Orvieto, Rome, & Assisi

Well, I have been an awful blogger! I suppose it's a good thing that I haven't had the chance to post because that means life is full and busy here. These past few weeks have been wonderful. We've done so many things that it's difficult to update on all that's happened. But here are some highlights, and a few pictures to go along with them.

Orvieto:

I love living in this small town; the people are friendly and willing (for the most part) to help this blonde American learn some Italian! The other students in our program are all such great people. We are all so different, yet there is so much unity in our group. No cliques; just enjoying getting to know everyone. We just finished our first class called "Disegno". It was a drawing class, taught by one of the most brilliant professors I've had so far: Matt Doll. He was able to teach all twenty of us, all at different drawing levels. Some had never drawn at all (that's me!) and others had taken several art classes and could already draw beautifully. It was very challenging for me. I definitely had a view cries out of frustration, but in the end I learned so much about viewing and making art.

  
    

One of my final drawings

And we just had our art exhibition for some of the town people to come and see our final projects. Ten of us became consumed by charcoal and cante in their life size drawings, and the other ten spent this past week creating a book with both textual & pictorial representation, capturing pieces of the Orvieto we've been experiencing. Other than that, we've just been enjoying the amazing food here and buying gelati & cappuccinos like it's our job. God has been so good, blessing me with His beauty all around me in this town. I continue to be blown away by His grace and His faithfulness. 

Exhibition of our final projects

My work spot in the studio...attractive smock, I know.

 Rome:

A couple of weekends ago we took a trip as a class into Rome. It's only about an hour train ride from Orvieto...no big deal... haha. The trip was for about four days and it felt like about a month. We traversed almost the entire city, seeing the main sites and other obscure places. It was such an overwhelming experience, but I learned so much from Prof Doll. He's just about the best tour guide we could have asked for. He led us through museums and ornate churches, blowing us away as we went with his brilliance and knowledge of art. 

St. Peter's Basilica

Tempietto

A few of my favorite things about Rome: 

• Tempietto (the "Litte Temple" on the site where Peter was crucified; so humble and yet powerful) 
• St. Peter's Basilica (no words can really describe that experience, you just have to go there someday and catch a piece of what the glory of the Lord looks like in human terms) 

• Caravaggio's paintings. Breathtakingly beautiful. 
• Having an apartment in the center of the city! So fun.
• THE GELATO. Favorite flavor combo: Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon, & Coffee  

Trevi Founatain

Colosseum

Assisi:

Olive Groves

Rome was spectacular, but Assisi was even more meaningful for me. We traveled up the mountain to the town where Saint Francis of Assisi served the Lord wholeheartedly with his life. We walked among the olive groves, singing songs of praise to the Lord in English and Italian. We saw the church he built, the places where he and his friars ministered to people of the town. 

St. Francis's San Damiano Church

Then we went farther up the mountain to St. Francis's place of retreat & meditation. It was beautiful. He stayed in a monastery carved out of caves on the side of the mountain. We walked through them and emerged on the other side in a forest with a path that begged for silence and meditation. I could have lingered there for so much longer, but sadly I time was cut short. Psalm 23 took on a new meaning for me while being at the top of the mountain. God's presence was so evident up there. I hope to go back soon!

Basilica built in honor of St. Francis

Wow, sorry that was a lot of writing! Hopefully I'll be better about writing more often, that way I don't post another book like this :)