Sienese Rainstorms

Dear Blog, Today I experienced my first Sienese Rain! It was just how a Tuscan rainstorm should be. Two hours of big heavy raindrops that leave the town refreshed and clean. I cannot explain the amazing smell after the rain! Bellisimo! A couple friends and I went to dinner at a small ristorante on Citta strada for a small Birthday bash for one of the girls. After as Sharlie and I were walking to Gramsci Square to catch our bus we realized that our bus did not come for 35 more minutes so we waited at our stop. Well, tt began to pour. This time hard and cold drops of rain fell down on our backs and heads. Our bus showed up ten minutes early which was nice because we got to sit inside and wait. When we started off we noticed that the bus was going a lot faster than usual. We started to grip the handles on the bus tighter than usual as well. We then noticed that as we were going down the small streets of Siena towards home the bus driver was speeding up and as we approached an intersection he slammed on his breaks because he was going too fast and almost crashed into two other cars. Sharlie and I were freaking out at this point. When he turned we hydroplaned on the road and I literally thought we were done for. We semi joked about the news tomorrow on BYU campus: Two girls on Study Abroad die in a bus accident. I laughed on the outside but was actually starting to believe that that could possibly come true the way the bus driver was driving. We eventually made it to our stop in just ten minutes; it usually takes sixteen. As we rejoiced of our ‘making it back alive’ we walked into the house around 10:45 pm and found the kitchen light on, with the table set. We then freaked out once again realizing that Caterina had made us dinner. She did tell us earlier that she was having dinner with her son so we assumed we had to fend for ourselves- thus dinner in town. So we looked around the house to see if she was home yet—thankfully she she wasn’t. We did not know what to do but quickly came up with a plan. We made it look as if we had eaten the meal by smudging things on our plate and in our bowls. We ate some bread and then we saw it. An ‘it’ by the name of FISH. Oh yes, it had to go. It was some concoction of fish and egg so we cut half of it and flushed it down the toilet. Yes, I know it is bad of us but we prepaid for the meals so at least we did not waste her money. We laughed so hard as we flushed other parts of the semi disgusting meal down the toilet. It was hilarious and scary at the same time. We did not know if it could clog the toilet or when she would walk through the door and possibly see two girls with fish in their hands flushing it down. Then we cleaned the table and quickly got ready for bed, just incase she got home and was wondering how long we had been home, it would look like it had been awhile. Anyway, now we are chilling in my room waiting for her. I kind of want to be asleep though so we avoid the whole spiel of, ‘did you like the meal?’ and I as I lie through my teeth saying “si, buono!” till tomorrow. Life is great here in Siena though. I love all the crazy experiences I am having and cannot wait to see what comes next. Ciao!
p.s. the pictures are of Sharlie and me waiting for the bus and then pretending to eat the food! haha