It’s been a roller coaster of a week!

I am really tired after the test and then four days of classes. Concentrating for four hours straight in italian is hard work, let alone struggling to make sensible responses to things in class, and doing homework. Foolishly I signed up to get my presentation in the culture class over with early, so that’s next week 😳. Will be so glad when it’s done.

But there are upsides. Siena is a nice, smallish and easily manageable place. As it’s winter there are very few tourists to navigate around. Each evening around 5 the passeggiata happens when locals come out for a stroll and a chat and to meet friends in the main streets. It’s low key and friendly. The restaurants we’ve tried so far have been interesting and getting good ingredients to cook in our apartment has been easy. Lots to like.

We are heading to Florence tomorrow to get a replacement charger for my lap top and visit the Uffizi Gallery. We went there in 2003, the first time we came to Florence and I really wanted to go again. So, off to see what the tourist hordes are like in Florence in winter!

We had our own passeggiata as usual this afternoon. I found my first contrada (neighbourhood) fountain – the Tortoise. There are 17 contrade in Siena and each draws lots to have a horse in The Palio, but they are really important beyond the Palio in providing strong neighbourhood identity.

So, a few pictures: