Palio!

Before I get stared, I would like to give a big virtual shout out to Uncle Don for making this trip happen, and spending time with my little family.

Today was the big horse race in Siena today. Think Kentucky Derby meets soccer hooligans, meets NASCAR, with a little bit of the Sopranos mixed in for good measure. They put in dirt track around the outside of what is still a beautiful Piazza Il Campo and have a good old fashion horse race. This medieval tradition continues, with each of the city's neighborhoods being represented in the race, the whole city is abuzz. Each neighborhood has its own flag and mascot, with residents sporting their colors proudly on their building and on their backs. As demonstrated by Beck.


What is left of the square was packed with people and the elite had bleachers to look down at the action from above. The real excitement like in NASCAR is on the corners were horse, track, and jockey have all been known to become separated from each other. Apparently there are some shady dealings involving the race. I'm not saying I saw anything, but if I did, there might have been something going down by the playground in Piazza San Francisco. But like I said, I didn't see nothing.


The guide book did not say what time the race was, so we just left for Siena when we were ready to leave in the morning. We got there about six hours early. So we walked around with the rest of the tourists, walked on the track, and left. One of these days we're going to build our kids endurance so they can last several hours in the 90+ heat.

Once again no pictures of Lucignano, but the plan is to wake up early, and snap a few in the morning before we get started. Uncle Don has been great with the kids, he has shown amazing patience with our demanding little ones. Until next time, ciao!

-Issac

Location:Siena, Italia