou where he lives, in order for him to be present and feel proud. To the right is Dr. Faira Keita, the head surgeon- a lovely man, totally dedicated to his job. 

There are always hundreds of people arriving from the far distant bush, having walked for days, hoping to be seen and  retrieve their sight. 

The team operated 40 patients yesterday, and here they are this morning, waiting  for a check up before they are allowed to leave.

                                                         And today the team continues!

It has always felt like a huge privilege to be involved in this, and the kindness of this continuing sponsorship by Pelle and Nanni is simply impossible to over estimate. 

 

Deepest January

When more or less nothing happens in Siena...

It rains, it is as cold as London, there is no one in my little mini Pensioni.

Next year I will definitely go away! 

My leg is getting better though, and I am using just one crutch, managing to hobble down to the ONDA Stanzina, where there is at least something happening which makes me feel just marginally useful: the winter mending of the ONDA ceremonial outfits. Ivana, who is in charge, plays lots of old recordings of the ONDA choir.  Mostly male voices  sing lovely, sentimental songs about the Contrada, about Siena and some about love...very Senese, very Italian...

       

One rather lovely thing to do here in Tuscany in Deepest Winter is to go to one of the numerous hot springs, and I did just that yesterday. I took the bus to the little town in the Crete Senese called  Rapolani Terme and spent the day at Terme Antica Querciolaia, a lovely Spa where one floats around in the bath-hot water, or getting pummeled by powerful water jets, while the air temperature is around 3-4 degrees C. The picture below doesn't really do it justice: the lovely thing about it is all the steam that surrounds one when the heat of the water meets the chill of the air, creating a dream like atmosphere.                                                  

                                                             

I speak to no one. 

 I float about listening to fragments of conversations, such as a very long winded one from a group of, I assume, financiers or accountants who talked about nothing but money every time I floated bye; I try and guess the age of a rather splendid looking woman with her handsome, much younger boyfriend; I experience a wave of what must be a long dormant mothering instinct beginning to stir while watching the excitement of a skinny little boy of four or so with his blow up swimming 'wings'; I observe the young, and not so young,  couples smooch and whisper things to each other;

I see so many very Italian faces, so beautiful in that very Italian way: young men who look as if they have just stepped out of a Renaissance portrait.

I will go back next week...