Another incredibly active day…started early and ended just now (22:30), with two trips to the pay phone to call Kelly to no avail. Phones here have been the most frustrating aspect of the experience. I think that I FINALLY have it figured out. Now if I could only make the phone booths open on all sides rather than just one-they are virtual saunas! When you want to communicate around here, one student said, it seems that you have to suffer for it!! The internet has been a great way to be in touch though. We all talk everyday about how grateful we are for it and the Internet Train, our stomping grounds. We have already noticed, as you do in any European country (I'm told) that bathrooms are very important. The internet train has a nice one!

We had a tour of the city today that included a great overview of the Palio, the horse race that turns the city on end for the weeks surrounding July 2nd and August 16th. The contrada flags are already up, as we saw today during our tour. Our tour guide is a member of the onda contrada whose bitter enemy is the elephant contrada. He seemed to groan audibly as we rounded the corner to their neighborhood! This rivalry is very real and not just put-on for tourists. In fact, many others have said it, but I will say it again here: Palio is for the Sienese, not the tourists.

The highlight of the day was definitely dinner with the onda contrada (whose symbol is the dolphin)-the contrada of Lynn and Wes Kennison. First there was a baptism ceremony-a secular baptism into this neighborhood group. Then, several hours later, the streets were blocked off and they lined them with tables and chairs for the festival dinner. Dinner included proscuitto and melon (antipasti) Sienese pasta (rotini with spicy tomato and zucchini sauce) for primo piatti, and Chicken with peas (the best I have ever had!) for secondo piatti. No dolce was served this evening because the women from the contrada were selling separate desserts. I was so stuffed that I couldn't even think about indulging! The mood was wonderful. It was light and airy outside with warmth and voices all around. I'm certain the vino enhanced our experience as well as the great conversation.