Domenica (la prima)

Today is Sunday, today is Sunday...
Sunday ice-cream,
Saturday chicken,
Friday fresh fish,
Thursday roast beef,
Wednesday soup,
Tuesday spaghetti,
Monday string beans ...
All you hungry children, come and eat it up!


Looks like I have to eat some gelato today - darn :) Today has been a beautiful day because it is actually quite windy, which has kept the heat away and made me feel whimsical and romantic. There's nothing like taking a walk on a quiet, Sunday afternoon in Italy with the sun shining down on you as a breeze whips your hair, skirt, and entire self down the cobblestone streets!

This morning I attended church at la cattedrale with Nicole and Chelsea. John Rose and Amanda were already there, but the three of us had arrived a little late so we sat a few rows behind them closer to the back. John Rose took our picture after church for posterity -


I wish I could have taken some pictures of the cathedral today, but one just doesn't do that during a service (frankly, I'll feel funny taking photos on a Sunday, period!). The inside of the biggest and most grand of the Sansepolcro churches is beautiful though - it's not a breathtaking beauty like the Sant'Antimo in Maremma (which is made of alabaster), but there is a calmness and simplicity to its cool stone walls that I love to just sit and take in while I listen to the service. The echo of the priest's voice made it hard for me to follow everything, but once again I was surprised at how much I was able to understand.

So far I've definitely noticed a difference in my vocabulary and conversation skills (I was much faster and had a greater selection of words in December), but the funny thing is, I think my listening comprehension has actually gotten stronger - sort of like all the things I learned last fall kept sinking in while I was away. I've also regained a lot of my speaking agility this week, and can already see improvement from Tuesday and Wednesday, which is both exciting and a relief!

After church, we walked back to the palazzo and killed time for a half hour or so before lunch. Sunday lunch is basically the event of the day, the biggest and most enjoyed lunch of the entire week. We ate at a pretty little restaurant just around the corner from us where we had two kinds of pasta (one of them with a goose sause!), roast beef and coniglio (rabbit), insalata, and pleasant outdoor seating. I got photos of the whole group in two batches (couldn't get the whole table at one without missing faces), so we have John Rose's half and Dr. Webb's half:

After pranzo we all parted ways, some heading back directly for a nap while others, like me, walked about a bit to aid in digestion before coming back to the palazzo to crash. Meanwhile, John Rose gave the Italians sitting at the table next to us (which we had befriended) a tour of the place, taking them in all the rooms and making sure they saw each of our many many bathrooms. We have a shocking number of bathrooms in our palazzo :)

And now, I'm off to participate in another Sunday tradition in Italia, "un pisolino il pomeriggio" - an afternoon nap!

a presto!

Bekah


P.S. I forgot to mention - last night we went to a horse exhibition in the main piazza and I took a few pictures and videos of that! So go check out my Picasa site and see at how Italians horse around :)