In September a group of ASURA members led by Gary Kleemann made a trip to the Italian Heartland. The following is taken from Gary's trip blog.  You can read more about the trip by visiting his blog.

"We awoke to a foggy morning and packed up and boarded our bus for the short ride into Siena. It is a fascinating place. Narrow, medieval passageways open suddenly to sweeping views of the city and surrounding countryside. Siena’s streets are paved with cobblestones, and the city is built over five hills, making for some challenging walking. Siena is divided into seventeen districts or contrade. Each contrade has its own name and colors and each is named after an animal or symbol. The people seem to take great pride in their contrade. We were able to visit one of the contrade centers and its own chapel. Each year there is a horse racing competition between the contradas in the 13th century plaza. The Piazza del Campo is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. Winning the race brings great honor to the contrade."

Pictures and story by Gary Kleemann