Tag Archives: Siena

My thoughts on Italian language school

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Sophia la Vespa

My personal feedback on Italian language schools, after studying in Siena, Firenze (Florence), Lucca and Verona: They are fun! I have been at four schools and they were all fairly similar in terms of having a set amount of time … Continue reading →

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Torre dei Lamberti

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Sophia la Vespa

The Torre dei Lamberti reminds me a lot of the Torre del Mangia in Siena.   They look very similar to me and are of similar height and my legs were screaming out loud when I got to the top of … Continue reading →

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Wien, Österreich

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Sophia la Vespa

Vienna, Austria! I arrived late last night and am in one of the strangest hotel rooms I have ever stayed in. There is a slight circus theme to the room in that it has a large mural of various carnies … Continue reading →

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Il mio ultimo giorno a Siena!

Posted on August 20, 2011 by Sophia la Vespa

It is not all that sad, really. Most of the people I became friendly with have gone or are close to leaving, and my toilet paper has just about run out so the conditions are perfect! Linda left for a … Continue reading →

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Il Torre del Mangia

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Sophia la Vespa

This is the huge tower in the Piazza del Campo.   The name is derived from the nickname of the first bell-ringer who reportedly spent all his money on food.  This is a mystery to me, though, as the stairwell … Continue reading →

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Panorama del Duomo

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Sophia la Vespa

Building of the Duomo began in the 12th century.  The goal was for the cathedral to be the largest in the world but the were money issues and the plague hit and yadda, yadda, it never happened. The result is … Continue reading →

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The Palio – Professional photography

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Sophia la Vespa

There are a few professional photography shops here in Siena that focus heavily on the Palio. I love this one shop in particular as the photographer is just the cutest character! I’m attaching his link and also some photos from … Continue reading →

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The procession of wax

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Sophia la Vespa

Sunday evening, before going to watch the third Palio test, a group from the school met with our guide, Serena, to watch the Cortea dei Cera (the procession of wax) at the Duomo.  I love the Duomo!  The stripes are … Continue reading →

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Post track activities

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Sophia la Vespa

Linda and I killed the rest of the afternoon walking around, having a glass of prosecco, visiting Antonio at his little specialty food shop, etc. At about 6:30 we headed back toward the Piazza to watch the first “prova” (test). … Continue reading →

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The Palio! Assigning the horses

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Sophia la Vespa

Saturday afternoon at 1:00 sharp, the captains of the contrade oversaw the assignation of the horses. The crowd was thick!  This is when the contrade luck can be won or lost depending on what horse is drawn! All of the … Continue reading →

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