Dia ventisette (July 4)

So 4^th of July landed on a Monday. In Italy. What to do, what to do?

I guess the professors got the memo because class was a joke. Messing around in the wet studio - makin some paper, and graphics was “on spot location studies for 2 hours” aka Richard and I bought more vegetables to make veggie papyrus (literally, paper straight from cooked veggies… we’re also cooking straw to break down the fibers for paper). I grabbed a gelato, chilled on the town steps, watched a wedding party and took a few notes. I decided to stay in town until dinner and be studious by making art history flashcards for our test Friday. I really enjoyed spending the afternoon with Richard – he’s very interesting. I got a latte and it had a heart on it J Reminded me of 2 story.

Around 5:30 I met an entourage of 13 members of Spivey’s family that are visiting and staying in a villa down the mountain with a pool. They invited me to come swimming – and this time that means no swim cap and no 6 euro fee like the local pool! Amie (Spivey’s cousin) decided we’d have a pool date to discuss a job she wants to offer me. It was more than fun getting to talk to people other than students and local Cortonese that are my age. Amie and her husband are a split household (UGA Grady grad vs. UNC grad). We had some heated talks around our little café tables eating cheese crackers and an assortment of nuts.

After dinner at Tonino’s Vasilisa and I went to the Lions well and it was packed for the 4^th. It was a girl on our programs birthday so a lot of people turned up. I had a long talk with my hairdresser Stefan about getting my hair done this week (eekk), and then I met a lot of Christian, Gianluca and Michele’s other friends. Italian boys are very sleazy, but Kellie and I trust Michele because he understands that we’re all just friends. I wear my ring and tell them all I’m married haha. Around midnight we decided to go to the hot springs! There are multiple pools of water that are heated by the volcano of a near by mountain. It was very adventurous. We didn’t get home till 5am, but it was worth it.

Then the angels forced me out of bed at 11 this morning by opening my windows and saying very motherly sounding things in Italian. 

Time to start my day.