Ten years ago, we lived in the contrada of Leocorno, the Unicorn and attended our Dante seminar in the contrada of Torre, the Tower. Some of our program professors/administrators had been baptized into Onda, the Wave. We thought our loyalties were divided for Palio back then.
And now? We’ve lived for 3 months in the contrada of Selva!
Like everybody else in the city last night, members of the Contrada of Selva seemed pleased as they marched “Indianos” back to his stall after the Prova. The trainer will sleep in the stall, with youngsters from the contrada, the self-appointed guards just outside.
Afterwards, for old times’ sake, we decided on dinner in Leocorno. As in every other contrade’s streets, and as for every other important occasion, the lights and flags have mysteriously appeared – literally, overnight. It feels like a long time ago since we first saw this happen this year — for St. Catherine, in April.
Since we lived there in ’02, Via Pantanetto has, much to the amazement of the rest of Siena,transformed itself. One of two Chinese restaurants in the city is here; numerous Kabob cafés have sprung up; I picked up some brilliantly colored Tamil Nadu bracelets at the street’s Festa last week. The stores run by lovely Asian women have provided us with everything from blouses and hot-weather skirts, to our trusty shopping cart.
And dinner?El Gringo
mebtravelling 