Arrival

I've been here less than three days and I have fallen in love with Siena. It has been an easy romance. The object my affection has already fed me pizza slices topped with handfuls of red peppers and olive oil, pepperoni and cheese. It has also given me a gellato place where the strawberry (mixed with chocolate) will literally have you crying. Today we had a three course lunch of ravioli in a butter sauce and bruschetta bruschetta bruschetta!

Siena is a smaller town and the apartment I'm living in is near the Italian university so our apartments have a mix of Italian students and students from all over the US. It's an old building that overlooks cobblestone streets and is near a few small cafes that I hope to become a regular at. We have walked around the city with no destination and found out you usually find yourself back where you started. At the edges of the wall you can look out over the Tuscan landscape of agricultural patch work, roads and - right now - cherry blossoms. It has rained a few days but mostly it's sunny and in the main square, the sun lights up all of the ancient architecture and marble.

The main square is where everyone comes after lunch and dinner and when it's sunny. You can find little kids chasing pigeons and couples lounging in each others arms.

There is too much to write about but the bottom line of it all is beauty: beautiful food, beautiful people, beautiful clothes and beautiful scenery.The Italians may be late and some in dire need of deodorant but one thing they have down is living a beautiful life. It's already made me think about my life back home and how much beauty is lacking in it. We wolf down fast food because we are late to a meeting and I buy the cheapest foods that might not even be ripe. Everything is a sensual experience in Italy and makes you realize how precious life is. We must always appreciate those around us and the beauty they bring to our life and also the harmony of delicious, ripe food, good scenery and great conversation.