New Faces, Cheese and a Winning Sunset – June 9

I haven’t blogged in a few days and, in lieu of reading some chunky law review article for class I’ve decided to go for a quick update with my last few sips of wine (Valpolicella, if you must know). We woke up early this morning (against all odds) and were out of the apartment early enough to enjoy a leisurely stroll through the crowded working class avenues of downtown Siena. The Italian businessmen hustled around with their ties draped over their shoulders, and the bus drivers honked at the early-bird tourists as they wheeled around tight stony corners to deliver their haul to the shops that were getting ready to open. It’s a wonder they’re aren’t more wrecks in this city the way cars fly headlong around curves with no idea who or what is around the corner.

We got to school early and took some pictures from the local dog park (don’t bring your cocker spaniels, according to the picture diagram on one sign that we still haven’t completely deciphered) of the Tuscan countryside outside of the city walls. School was school…although we did have a thrilling lecture by Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, a New York City prosecutor, three-time veteran and Marine officer who led the campaign for the return of the thousands of looted items stolen from the Iraq Museum in 2003 after the US invasion of Baghdad.

After class, we met a guy from class who is at Tulane Law and we all went on a field trip to the grocery store to pick up some fruit (which developed into a serious excursion involving cheese, wine, and various other items, as is always the case). After returning to the apartment, we had some white wine and soft pepper cheese with crackers while watching CNN and BBC (this is pretty much how I hope it is when I die, with the possible addition of a white terry cloth robe). Meg cooked spaghetti Bolognese for dinner and I made my focaccia garlic bread – both were outstanding. The sunset was a fascinating purple color and the packs of swallows darted wildly around the rooftops, at some times only feet away from our open window. So now, we’re getting prepped to do some much-needed reading and then call it a night.

Well look at that…Megan just made me a cappuccino. Huh! (Shout-out to Mr. Steve.)