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....