Day #31 in Orvieto

March 25, 2013 – Monday

Today was the first day of Renaissance Narrative! It was so weird to finished breakfast and just walk into the classroom. I wore my slippers. Tomorrow I’ll have to wear real shoes though because we’re taking a “field trip” to see some of the frescoes in the duomo. It’s hard to summarize exactly what the class is but it’s about how stories were told through both artwork and writing in the renaissance period. It’s a lot more than that but that’s how I understand it so far. We learned a little bit about each other talked about last names for a while and their importance, talked about families and then had a snack/water break after the first hour. Then we talked about a few pieces of writing and looked at a fresco with biblical narrative on it. We went over half of the syllabus, had a cappuccino break at hour #2, and then do some more stuff until hour #3 was over! I think this class will definitely be challenging and we have a huge test at the end (and we have to memories 70 frescos and will be quizzed on 50 of them) and there’s also a big essay. We have mini essays every night which shouldn’t be too hard but it’ll be a different kind of homework that what I’ve had so far this semester! The last class was more about art and while we spent hours in the studio, it’s way different than sitting down to write an essay. It’ll be different… but good. After class we had chapter meeting to talk about various things, including how the heat still isn’t working in the monastery, some dishwashing issues, etc. Normal, chapter meeting stuff.

We then walked to Locanda for lunch, and it was nice to have every back together at mealtime! We had some sort of cheesy broccoli pasta, potatoes, and carrots. My cold was a little bit worse today so after lunch I went straight to bed and I didn’t get up for Italian class (oops…). But Jenna told Alessandro that I wasn’t feeling well so it was okay. And then some people filled me in on what I missed. After my nap I felt a little bit better so I went with Laura and Jenna to the store up the street that’s having 70% sales so Laura and I bought some sweaters… from the men’s section. They were cuter than the women’s sweaters! So they were both like $80 sweaters but we got them for 25 dollars. It was a good deal and now we’ll be a little bit warmer in the monastery! The art studio in the monastery is kind of underground so unfortunately they’re even colder in that classroom… I thought my classroom upstairs was freezing but the other one is a lot worse! Laura and I are going to wear our turtleneck sweaters tomorrow so I’ll try to get a picture of us to put up.

Since I’ve been here, I’ve collected a bunch of random things (receipts, admission tickets, brochures, etc) so FINALLY I organized them all today when I was in my room, “resting.” Even though I’ve only been here for a month… I seem to have a bunch of random things that are filling up my drawers.

Tomorrow I’m going to overcome my fear of the post office and mail my postcards. Really, it’s going to happen. I’ve been saying this for a week though. It’s just always so busy and you have to take a little ticket when you arrive (but you have to choose a certain ticket, depending on what you need to do at the post office), then you wait in the long line, then you get up to one of the clerk’s and try to explain what you need, in Italian because they don’t speak English (I don’t expect them to speak English at all obviously, but I don’t know any good post office terms or vocabulary to use – I only know how to order cappuccinos and buy sweaters at stores!). I went to the post office once before with Alessandro because we had to do some of that “Permission to Sojourn” paperwork and it was so stressful there. Thankfully, Alessandro did everything and I just had to sign my name on one piece of paper but I’m scared to go back alone! Anyways, that’s why I have a whole stack of postcards to mail but I haven’t mailed them yet. But like I said… tomorrow will be the day.

Since I don't have a picture of my sweater yet... here's a random picture that Laura took recently. This was taken when I was working on my landscape drawing for class a few weeks ago!