tuscany - arezzo

in the morning we scrambled into julian’s car and left for another day trip. it was forecasted to rain, but our fingers were crossed for a bright and cheery day. on the ride to arezzo, we passed by beautiful fields of poppies and these little yellow flowers. I tried to keep my eyes open, to not miss any piece of inspiration, but the sway of the car put me to sleep. I woke up just as we arrived.

the main event of the trip was a visit to the basilica of san francesco. in it was a series of frescoes painted by piero della francesca depicting the legend of the true cross. I knew neither the legend of the true cross nor the piero della francesca so greatly appreciated julian’s presence and knowledge. he recounted the story of the true cross, stopping now and then to point out some interesting facts about the painting and painter, while we gazed upwards at the paintings.

we left the church just as the crowds of school kids began filing in. there was some time before our reservations at a small trattoria so we all dispersed to explore the town. arezzo is a very wealthy place, apparent in its selection of fancy clothing shops and well-dressed people. daniel and I followed people around, trying to subtly and inconspicuously take pictures of them in their fancy smocks (we failed to get any good photograph). and then it began to pour— cats and dogs! we found a little awning to take cover. it was rather romantic.

the rain didn’t last long and stayed away the rest of the day.

for lunch, I ordered a pici pasta with a funghi sauce. daniel had a wild boar stew. first time to have pici and boar. this trip was turning into one of so many culinary firsts.

after lunch the group separated again. I found a place at the piazza grande to sketch the façade of the buildings across from the saint maria della pieve at the pizazza grande. I hoped to use the sketches for some monoprints and painting on the last studio day. the square had these cute long and narrow buildings with fancy doors and windows. it was great fun drawing them.

daniel took off with alexis.

eventually it grew too cold to be still, and I packed my art supplies away, ready to go for a walk. it wouldn’t be a day in the town if mischief wasn’t caused. daniel insisted on climbing the city walls, while not high it did look over a 4 four story drop.

siesta was just ending for the day and the little shops were calling me to find a wooden pinochio or a purse or something! we walked into a couple of cucina (kitchen) shops and I wanted everything. olive oil! balsamic vinegar! biscotti! pasta! jam! truffle oil! I took control of myself and only purchased some truffle spread- for myself- and honey- as souvenirs.

we walked and walked, in and out all these wonderful shops and then across one displaying delightful leather goods in its windows. but alas, it was closed! we rattled the doors, pressed our faces against the window. empty. the welcome sign on the door indicated an open store, but it wasn’t! we decided to walk around some more and come back to it a bit later... our minds were with the leather shop and no matter what other store we entered, it just didn’t seem as interesting. so back to the leather shop, we went. but alas, it was still closed! with heads hung low and shopping spirits dejected, we turned to walk off, only to find the shop owner returning.

the shop was wonderful, wonderful smells, gorgeous items, and unlike the leather shops we had visited in rome, this one had more than just bags and wallet. there was jewelry, shoes, belts—and assortment of accessories! right away daniel went to search for a messenger bag and almost right away found a beautiful one, rich red-brown, lined with suede and had many compartments for modern day gadgets. he hesitated but I urged him to get it; its mild leather scent was intoxicating. while he hummed and hawed, I tried on some bracelets. I hesitated over some shoes, black Italian leather ballet flats, cute and classic, should I? daniel finally decided to get the bag and I decided against the shoes, but I did make out with a few bracelets.

by then it was time to reconvene with the rest of the group. we met at a café and shared our shopping triumphs. joyce, one of the american women, had bought boots! I did not regret passing over the flats, but now I wanted shoes more than ever.

back at the siliano the sun was shining brightly. daniel and I took advantage of the daylight (forecasted to rain the rest of the week!) and went in search for poppy and yellow-flowered fields.

I found tuscany the most beautiful at this time of day, early evening, before dusk. the shifting light yields a luminous and glimmering land. the colours of the grass and trees don’t seem to want to stay still, shifting and changing to different shades. the land is alive, moving, swaying, bustling. It is so incredibly beautiful.

I loved that day.

but that night I was struck with a sense of sadness. the halfway point of our stay in siliano and come and gone and we only had two more days in the inspiring land. there was still so much I wanted to see and paint and explore more…