Pantera Rocks!

• Cadkinsca's Profile
• About this blog
• Entry from Siena

Trip Start Apr 27, 2006 Previous
Entry Trip End Apr 01, 2008 Next
Entry

  Siena, Italy
Thursday, July 6, 2006

I warn in advance, this is going to suck because San Fermin rocks more than Palio (not The Palio, but Palio) and there are desparately few internet cafes and many people waiting for them.

That said, Palio rocked. I will never understand the emotion that the "contradas" -neighborhoods which pool their money to get a horse and jockey - feel about winning Palio. Which is a race around a medieval square, with corners so sharp that the horses bang against the walls (padded with mattresses) throwing their jockeys, and if that is not enough the jockeys hit each other with their whips (and some are bribed to throw the race). But whatever, "Pantera" (the Panther) won. First time in 12 years, which is 24 races, and they had 12 years of stored up wine to pour freely. And, apparently, 12 years of drumming to let loose. Same beat, over and over, and over and over, and over and over, and you get the idea.

However, it was a phenomenal party, with a phenomenal buildup as you are locked into the infield for 3 hours as the parade of armoured axedmen and flag-throwing costumed somethings go by (unless you want to pay 300 to 500 Euros for a bleacher seat), as you get to know your wine-drinking, time-killing neighbors very well. But which ultimately kind-of fizzles out in an overly anticipated 2.5 minute race of not-quite-thoroughbreds more surviving than racing three laps around a medieval square, while the locals express their love, ardor, hate, and despicion of all the other locals through wailing, keening, ululation, and singing (because one cannot apparently be European without singing the same god damn song over and over and over, ...

A Good Spot

and over).

For, at least, two days. The winners, Panther, as opposed to clam, porcupine, eagle, fish, elephant, and other viscious fighting species, were still marching about the city, drumming and waving their flag with a coterie of hundreds in tow wallowing in the fantasmological wonder that they (and/or their horse - which is chosen by lot and they disliked upon learning they had received) had won Palio. Not only did they pour free wine freely, but we were let into their clubhouse - hundreds of years of Pantera history. I was underwhelmed - it was as if the Sammys had won the IFC football championship and paraded people into our beer-sodden, not-so-hallowed, halls to look at our shitters.

But they loved it. I had a guy cry in my (admittedly free) wine about how [something] it was to win Palio. And all over town, there were artists with galleries of paintings of Palio. And each contrada has its flags flying, with every resident wearingt their contrada´s flag as a scarf or bandanna. And the local TV stations are round-the-clock coverage of the most (at least to me) mundane anticipatory pomp, pageantry, and circumstance. But, that said, the day of race, and the night of the win, were off the clock, out of control, singing and dancing in the streets, drinking cheap booze, and hugging even the most decredit 85-year old toothless Italian because their hag passed the yellow-wearing neighbor hag on the final corner and powered away in the back stretch.

On my Party-Meter. I give it a 9.0.

Next (although I am already here): San Fermin, The Running of the Bulls, Pamplona, Spain

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Brunello Bordello	Elephant Contrada	Fateful Corner	Fighting Otter
Flag Throw	Making More Friends	More Pomp and Pagentry	My Standing Mates
Palio Pre-Parade Begins	Pantera Museum	Photo Op.	Practice
Square By Night	Street Scene	The Anticipation Builds	Two Days Before Palio
Victory Circle	Vino	Viva Italia, or Not	We are Almost Ready

Slideshow Print this entry Share Siena hotels

Previous Entry Next Entry