Why is it that every year Mother Nature seems to flirt with autumn for a few days only to unexpectedly switch her attention to winter? After enjoying glorious mid-60 degree weather, the past week since our return from Milan has been bitterly cold. As much as I applaud the Italian government for making it a law that heat cannot be turned on until November first, I also curse them as I bundle up in two pairs of socks, heavy sweaters and a blanket inside our apartment. Luckily there are many things in Siena to help warm my spirit— colorful scarves, chestnut vendors, and the piano player next door who gives afternoon opera lessons.
The change in weather isn’t the only indication of the change in season. At the market, I went to hunt down the sunglasses I had put off buying, only to find that this summer accessory had been replaced with winter ones—thick wool hats, gloves and scarves.
The most brutal sign of winter’s arrival is midterms week. I’m almost thankful for the dismal weather because it makes it a bit easier to lock oneself up in the house all day to study. Blue skies aren’t distracting me from my books. Instead I feel like a prisoner of inverno’s inferno—winter’s hell. I guess that could be considered an oxymoron, but according to my Dante professor, extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, are characteristic of hell. Look at me! The studying must be paying off ; )
A welcome sign of winter is that the soccer season seems to flourish in the cold. I have been voraciously consuming TV highlights from the European Championship League matches; it’s becoming almost as bad as my caffeine addiction. My roommates have informed me that they can now tell when I’m watching soccer if from downstairs they hear my random celebratory outbursts or frustrated groans. In the next few days I hope to catch my first live AC Siena match, so that I can share my joy and anguish with fans around me.
Midterms and the coming of winter sadly inform me that the halfway point of my semester abroad has arrived. November is just around the corner and I bet final exams will creep up on me just as fast as the cold arrived. The next few weeks will contain fall break in Barcelona, a week with the family in Tuscany, a return to Cinque Terre with Rosanne, and the arrival of Josh in Siena just in time for my birthday.
I’m eagerly looking forward to sharing Siena with those I love, and I’m excited to stay in lovely Tuscany for the remainder of my trip. There is still so much left for me to explore.
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