A Day in Siena

Our trip to Siena started off somewhat rocky. The bus ride was a little rough and once we arrived and I attempted to fight off motion sickness while praying that I found some Dramamine before the ride home. However, I pulled myself together and made it through the town. The first sight was the Piazza del Campo, in the center of the city. It was pretty nice, and it was interesting to see all the people laying out or picnicking on just a large brick floor. After getting a look at the Piazza we met up with our tour guide who showed us the synagogue and the location where the Jewish Ghetto began. It was definitely interesting to see how narrow the street was and how tall the walls were. It gave some sense of what it was like to live in the ghetto and how crowded and closed in it must have felt. The synagogue was also very interesting to see. The seats were set up in a square surrounding the beema, which is very different from the shul I attend at home which is set up with rows going back from the beema which is in the front of the room. I thought that the synagogue itself was very quaint and the decoration was beautiful. I loved the bronzed doors and just the overall atmosphere. I have to say though, I found seeing the old texts up in the women's section to be the most interesting part. I find old documents like that, which are still in tact, to be incredible. They were written by the people who lived in the city and prayed at that synagogue so long ago.
The rest of the day in Siena was alright. Lunch was good, although we got separated from the group. We were tired so we ate, explored the city and got to see some amazing views of the countryside beyond the city walls, and hopped on a bus home, just to arrive into shambles in our apartment. But that, is another story entirely.........