My new, little, convenient-to-carry camera isn't being recognized by the computer I'm using (it was earlier, but now it's being finicky), so I'll just write to you and maybe you have access to your student's photos on Facebook. I'll take the monster to Rome - well, maybe.
After packing our sack lunches this morning, we took a bus together to San Gimignano. If you have a trip to Italy on your travel list, you must consider adding this town. San Gimignano is a small Tuscan hilltown that is known for its skyline of towers. In the "old days," families built towers for defense purposes and to display their wealth and power. Essentially, in the Medici-days, that ruling family and their allies came through and said, "We have the power, not you, so get these towers displaying your wealth out of the sky," and tore down many, many of the surrounding hilltown's towers. Only about a dozen of the 60 original remain, but that's the most in any small town, making San Gimignano unique and attractive for visitors. There are shops, shops, shops, and they enjoy the tourism...it's getting more crowded as people have discovered it's charm, but it remains beautiful and is definitely worth putting on your list. I have a great group photo that I wish I could attach. Perhaps later...
As we waited for the bus to come pick us up, we inhaled our sack lunches then rode half an hour or so to Siena (it's one n in Italy, I believe and two in America - why???). I overhead a few people say that Siena is their favorite town so far. It's main piazza - Il Campo - hosts the famous horse race twice a year during which horses - not jockeys - compete for the different regions of the town. The people care about whether (and when, of course) the horse crosses the finish line and not necessarily the jockey; apparently losing a jockey (just thrown off - not substantially hurt) is quite common! Anyway, about 50,000 people gather in the piazza. Imagine 50,000 people on the HU football field and in the bleachers, leaving only the track open for the horses. Then put lovely OLD brick buildings (apartments, shops, restaurants, govt. buildings), a marble church (curved arches, pointed arches, and gothic style - the Siena Cathedral is decorative-understatement-on the outside as well as the inside-Barberini & Michaelangelo), and functioning ringing of old church bells in the background. Add the fast - almost flying - horses and the townspeople cheering for their horse, and you've got the race at Il Campo! After our guide turned us loose, we had 1 1/2 hours to explore and snack in Siena. Beauty, beauty, beauty.
Although many of the BAT people feel asleep on the bus, those of us who were up looked over the Tuscan countryside as we rode to and from our cities today. God blessed our weather - it was supposed to rain all day long. On the way, when we were still in the bus, the rains came. When we arrived in San Gimignano at our primi stop, the weather quieted and we enjoyed strolling - not wet, not hot. We also enjoyed Siena - not hot, not wet. Then when we got on the bus and on the road, the rains came hard. We arrived back at Avanti for some good ol' American chicken pot pie and salad with ranch dressing! You can't beat Italian food, but chicken pot pie gives anything a run for it's money, and it was a fun switch.
In the morning, we leave for Rome after the students have time set aside for workouts. We must pack tonight to be on time for our train tomorrow. We have a contact in Rome and plan on worshipping with his church and having pizza with them tomorrow night if all goes according to plan. Don't know if I'll update until Saturday, but I'll give it a try in an internet cafe or something perhaps. Oh, a "new" computer might could "see" my camera. Wish us a safe trip!
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