School is over at last. Our final week gave us hope that we have learned something indeed. Steve was out sick the first day and a half of the week with an upper respiratory virus and Susan had to do all the homework. (OK she always did the homework.)
Anyway we had a great last day in class – four of us were leaving in fact – and it started to feel odd that we wouldn’t be coming back on Monday. Sue and I made our presentations, hers on ourhome in Vermont and I did a little thing on digital art, which concluded with a piece “Faces of Siena”.
Afterwards, we gave each of our insegnante a gift: for Eduardo we found a DVD copy of Charlie Chaplin’s “Gold Rush” (Eduardo is doing a stand-up comic shtick in a local club) and for Egina I gave her a copy of my Paintings of Italy which included my image “The Campo at Flood Tide” (she had told me some weeks before she really liked my one photo of the Campo flooded and even asked for a screensaver version). After class we just strolled a bit, had a last glass of prosecco at our favorite bar and said goodbye to the staff who had been so kind to us over the weeks (one of the waitresses even gave Susan a big hug and kiss) and eventually headed home after a stop at the Internet Train to tidy up some lose ends before hitting the road.
About 6:30 pm we headed into the city one last time, parking near the fortezza of course, and went to Naninni’s for one last Negroni Sbagliati, an aperitivo favorite made with equal parts Campari and dry vermouth and topped with a splash of prosecco. We then met our friends Kris and Floyd for dinner at Boccon del Prete, where, as it turned out, another former student and acquaintance of ours was working in the kitchen. (DA has a combined language/cooking program.) Maki is from Japan, and had been studying Italian as well as learning to cook when we first met at Dante Alighieri during one of the improvisational theatre sessions. A sweet person and although shy she was one of the most friendly people we met during our entire time there.
The food was wonderful (as always) and the conversation lively and we said our farewells to Kris and Floyd determined to visit them in Spain this October.
We had a great last evening in Siena and although we eagerly look forward to our next adventure – involving we hope more sun – we cannot help but feel no little regret at having to leave the one place in Italy where we feel the most comfortable and most at home.
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