Pump and Blend

PUMP AND BLEND
Siena has been vacated. We arrived around 7 PM and literally, the only people in town are us and other tourists. We know the football game is on tonight and that people will be watching it somewhere, but there was NO ONE in town. We wandered into a snobby wine library and had mediocre wine and then down to the piazza where the only souls around were tourists watching the game at the overpriced and crappy piazza-side bars and restaurants. We asked a local waiter what was going on and he replied: “New Italian joke:‘Closed for Football.’”

We opted to wander aimlessly for a while before finally finding an open restaurant for dinner. The game was on and all the cooks and servers were gathered around a tiny TV. The food was good…not great, but certomente better than average. We lingered, talking about how we were a little dazed by Siena. Its hills and snobbery total lack of anything feeling authentic. It was a surreal and strange day and then. Italy. WON.

The score was 2-0. Finally Siena came alive. We exited the restaurant and the streets were suddenly full! People were riding vespas up every street…they were honking and shouting and we heard a fire cracker or two. Trucks carrying 10 guys drive by swerving and honking. There was a circle at the top of the town that seemed to be a major meeting point. People were in their cars and on their motorcycles and they were driving around in endless circles around the roundabout. We began to cheer and pump our fists along with the teaming masses of people. Everyone was so happy!

We talked about poor Zumo having to drive out of a crazy town at night with all this mayhem happening, but little did we know it was actually easier because whenever you almost cut someone off or turned in front of a car trying to pass you, all you have to do is pump your fist in the air and yell “EETAAL EE AH!” And you blend right in. People let you through and in fact, they welcome you to their street party. We had our hazard lights on; we drove with the windows down. We pumped our fists. We called it the “pump and blend” method of getting out of town.

Tomorrow: Firenze!