And the winner of the bareback horserace is... Torre! The contrada of the tower with an elephant as it's represented animal! The celebrating was uproarishly loud and attractive in that the people of the contrada were so dedicated and were now the proud winners of the coveted prize: the Palio, an artfully, crafted flag depicting the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, overlooking the competing contradas in the race. Of course, parading around, celebrating and singing with your winning horse in tow for weeks following the victory can be a Sienese prize all it's own! (Other neighboring cities might even call it "Pazzo" or Crazy)
This year, we had the fortune of our dear friend, Deborah Larsen and her new Siena-based tour business named Italy Unfiltered. Deborah made careful plans to find us a fantastic balcony-view of all the regalia of what is Il Palio which began at approximately 4:30 pm. From the opening ceremonies of the parades in Il Campo to the
mind-bending wait for the jockey's to get into position with their wild horses and start on the short, 90-second race. Still, it was all a thrill and well worth the experience of such a medieval tradition. We loved Il Palio once again!
It is now that I am realizing so much. Having gone to watch Il Palio a second time with my family, I am overjoyed at the experiences we've had. And on a personal level, there have been slightly hidden messages. Two days prior, we were invited to visit the Civetta (owl) contrada for dinner in celebration of the upcoming horserace. For many, the owl is a symbol of wisdom. For me, I feel like this visit to Toscana is one of truth and wisdom as well. Like we have taken what we learned last visit and are using our experiences as a navigational tool. I failed to mention in previous blogs out of embarrassment and frustration maybe, that we made so many mistakes in our elongated visit to Tuscany last trip: parking tickets, zona traffico Limitado violations, language not fully learned, and friendships left underdeveloped. I have come to understand that what I needed to have was in fact the wisdom of an owl. Wisdom to recognize that life needs to be light. Learning but trying not to be so rough and hard on myself with cruel expectations. When you take life more lightly, you get to know yourself better in joy.
With the joy and pride of the contradas in Siena, I learned to celebrate life, grab ahold of love when it comes and hold it dear without restraint and control but with kind reverence for it's nature. This is the Pura Dolce Vida! Ahh right!
We have arrived in joy. In appreciation. In the spirit of friendship, love, respect and calm. We have returned from Costa Rica to Toscana and found how much we were were missed, loved and honored while we were gone. It has shown in the actions and words of our dear friends in Volterra, Costa Rica and beyond. Grateful!
Should anyone want to take in Siena with it's surrounding countryside in sheer bliss, contact Deborah Larsen for an experience like no other, Italy Unfiltered.
Italy UNFILTERED! | Experience the True Essence and Soul of Italy
italyunfiltered.com/
Welcome To Italy Unfiltered! Fall in love with life, come experience Italy and enliven your senses. Tired of sitting on tour buses? Coming home frazzled and tired, ...
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