Tuesday, June 21, 2011
It’s weird to think that while some might be having the most carefree and beautiful days of their lives, others they know and love could be suffering in pain and sorrow and be having the saddest day ever. I spent my Monday June 20th zooming around the Chianti wine region in Tuscany on a vespa while Sam Dibrell died on a road in South Texas. I came back to my apartment after one of my favorite days abroad to the devastating news that such a pillar in the AH community passed away. I know God has a plan for everything and that Sam is in a far better place than Italy or Alamo Heights, but I’m sad to see him leave earth so soon. "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8 I’m sending all my love to AH, wishing I could be there for love and support. See you in heaven someday, Sam.
My Monday morning started off pretty great. I went to class where we visited probably the most famous and oldest of the Firenze palazzi – the Palazzo Vecchio. This is the old looking castle you see featured on Florence postcards with the off centered tower and flags dangling from the façade. It’s been around since the 1000 and still serves its original purpose as city hall. We got to go inside and explore through all the rooms. We saw some rooms where Medici and Grand Dukes greeted international ambassadors with the grandest view of the Duomo close by. We got to go through the private apartments of Elenora Medici who married Cosimo I and bore 11 Medici children. We even walked past the doors of the current Florentine mayor and governor of the region. The building was very cool. After class we all got fast paninis then went back to our aparments where I prepared for my “Fun in Tuscany” tour which advertised a ride along scenic country roads where you got to enjoy the site, sounds, and smells of Tuscany. Also we were going to have a Tuscan meal and wine tasting at a 13th century castle and make many others stops along the way. Our mode of transportation you many ask? None other than a vespa. My roomies and their groups of gals went on the tour the day before and insisted that we go; they said it was their favorite day of the trip thus far. So we met our trip leader outside of the McDonalds by the train station and rode 30 minutes in van south to Siena to a farm 15 km from actually reaching Siena. No one else signed up for our time slot, so Melissa, Ellen, Riley, Holliday and I had a private tour! We passed the medieval town of San Gimignano, where many tall towers still stand making it look like a Renaissance NYC, and Voltera, where Twilight was filmed and the idea of the Volturi vampires was originated. Our guide Sam orientated us to the scooters at this quaint little farm that reminded me of a summer camp. There were stables where horses were kept for horseback riding, a pool for swimming, several cottages with porches, and a track to train the Vespa riders. We all got the hang of it within 15 minutes, except Melissa who ran into the cable cords that marked the boundary of the track and thus had to ride of the back of our guides scooter. It was funny but we felt bad because she didn’t get to experience the adrenaline we felt as we zoomed through the hills, our max at 60 km/hr! (well it turns out that’s 37 MPH but hey that’s pretty fast for a beginner!) The scenery was magnificent. We rolled past sunflower fields (hadn’t bloomed yet, we were a week early), olive tree groves, wine orchards, even passing cherry and almond trees. We stopped several times to take pictures at pretty views and got to taste cherries picked straight off the tree! Our trip culminated at a stop at Monteriggioni, a walled-in castle town of about 40 residents. We had the most deleicious Tuscan meal of bruschetta, pecorino cheese, gnocchi, and chocolate sacue and pana cotta. Our guide was a very colorful guy, boen in Tunisia and raised in Florence. He started this company in 2005 and was very good at entertaining. He taught us many things like how to taste wine, what vegetation we were passing, and answered our probing questions about Italian lifestyle. The sunset during dinner and we rode our scooters back to the farm in the dark with our lights turned on. It was the most fun day ever!
Today, Tuesday, June 21, 2011 I had another test in class. But this morning Ellen, Riley, and I walked to the Cascine market down to the west along the banks of the Arno. We though we would strike gold finding leather goods and fresh produce but were disappointed to find something of an Italian flea market. So after class I went to the San Lorenzo market to do some shopping for family and friends. Then I went to COI (our favorite jewelry store, right Mom and Nonie?) and got the most beautiful and classic gold ring! It’s being sized and fitted now and I get to pick it up tomorrow after class! Yipee!! Love yall and wishing I could be with those grieving over the loss of Sam. I miss AH a lot today. See you soon though! Xoxo Torrey
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