Il Viaggio di Marco a ItaliaEveryone's Mario Andretti (My Trip To Siena)18 Luglio 2005Today, my niece and her friend were supposed to arrive, so yesterday, I did a lesiurely bike ride up to Florence and hung out for a bit, and then rented a car (la macchina) so I could go pick them up in Pisa. but, this was not to be. They missed a connection in Chicago so they aren't coming until tomorrow. I did take this picture in Florence while I was there. It's the side door of Santa Maria del Fiori (Florence's cathedral). The crowd's all out front. With a free day, I decided to drive to Siena and look around. If you've ever driven in Italy (not on the autostrada), then you know that there are no straight roads. In fact, I think the engineers make the roads curvy on purpose! This has an unusual effect on people (including me). Anyone who gets into a small car with a manual transmission on a curvy, yet well-banked road, will invariably start to believe that they are Mario Andretti - or worse. I think most of the Italians think they could beat Mario in a fair race. You also start to drive with your horn, fully believing that if you blare it enough times, the people in front of you will speed up or pull over. The other vehicle here is the motor scooter. Wow. First off, there are hundreds and hundreds of them. Second, they don't have to follow the traffic laws - any of them: rules like stop at red lights, don't drive on the sidewalks, etc. I'm serious. They just go whereever and whenever they want. It's quite the efficient form of transportation - right up until you get killed. Anyway, I drove down to Siena and hung out. I only got beeped at once (it was my fault), and the two times that I was supposed to beep (at the gawking tourists), I forgot to. Oh, well. I'm sure I'll learn. Siena is a beautiful hilltop town whose claim to fame now is the Il Pialo, a horse race run in the Il Campo. Il Campo is arguably Italy's most beautiful piazza. The race is run twice yearly and the next one is in August. I hope to be there. The 17 neighborhoods of Siena field riders that make three laps around the Il Campo for bragging rights. Apparently, the whole town turns out for the event. Their other claim to fame is St. Catherine who came from Siena. She has her own cathedral (San Domenico) there. Il centro di Siena is a huge walking district - makes one wonder why all towns don't do that. Imagine Manhattan with no cars! Or at least, Blacksburg. Return to Contents |