the beautiful ordinary: Dia quindici (June 19)

This morning R.G. took a group of us on a 2 hour hike across the mountain to a little monastery! If you didn’t know it was there you’d never see it hidden in the little crevice of the hillside. It’s where St. Francis first stayed in a cave. I took lots of pictures and started fiddling around with the film settings on my camera – recently inspired by all the videos Abbey Warren, Allison Johnson and I have been watching lately with little snippets of natures, and I’m starting to collect pretty clips to thread together when I get back in the states! Here’s a sneak peak – some of the film stills J

Afterward, Nikki, Taylor and I headed down to down to grocery shop, but the produce stands were all closed because the weekends are so tourist-infested. The town puts on a bit of a difference face than the usual working town that it is the way we see it day-to-day. I got the usual sandwich #6 at Molesini’s – Inza (The Cortonese program director) owns it with her husband!

Mid-day I went into the studio and worked on the two books that we’re going to learn how to hand bind tomorrow in class. I could LIVE in that studio making books all day long – especially in the open air studio with the view into the valley that I have. Then I laid out on the balcony and tanned while I read my art history book – I know my life is so hard… ;) But really, they keep us pretty dang busy here. I successfully completed my second hand-washing laundry cycle and I didn’t realize how much die comes out of certain colored clothes each time you watch them – kinda interesting. (yes, my blog includes all monotonous details of my day.) Oh! I also got my first guitar lesson today. I learned how to play a scale and three cords! It really hurt my fingers though. I’ve been really inspired because Kellie keeps going into town to get Italian lessons from a Cortonese guy who met his wife while she was studying abroad here, so I’ve decided to learn any and everything that I can while I’m here!

Tonight we all had to be at the city hall by 5:45 – the mayor greeted us and handed out the scholarships for certain students. We learned that tourists from over 64 nations have visited Cortona. Then the entire town had gathered around Piazza Senorelli and the flag throwers put on a show for us. It’s a tradition that has been happening since the Renaissance! They had people dressed up in costumed clothing that depicted the two tales of how Cortona was formed in 2700 B.C., a marching band with drums and trumpets and the flag throwers. Hundreds of people surrounded the whole piazza, and it was all for us UGA kids. We’re so blessed to be here and loved by this city. As soon as it was over, all the restaurants got instantly crowded, but luckily Spivey had warned me, and since we were all dressed up we decided to splurge and go to the restaurant with the best view in town. Oh my GOSH was it worth it!! There were hundreds of birds flying overhead the entire time, and we had a perfect view of the stairs and busy piazza. We dubbed Sunday night “family dinner” and Kellie’s buying a cook-book so we can cook together or eat out, just the five of us. So basically, we’re sitting at the 2^nd most expensive restaurant in town (the director is the table near us… so we know we made a good pick) and we immediately make a connection with our waitor. Here’s what I ate (because it was extravagant and innately Italian and scrumptious… annnnd, because I took pictures of it: ) I had a vegie soup, which wasn’t really a soup, but sooo good, and I had HAND-MADE pasta. Buon appétit!