First weekend in Italy

Saturday

First day of no class and I got to sleep in.  My morning was filled with a well needed sleep.  For the afternoon we took a day trip to San Gimignano.  It was a little disappointing as it was raining and very foggy out.

San Gimignano is the city of beautiful towers.  The city is like Siena with it being walled in on a hill.  There are 15 towers still standing today, but back in the 1200’s there were 72 towers.  It was originally a Etruscan village.  It is named after the bishop of Modena, San Gimignano, who is said to have protected the city from Attila the Hun.

It was a very thriving city in the 1200’s because it was between Florence and Rome.  Many pilgrims stopped and stayed in the city for a few days on their pilgrimage.  Many wealthy families also lived there and that is why there were so many towers.  To build a tower was to prove that you had wealth and power.  It was a great competition to see who could build the tallest tower.

Inside the bottom of the tower there was a museum and about 4 different rooms with fresco’s in them.  One was of vice vs virtue of a young man leaving his parents home to go explore the world.  He instantly ends up getting his money stole from some prostitutes.  After he goes back home again it shows him marry a nice woman and living till the old age of 35, which was common during that time.

Since it was so foggy and rainy we didn’t get to see all of the towers at once, but you could see them if you walked close to them.  We even had the privilege of climbing up one.  Lots of steps and a ladder at the end to crawl underneath the bell to get to look out over the side.  It was a beautiful sight and well wroth the climb to the top.

After the tower climb I tried my first gelato, tiramisu.  It was so rich and creamy...yummy!  Then we had the 40 min bus ride back to Siena.  From there I had my first official night out in Siena.  We started out going to dinner, which I had lasagna again.  Then we went to a dance hall.  And everyone knows how much I like to dance.  We were lucky enough to find a live band that was playing American jazz, Johnny Cash and blues.  It was fun to do the twist and shout all the way over here in Italy. 

The band was really good.  Two guitar players, drummer and lead singer and piano player.  The piano player was wearing a white suit jacket with his hair slicked back..haha. He played with his hands, elbows and feet on the piano.  Very talented man, and also cute ;)

Sunday

Very relaxing day.  Homework, blogging, facebooking and a little shopping.  I bought my first purse from Italy today.  A red leather cross-body purse.  It is amazing.  Made in Italy and for a bargain :)  Well next I get to skype the family, Mom, Dad, Sarah, Brett, Taylor and Brody :)  So excited to see them all. 

P.S.  Please keep my sister in your prayers as she has knee surgery on Monday.  We all know its not fun.  Wish I could be there with her.