Venerdì

5/30/08

Its Friday… yippee…Today was just perfect. We woke up and a caught an 815am bus to Arezzo. This was a nice change from the train, less people and a better view. It also gives you better senses for the locations of were you are and the places you’re going are. So after we arrived and everyone grabbed their coffee (I think this is one thing we truly share in common with the Italians, the need for coffee, coffee, coffee) When met at Pieve S. Maria, where Hayden, one of the boys gave our first individual presentation. He told us in a short 5min talk all about the church and the structures etc. He did a great job, this is something we all will have to do at one point or another along the trip, tell the group about a painting or structure we have researched. After wondering about this church we walked literary two blocks over to the S. Francesco Cathedral it was truly amazing. Here we could all see these beautiful fresco paintings in the front of the church each depicting a bible story (which most frescos do) but the neat thing about these is that most of these weren’t based on stories we can read in the bible today they were believe to be true until the first bible was written down. After this…, which was about 1130, we were free to roam about Arezzo as we pleased and just catch one of three buses home.  Kayla. Alicia, Stacy and I took off together and widow shopped and strolled up and down the streets. This is one of the things I love most about Italy is the ability to wonder but never really be lost (well so far) and find interesting things around every corner…after a lunch from a little pizzeria we came across Pza. Grande in all its glory. And then we wondered through this amazing park…such a neat thin to find in a city that seems to be made of so much stone…a flat land with so much green and beautiful colors…about this time it began to rain we hid under a huge umbrella for a bit then as it lightened up we walked through the garden/park to the Fortezza Medicea (fortress of the medicea). What a find, Ann told us in a very causal way to maybe go up there, she was mistaken, one has to go there! As we entered it looked like this dark cave but quickly opens to a long hall with light shining in from the above openings. As we continued to walk we found this path that over looked the back of the city, as we approached the ledge we were in for a surprise. After looking out we were all completely shocked to look down and see this amazing cemetery hidden in this location. It was so beautiful and fun to stumble across. Pictures soon, I promise. After this we went to another church the Duomo in Arezzo, which has a grand alter and fantastic original stain glass with amazing details. After some more rain we grabbed a warm pastry in a café and shopped a bit more, caught the bus home and ate dinner. Since it was Friday, a group of us decided to wonder the town and ended having a beer at Roggies café, some people played pool the rest of us played a bit of poker and then wondered the town again for another night spot. We ended up giving up and returned home to fall asleep. What a great day!!

Ciao