That little section of my suitcase packed with sweaters, socks and hiking boots asks me every morning, "What were you thinking?" Tuscany has been bathed (with the exception of one day in Florence)in hot temperatures and sunshine. There is usually a heat haze laying over the land by mid-afternoon. Not so after yesterday's storm. Temperatures have cooled considerably, as has the air, and the sky offers sunshine one moment and threatens rain the next. Cath and David, Donna and David headed out today to Volterra and Siena. Jim and I, off to Assisi tomorrow, decided to spend a day in Cortona to shop and museum it.
Our first destination was the potter to purchase some gifts. Cortona has it's own official pattern (pale yellow and green, with a stylized sunflower)and I love it. After making purchases, Jim hiked the bag back down to our car rather than have to carry it for the rest of the day (in Cortona, that's like being a beast of burden!) and I sauntered into an Art Gallery with a display of local artists' works - sculpture, oils, watercolours, and photography. The photography, by Masserelli, was an immediate draw. His shots were enchanting - Tuscan views capturing that unique lighting we so frequently gush over here. Why can I take so many photos and not once come close to the very essence of nature this man captures? Wouldn't have anything to do with talent, would it? When Jim arrived, it was like a magnetic force drew him to one of the photographs - a line of cypress trees in the middle of a " crete" field bathed
in a haunting light. I'm not going into the whole story, but we purchased the photo in the galleria dealing with Masserelli's work. The galleria itself (Il Pozzo) was down a little
alleyway and in an excavated 11th C. courtyard with an ancient well at it's centre. Charming!
We sat at an outdoor cafe and toasted our purchase with a caffe latte. Looking around Piazza della Republica, I felt quite nostalgic. This rustic little hilltop town has over the past week has become like a second home to us and she will have a part of my heart forever with her crazy, twisted streets, warm and friendly people, glorious vistas and unique architecture. I am unabashedly in love with Cortona!
Tuscany is, of course, the land of the Etruscans who moved into the area as far back as 800BC. Cortona has a fine Etruscan museum with exhibits of archaeological finds from within a 20 mile radius of the town. The museum is spectacular. You descend into the exhibit area which is actually located within the excavated walls of an ancient Etruscan village. Two hours flew by as Jim and I examined exhibits and were truly blown away by the intricacy of the Etruscan pottery, jewelry and mosaics. We were told that the University of Alberta Archaeology Department is largely responsible for the restoration of the mosaic collection in the Cortona Museum. Yeah, Canada!
We returned to the villa late in the afternoon and watch storm clouds roll in over the mountains. Dinner, for the very first time, was inside due to the weather.
A domani!
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