Siena Day 3

Friday 9th October

Siena Day 3

Going Postal and Relics

There’s a lot to love about Italy, but their post offices are not one of them. Actually, the post offices are OK, the staff are particularly unhelpful. In Florence we tried to buy a box to post some stuff home. In France, there is a supervisor roaming the post office asking to help you. In Italy, you take a ticket for one of three different services, which are not explained, so we take one of each, just to cover all contingencies. After you take a ticket, be prepared for at least a 15 minute wait. Eventually a number comes up and you hasten to the appropriate window, and wait while you are being ignored by the person behind the counter. In Florence we bought a box, but were unable to buy tape or string and there does not appear to be pre-paid boxes for international post as was in France. In Pisa we bought tape and actually the woman in the post shop there was very nice. In La Spezia we took the parcel to the post office, arriving at opening time (huh!) and when it was eventually our turn and presented the parcel to be posted, explaining it was going to Australia and would need a customs declaration (in well practised Italian) she just stared at us and stared at the parcel as if she had never seen such a thing before. She then looked disgusted at us and the parcel and then stared at the customs declaration form and turned it over several times, as if she had never seen it before, even though she was able to put her hand on it on the shelf on her desk. Oh, the looks we received when she realised she had to get off her seat and weigh the parcel. She then just stopped serving us and called then next customer. A lengthy conversation between four staff ensued and eventually another woman came and was quite helpful. We eventually handed over the parcel, but I have no confidence that I will ever see it again. There are lots of beautiful souvenirs and gifts that may or may not arrive back at Maple Street.

Who is the patron saint of postal service? He /she needs to buck up! And it’s not the workers who “go postal” in Italy, it’s the customers. Today was no better when I tried buying three stamps. You would think three stamps would be a fairly painless task, but at one stage I thought she was going to call the Carbinieri. There were a couple of American women who walked in with boxes to be posted – I stifled an hysterical laugh and just wished them the best of luck!

Today’s highlight was the Basilica San Domenico, which house the relics of Saint Catherine. What relics? – just her HEAD and right index finger. I thought they would be locked away out of sight – silly me! – There they were in gorgeous glass cabinets on display. Very gruesome, bizarre and strangely compelling and intriguing. I can’t help but wonder if after all her self flagellation, St Catherine might have wished for her head and body to remain together after death. But then, if one undergoes self inflicted pain on a daily basis, what is 500 miles of space between her head and body (which is housed in Rome). I will be on the lookout for it when we get there.