OCA WINS!!

Saturday, 2 July

Before coming over Bobbie and I had done some research and found out that we would be in Tuscany around a very significant date. 2nd July (not it's not my birthday .... 7 more for that!). It's the date of Il Palio in Siena, an ancient horse race around Il Campo - the main square of Siena.

We ummed and ahhhed about going, even yesterday, because the thought of standing for hours and hours in summer heat was daunting. However, after consulting with the Villa owner and another friend ;) we decided it wasn't to be missed.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect. A beautiful overcast day with a pleasant warmth. Off we went. Siena is an old town and as such had beautiful walls enclosing it but those same beautiful walls made it difficult to navigate. We were trying to find some free parking but in the end settled on the first pay parking garage we could find. You know those parking bay lines that indicate where to place your car ... well, they mean very little over here. So many cars were parked across the line and therefore took two spaces. Managed to find a little one for Nello right up in a corner. Reversed into it and changed our minds that we really should have gone in front first ... in order to make it less stressful to get out if it was busy, because the turning circle was too tight if we had to deal with other traffic. We struggled ... we should have left the damn car in the reversed position. An Italian family took pity on us and the father hopped in and took over. While we had been slowly inching our way in to the tight spot, HE was backwards and forwards like a complete NUT JOB. I felt physically ill watching the insane parking moves he was making! Finally it was parked to his satisfaction and we said 'Thanks'. Nello's backend was LITERALLY 3cms from the car next to us. We waited until the family left and slowly, but surely straightened it up. Good Grief what a nightmare!

Wandered about Siena for a very short period, grabbed a bit of lunch and some snacks and then it was down to Il Campo. Our Villa owner, Benedetta, had said to arrive at least before 4. There were already people picking out prime positions around the inside of the track. Benches were set up around the edge of the square and then in the centre there were barricades for the mosh pit. The horses run in the track between the mosh pit and the bench seating. We were in the mosh pit. Sat down around 2.30pm on the high end corner of the square with the idea of waiting it out and taking turns in getting up and going for a break. Met a lovely couple of Australian ladies Jo & Tilly (mother and daughter) who were seated in their position just behind us. The time was passed very nicely with their company and in the course of conversation discovered that Bobbie & Jo knew many of the same people. How would you be? Other side of the world, a chance encounter at one of the biggest events in Italy and we meet someone that knows people one of us knew! Small, small world! Il Campo filled up quickly and many of our surrounding companions were amused at my shrieks of fright as cannons were progressively fired. I think the first one saw me jumping from a seated position to one above my head! Very amusing for everyone!

So at around 4.30pm, the mosh pit was barricade closed ... we were there for the duration now! The historic parade started at about 5.00pm ........ and didn't finish until 7.30pm. It was the longest, most drawn out parade I have every experienced! The crowd was totally into it. The tension was almost palpable. Cheers were heard when some horsemen came out brandishing swords and the Italian family in front of us were highly amusing as they gesticulated, as only Italians can do, wildly with pure excitement. They were going OFF! Each contrada (area of Siena) that had been lucky enough to draw a position in the race parade through ... throwing their flags to the delight on the crowd. The family behind us were explaining bits and pieces and informed us that one of the contrada would not be competing as their horse had died in the trials the previous day. Why don't they just get another horse ... and with the most serious sobre face I have seen the young man declared "It is destiny". Oh my ... don't smile Lisa, this is SERIOUS! The first few flag throwing demos were cool ... then all Aussies were over it. The Il Palio silk banner made it's appearance at the end of the parade (thank goodness) to crazy screams.

THEN the horses appeared. It could not have gotten more insane. As the horses lined up there was plenty of 'shhhing' going on. The four of us looked incredulously at each other because 10s of 1000s of people were then in the mosh pit with us ... and it was complete SILENCE! You could have heard a pin drop on the other side of this huge square. It was incredible and barely believable! The cannon went and the crowd went wild, crazy wild. The jockeys ride bareback 3 times around the track and it is so tight around the corners that it takes precision to get around safely. The second corner which I could see clearly saw a collison of horses and jockeys while the third, which was just behind us was the sight of a sickening thump as the rider slid off his horse banging into the wooden pole and barricade while his horse thumped against the wall. Horrible sound but we found out later that both rider and horse were ok. The excitment of the crowd went into overload when the winner crossed the line ... OCA (the goose). People poured onto the track and we could not believe we had just witnessed it. TOTALLY WORTH IT. Soooo much fun.

We enjoyed Jo & Tilly's company so much, we congo-lined it out of the square (cause that's the only way we weren't losing each other in the crowd) to a bar and sat down and had a couple of drinks. Swapped phone numbers, emails etc. and promised an appearance on our blog :)

It was really dark by now and time to go ... said our farewells, maybe we'll meet Jo & Tilly in Venice in a few days with any luck and Bobbie can share a Bellini at Harry's Bar with them! I'll walk them all home safely!! Getting out of Siena was a nightmare, it was the first time our confidence in Guiseppe was shaken .... ended up driving through a street party to a few more wild gesticulations from the partygoers. Hit a bin with the side mirror ... well, it was that or hit the baby in a pram which the father did not see fit to move out of my way! It was very stressful and when we finally made it out I was a bit teary. But made it home by midnight ... safe.