Orvieto at Last

I’m writing this offline (Sunday March 25th 9pm) in the hopes that sometime soon I’ll know where to find wireless access.
It has been both an exciting and sad start to my Orvieto experience. Plane rides ect. all were fine. (Long but fine) I managed to track down my colleague David in the Rome airport, in spite of our flights being in different terminals. So with his help the train ride to Orvieto was eventless.

On our arrival David was told to call his wife, to find his mother was likely dying. Literally 30 minutes later, just as we were entering our apartments, his wife called to say his mother had died. His mother has been confined to a wheelchair for decades and has been quite ill for years. Nonetheless it must be difficult.

David slept here one night then left late the next afternoon so he could sit up all night to catch a 6am flight back to the states for his mother’s funeral. He will fly back next Monday. In the interim I will cover his two classes. (Students will be disappointed there, as many come just so they can study with him. (really I’m not being mean to myself… that is just how it is)

Obviously this put a bit of a pall on the initial arrival in this beautiful place. The short time David was here was spent talking about how to handle his classes, and in a trip down the hill to buy gluten free products. (David is always the gentlemen and thinking of others)
I have been alone the rest of the time and don’t’ know where internet access, or anyone else is. We meet tomorrow morning, so all will be clear… I hope.

The apartment is beautiful (see pics I hope). They could have taken half the room they put in the 2 bathrooms and made some sort of sitting room, (Like I’m going to use a bidet) I think here the patio IS the sitting room.

The trip down to the Coop for GF food was quite frustrating for me, not because of the food, the company, or the transportation, but because of my stupid hot flashes. By the time I got back to the apartment with the groceries in my backpack, I was literally soaked through and dripping on all points of contact with the back pack. My linen shirt was creased as if someone had wrung it from the washer and my freshly washed hair was as wet as when I got out of the shower. This is not hyperbole. It is sad.

Makes me fearful for later days, when it is actually really hot. I’ve been rubbing on my hormone cream like a banshee. If you pray, please include relief from these hot flashes in your prayers. I know it sounds funny in the telling, but I’m completely serious. I was sick afterward and hardly functioned the rest of the day. They are really quite draining if they last that long.

My sleeping is totally screwed up. I’ve been sleeping in 4 hour segments in the night, then waking up (as in wide awake). Then by late afternoon I feel like I’m going to pass out. Hopefully it will smooth out soon.

I got up early today and went to get a good seat for the annual Orvieto festival of “Corpus Domini”. I was at the Duomo square at 8am and snagged the corner of a bench right where the procession would go by. Then 2 hours later, as the procession was about to begin, I stood up on the bench to see over the crowds of people. I couldn’t believe the gall of a late arriving woman who shoved her way to standing on the sliver of bench left at my feet, and blocking the side view I had so carefully cultivated. In spite of my protestations of “no, no, no” she pretended not to hear. Then as I was taking pictures she complained about me moving and jostling her. (I’m guessing from the hand gestures and tone) I just said my most used phrase “non capisco” then added my two cents in English that she shouldn’t be there anyway.

In contrast to her boldness there were 3 kind ladies on the other side of me. One commented on the intelligence of my huge green hat with the hole in the top. (said hat is garnering a great deal of attention here….. mostly disdain) Anyway, as the sun got warmer and warmer these 3 ladies all made boat like hats out of newspaper to put on their heads. I tried to get a picture with out being too conspicuous. (FYI, They too were appalled at the woman who shoved her way in,)

At present my most pressing thoughts are of improving my few Italian phrases, finding a bit more safe food, (I’m currently on eggs, noodles and veggies) getting out and doing some more walking without dying of heat stroke, and tempering those hotflashes! I’m sure my priorities will change as I start classes.

It really is like a movie set here. Narrow cobbled streets, geraniums in the windows, huge arched doorways, wrinkled smoking men with large hooked noses, street markets with whole pigs roasting, and beautiful singsong language floating above it all. In spite of the unique romantic setting I can still manage to miss Idaho in June!! (My favorite month there)
Love to you all!

Ok, I can't seem to upload photos just yet!!