On June 5th, the entire crew went on a day trip to Siena to visit the Santa Maria Della Scala Museum. After spending the previous day checking the weather forecast for the upcoming day trip, which had become a beautiful day to stroll through the medieval city. The day started with the crew enjoying their breakfast on the spacious terrace and a roll call of Roman Emperor names associated with each crew member. Then, everyone piled into their car assignments and drove about an hour to Siena. Once we arrived at Siena, we walked through the city to our desired destination. The museum showcases archaeological finds from excavations near Siena with a wide variety of Etruscan objects. With Dr. De Grummond as our tour guide, the crew had analyzed the museum curator’s purpose through the placement of artifacts. Everyone participated in a fun scavenger hunt in search of various pottery types. The museum featured a plethora of funerary ash urns, pottery in numerous shapes and sizes, and a collection of Roman coinage. After the tour, students scatter around the city to grab lunch and explore around the city. I walked around the Piazza del Campo and saw the Contrada Della Giraffa march on the campo. A few students and myself toured the Opera delle Metropolitana and the Opera del Duomo Museum in Siena.

Then on June 11th, we traveled to the town of Gaiole to have dinner with our webmaster Chris Corum and his family. The restaurant had outdoor seating with a view of the Museo Civico alle Origini del Chianti. The dinner was lovely, and everyone enjoyed themselves. The Cetamura crew and I thank Chris and his family for inviting us for dinner. After dinner, everyone walked around the museum building and took a quick peek inside it to observe the spacious rooms. Later in the evening, everyone strolled through Gaiole and mingled with a cupful of gelato.