Siena is putting on her autumn attire: that means the chill night mists that she discards in the morning when they roll up from the Orto de Pecci ( that lovely green space, so rare in Siena) to reveal blue skies- if we are lucky...
There has been rain and storms too, of course, and floods in Tuscany, but we are safe from those at least, here on Siena's three hills...
And that ghoulish import from America: Halloween, has been adopted by ONDA to provide some autumn fun for the children. I was happy to help in the kitchen, but misunderstood as usual- it is not the first time that I have exaggerated a costume instruction...'Come dressed as something 'Halloween' inspired' I was told:
Alas, the other ONDA helpers looked elegant with a little witches hat or perhaps a bat tiara...
Halloween barely over, Siena has set its sights already on Christmas, and decorations are going up all over town- all major streets have been hung with fairy lights, like Via Giovanni Dupre below.
Menawhile, my little theatre group which meets here every Friday is going from strength to stength
I remain somwhat in the back ground, and my contributon is more culinary than theatrical... I have revisited a well-tried formula- in the 1990's I ran a Chess club in Islington- I made soup for all participants at the end of the evening. Then, between 2002 and 2005 I ran an Open House in my Ladbroke Grove flat which also ended up with my soup offering. And here we are in Siena: soup first here, then theatre rehearsal. They are very good, my theatre friends- born comedians...
