Reentry (by Steve)

LEXINGTON (#69)

Well, we're back.  And I must admit that there are a number of things that are really attractive about these United States and that six months away is enough to appreciate them again.  But having a few more weeks off and entertaining Italian guests has made coming back a real pleasure.  Everything is just so, well, transparent.

What is Going to Happen to the Website? (by Steve)

TOUISSET, RI (#70)

Some of you may be wondering what will happen to the site now that we are back.  Well, I would like this site to remain in a sort of suspended state as a memory of our trip.  I will be investigating ways of doing just that.  However, in the mean time, I'm not sure we're ready to close it just yet.  I think it's important to keep it open for a few months for a few reasons....For example, I know that I still have a story on the history of the Contrade and the Palio and another one on the Palio itself.  And there are still two or three hundred photos to publish.  At a rate of 20 - 30 per week (in current photos album) that will take till September.  And finally, I also think that there are some comments still out there waiting to be recorded.

Get those comments in NOW for posterity.

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COMMENTS from the original blog

2006-10-21 14:09:54 stefano
after two years...
I have rehosted the site at a different hosting service in a different CMS called Drupal.  The photos are still in an open source application called Gallery.  Enjoy.

And the winner is.... (by Doreen)

SIENA (#68)

To the delight of Onda and the despair of Bruco...Jockey-less Giraffa (the contrada Onda sold their rider to in order to help keep their arch enemy, Torre, from winning).

Bruco led the race until passing the deadly curve of San Martino.  Giraffa was trying to pull ahead when all of the sudden its rider fell off.  Bruco's jockey pulled ahead again but then he, too, fell.

Then Bruco continued to lead (with its unknown horse and young inexperienced jockey) to its contrada's joy and amazement --not something they even thought could happen).  Then, calamity stuck. The 2 front runners caught up and started to lap Oca (the goose)'s horse (who had lost its rider in the second lap).  Bruco got boxed in.  Oca (finishing its second lap) started to run faster and was a nose ahead of Giraffa at the finish line.  I (and probably 1/3rd of the others), thought this was Bruco's horse. Instead, Giraffa's flag was hung outside the Palazzo Publico, as the winner.