Tuscany Weekend

Hey y'all!

Whew! It's been a long weekend.  This weekend, we headed to Tuscany on our orientation trip, which was pretty fabulous!  We started at the crack of dawn on Friday morning, heading to Cortona, a medieval town on a hilltop in Tuscany.  It was a couple hours drive, but I slept the whole way! (so much for doing that homework on the busride!)  We had a guided tour of Cortona, and then were quickly ushered to a wine tasting at a villa in the hills.  Let's be honest, for most people, it was more of a wine guzzling.  I was really hoping for a sampling of different wines, and assorted cheeses and a guide telling us which wines go best with which foods....but we are American college students, so I guess no one thought we would appreciate that.  So it turned into more of a free for all.  Luckily I got a glass and ran away to take pictures so I wouldn't get stampeded for the free wine...

We have been well-fed this weekend.  The Italians take three hour lunches and dinners, so we have been doing this.  It's so different from our fifteen minute meals at home as we rush from activity to activity.  I don't think the Italians have Luna bars to grab "on the go."  It is definitely a different way of life over here.  It's enjoyable at times, but today at lunch I was so tired I think I could have fallen asleep at the table (but what would Emily Post say? Or Anne? I'm more worried about her!)

Friday we also visited Arezzo, another ancient town.  This was much more leisurely, as we had a tiny bit of free time near the end to explore on our own.  My friend Mary Claire and I went to get water bottles in a coffee shop and the man behind the counter asked to take a photo with us.  I was obviously all over this.  I told him he should make sure to frame it.

That night, we headed to the outskirts of old Arezzo to our hotel.  We were staying in a Marriott, so I was doing well.  The bathrooms were so intense.  Everything was so tall.   I felt bad for people who may struggle with these things, like my mother.  She's so vertically challenged.  Miss her!  We went to another hotel for dinner.  After this, I headed back to fall asleep.  I was so tired!

Saturday we went to two other towns: Anghiari and Sansepolcro.  They were both beautiful and luckily we had a lot more free time to just wander around.  The towns are so little and so hilly.  I feel as though I have climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest this weekend--twice.  At least that makes up for all the pasta they keep feeding us.  We finally got some protein this weekend, this delicious chicken.  Mostly they eat only pork, and I just feel so bad eating Wilbur.  There was a point in my life when I tried to go the vegetarian route, but that failed.  I heard there is an Irish pub near school that sells hamburgers....that may be dinner tomorrow....or McDonald's, but I know y'all don't want me to stoop that low.  No promises.

In Sansepolcro we watched a parade and watched the archers practice for an archery competition between Sansepolcro and another town.  They were pretty good.  I also did a little shoe shopping...I couldn't help myself.  They had a good deal, and I only brought two pairs of flats which I'm already wearing out with all the walking we are doing.  Luckily, I found some that I thought were classic and hip and then saw nearly their equivalent in my daily Nordstrom email this morning.  Lovin' it.  The Italians know what is in.

Last night, we went out to a fun bar in downtown Arezzo.  It was so fun to be out with everyone, we all really got to bond on the orientation trip.

This morning we headed to a lake in Tuscany.  It was beautiful! We saw private castles, and ate lunch at a restaurant overlooking Tuscany and the lake.  Finally, we got on the bus and came back to school.  I am so tired! They really packed it in this weekend, but it was so beautiful.  And y'all will be happy to know that I got onto the Tuscany trip in November, so I can't wait to go back and stay in one place for longer.

Time for bed!  I'll try and post again tomorrow!
xoxo