Today, our field trip was to Orvieto, a small, ancient fortress town on a cliff, that looked like an island in the sky. In order to get up to the town, we had to ride the “funaculare” which is a cable car that takes you up practically on a vertical incline (NOT intended for those who are afraid of heights!) The town itself was beautiful and adorable, like most of the towns we visit. Our first stop was the most beautiful duomo in the main piazza. It had the most ornate façade I had ever seen so far (and I had seen a LOT of churches up until this point.) The inside was equally as beautiful, decorated with striped green and white marble all the way around. After that, some girls and I decided to sit at an outdoor café to relax, sip cappuccinos (me excluded) and people watch. It was one of the most beautiful days we had seen in a long time. The day could have been perfect, except suddenly something horrible happened. We were given some free samples of bread and focassia. Excited to enjoy a free piece of fresh bread, I grabbed a piece and popped it into my mouth. I instantly realized it tasted suspicious, but I had already swallowed when one of the servers pointed to what I had just eaten and explained that it was baked with pork in it. I nearly had a panic attack. I do not know if it was in my head or not, but my stomach instantly starting hurting madly. I realized the only thing I could do at that point was to cancel out the horrible meat bread with endless vegetables. I immediately ate some carrots, and then later on at lunch I had vegetable soup and a side of grilled vegetables. I also ate two apples that day, so hopefully, with all the produce, my stomach was comforted. Thank goodness from that point on, my day got much better. In the afternoon, we got a tour of “Orvieto Underground,” which is the caves underneath the city. This was the most interesting experience. The caves were used for various purposes; one group was used as ceramics workshops (Orvieto is famous for its ceramics) and another group was used for making olive oil (apparently the steady temperature underground helps the olive oil making process). These caves were also used as hideouts during World War II. After this cave experience, we got some much-needed gelato. I sampled a melon flavor and a blood orange flavor, but decided to have a raspberry, strawberry, lemon combination. After some final exploration of the city (I found the coolest bookstore) it was time to head back to Cortona (where I ate more vegetables for dinner).
Sunday was very relaxed. I went on a beautiful run. It was one of the most beautiful days we have had in awhile. For the first time, all I needed was a t-shirt for my run. Later that afternoon, Jeanette and I went to a café in town to study for our upcoming art history midterm. On our way, we discovered that the OTHER gelato shop in Cortona had just opened and were giving away free gelato throughout the day! This was just about the most wonderful news ever. I had some fragola and some limone…so yummy! Then, for the next several hours, we sat and studied and enjoyed some prime people watching. This café is particularly perfect for prime people watching because the walls are all windows, and the café is situated at a very busy corner. During our study, a huge religious procession went by, and by huge, I mean that it took a good ten minutes for all the people to go by. There were numerous nuns, monks, and guys in fancy purple cloaks carrying processional crosses. There was some sort of prayer chanting too…I just wish I knew what was happening! It was very interesting to watch. Before we headed back to our monastery, we grabbed some delicious veggie pizza for dinner. I cannot believe that my program is nearly half way over! Italy is flying by right before my eyes!
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