Shoes and ships and sealing wax

This is my fourth time going back to Siena, and I quite honestly can't wait. It's widely accepted that Siena is only worth spending few hours in, offering hardly more than a morning's entertainment, and yet the very thought of going back there makes me giggly. I really have no idea why I love Siena so much. Maybe it's simply the fact that I'm beginning to know it so well, even living at such a distance; I can map out the main streets in my mind. And it definitely has something to do with the Piazza del Campo. Best preserved Piazza in all of Italy? I dunno, I think it's difficult to say any one piazza is the best, because if it's having a bad day it makes all the rest of the piazzas less pretty, too... but nevertheless, Piazza del Campo has one of the best Piazza atmospheres I've experienced, which I definitely was able to appreciate the first time I was there, back in the days when it was sunny and warm (my definition warm weather is now officially 7 degrees Celsius and higher, which converts to a nice, cozy 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit plus - however back then my definition of warm was more in the range of 80 degrees); Piazza del Campo was completely filled with people and kids running around, and while approximately 98% of them were probably tourists, well... they were all really nice tourists. Because that's just the thing about Siena. Everyone's in a good mood. My theory is that it's because Siena has the most amazing pasticceria on the planet, Nannini's by name, which has hot chocolate so thick you could.... well, not swim in it, for one thing. Also because it would probably just be too hot to swim in. And the cups are awfully small. But cups aside, Nannini's also offers a Sienese (is that a word??) dolce, a torta di riso that is unforgivably delectable. That and the chocolate, that's what makes everyone so darned happy. And that's why I love Siena. See, I told you all happiness stems from chocolate!

In more sobering news, I emptied my wallet today at the CITY WIDE MARKET in celebration of the day of the Annunciation. Well all I can say is hurrah for the Annunciation, because Viterbo goes all out for it. Even more than for their patron saint, dear old Santa Rosa. Every single square inch of cobblestone between the medieval walls was filled with booths. I was in heaven. Earring booths, scarf booths, giant-piles-of-shoes booths (in case you were wondering, they look sort of like converses except they have square toes and they're yellow. muaha)... I'm proud to say, however, that at least .... half? of my purchases are gifts. Thus I prove my generosity, thereby winning myself more allowance to run free and buy earrings. And cute little bunnies. No, just kidding. But I was really tempted, I've gotta say. You know, I think I'll get myself a bunny for college, and I'll name him Jeeves. Or Mrs. Dalloway. And then I'll get another bunny to keep him company, and that one will be named Elphaba, of course.

Am going hiking tomorrow so that my exercise does not consist solely of walking up and down the stairs at school, and from booth to booth at fairs. Not that I exercise that little. Jeez, how lame would that person have to be!