Horses and Dolphins..

Let's try this in chronological order:

I did run off to be 'baptized' at the Dolphin Fountain of the Onda Church, St. Giuseppe, and here we have Massimo Spessot, the 'Priore' of ONDA, tyeing my coveted silk Onda scarf around my neck- the saying goes that the knot must never be undone...

Have been getting up at 4.30 to see the 'Provas di Notte' when some new horses and also jockeys have a chance of trying out the Piazza, and these trial races are keenly watched by the Contada Capitanos who are responsible of choosing the ones that finally take part in the Palio.

The Onda Ladies have been extremely nice to me- I couldn't have wishes for a better welcome... Here I am with a few of them, having lunch at the Trattoria Dinos, which is my closest restaurant, last Sunday.

This is the Palio, which seemed to be well received when it was unveiled at the Palazzo Pubblico on Monday. Not sure if I am am that keen...

Tomorrow I have my very first guests:  the German Florian and his girlfriend is arriving for one night only, and Gareth from California is arriving for three nights!

More soon...

 

 

ONDA!

This weekend, around the 24th of June, is the time for  traditional festivities of the Onda contrada; which includes the giro around town with the alfieri- the flag throwers- and the tamburini- the drummers- visiting the the other contradas  and looking very proud and gorgeously decked out in their sky blue and white historic costumes. This will happen tomorrow, but festivities have been going on all week, such as the contrada dinner  last night, below. The elegant gent with the suit and the pocket handkerchief to the right is the artist who has painted this year's July Palio banner which will be unveiled on Monday at the Palazzo Pubblico which much trumpet fanfaring and other Senese to-dos.

and today the Via Giovanni Dupre is once more closed off to traffic and the dinner is prepared to be enjoyed by about 600 people in the street. 

 But before this happens, in about half an hour, I am going to the Onda church, where I will be 'baptized' into the contrada and receive my coveted blue and white silk scarf, together with all the other new Ondaioli who have been born or arrived some other way like me-I do hope I am not the only adult amongs all the babies! 

And on a slightly more serious note, the flat is officially finished, the workmen have all left and I have had a dinner for Paolo and his studio here. I have received the first bookings for my rooms, all around Palio time, that is to say between the 30th June to the 3rd of July. I do hope the people who are arriving don't ruin everything by not getting here on time to be booked in! I am not sure I want to miss the Palio!

Must rush off to be baptized...

More to follow....

Da Ann-Sofi

will be the name of my little guesthouse, perhaps too small, with three rooms only, to be called a guesthouse...?

Well, it is finally just about done! The workers have departed after eleven months, and I am left here alone, at the moment, enjoying the result, and gearing up for a marketing drive to try and find some guests to enjoy this with me. 

The lovely larger bedroom with its vaulted frescoed ceiling is looking fresh and beautiful with Dembele's bogolan bed spreads:

                                                                                  

                                                     The bathrooms are sleek and stylish:

Just waiting for a few things from the framers to hang on the walls, and a nice sunnier day to take better pictures. We have had terrential rains here- not as bad as north in Emilia Romagna, but pretty wet nevertheless with some sun in the mornings only. 

Siena is crawling with tourists creating traffic jams in the streets- some such will hopefully find their way to my place in a week or so, once I have sorted out the labyrinthine bueaucracy which always accompanies every undertaking in Italy. 

Karen, my friend from Bamako has been here for a week, We have done all the lovely things available, Duomo, Siena walks and concerts; Palazzo Pubblico; visit to San Gimignano and an Aperitivo with friends here in the flat:

Karen to the left and the ultra glamourous Nora to the right, a Federal Judge from California that we ran into on the street and invited up for a drink and a gossip about life- she stayed for three hours, came back again and I am having dinner with her tonight. Siena is full of interesting chance encounters... mostly with women though- the world is full of women travelling around on their own it seems...