After our regular coffee and breakfast in the Refectory we met in the courtyard and headed towards the Market, after our mandatory stopover at the Blue Cafe for our quick "wifie" fix, along the way. I loved the Market vibe. It was local, organic and smacked of Italian authenticity. We were all summoned to collect something for lunch... I collected Olives. Hmmm. Lunch was a great treat. I loved the cheese and meat stands most of all... I think most of us ladies went home with a new scarf.
The lovely Kristi and Bill having their daily Cappa at the market place
Adorable Jenny and Dot choosing our cheese for lunch... what a selection.
After our fun moments at the market, we headed back to the Monastery where Bill and Kristy took us in to see the Monastery's Frescos that they have been restoring and a painting that was apparently painted by Michaelangelo before he moved onto the Sistine Chapel... his practice run. I found this so incredibly moving to the point of tears. Why I found it so emotional was because they plastered over the paintings at some point. At some point they found no value to it. It upset me so much but the best part is they discovered them and have been restoring them back to their almost original beauty....
The Monestary's Frescos
 |
| Bill took some of us down to see the Monestary's Grotto's - 3 floors down. I found these rooms more moving than the grotto's at the museum perhaps because they felt so untouched and so authentic... very moving. |
After much pleading from us, Bill and Kristi took us down off the rock early to visit a Cemetery before we headed out to Giovanni Dubini's Vineyards. Only in Italy can the grave-yards be absolutely beautiful and artistic.
Making for beautiful photography.
What was so wonderful about being at the Vineyard - was listening to Giovanni's lovely stories but also the incredible view of Orvieto, in all her glory on top of the Rock. It's incredible. In Cape Town we have equally beautiful vineyards and cellars but it was so lovely to be in Umbria, Italy on the borders of Tuscany to experience this.
 |
| An old barn original built by the Pope - now a fancy B & B Giovanni's father bought this property with cattle. |
 |
| Empty bottles ready to be filled with Orvieto Classico |
Our wine tasting table and a look at all the barrels of wine in ancient cellars
 |
| Looking back at Orvieto in all her glory, in that gorgeous golden early evening light |
This day was nothing short of beautiful. We got home exhausted and squeezed in a light dinner at the Wine Bar. After a quick nap I woke up around 10pm to head back into the studio to paint. I got down into the studio and just about everyone was there and there was a wonderful vibe. After a while just about everyone headed to bed and I got to spend the evening painting with Beautiful Lorraine until 2am. As you can tell I didn't waste too much time sleeping - I wanted to maximize my evenings in the studio.
No comments:
Post a Comment