Day 13 - Thursday, June 3rd

Today I was in kind of a funk. I woke up and felt lonely. It didn't help going downstairs and having it be empty. I got some breakfast and then Armando came back. He was running off somewhere for the weekend though. We took a quick walk through the fields and he showed me three huge piles of manure that needed to be spread on the rows of potatoes that are just starting to come up in the field. Working in the field is the most beautiful place on earth. Seriously - remember that scene in The Sound of Music when Julie Andrews is spinning circles and singing 'The hills are alive....with the sound of music....' That's what this place looks like.

It started raining so I couldn't finish shoveling the shit. I went inside the shed and started priming pieces of fencing that will be put up to keep the neighboring farms horses out. Still feeling lonely. It's just me in the shed and I wish there were others around. There is another couple coming to WWOOF next week and I look forward to that. But still I enjoy myself. I love the sound of the rain on the roof.

After lunch Fiona and I left for San Sepolcro - she teaches Thursday nights. On the way we stopped at a big chain grocery store and I noticed that just about everything was labeled clearly, and almost everything was local. How cool is that? Afterwards we parked at the school and I went off to explore the town.

A drinking fountain....

I started walking through town and feel totally scared and weird. I feel like everyone is staring at me and one look and they know I'm American and don't speak Italian. It's silly, I know, but it's how I felt. I am scared to talk to anyone. I know I have to though if I want to get something to eat. I wander the narrow streets and take lots of amazing pictures. It starts to sprinkle rain. This makes me feel better.

I find a bench to rest on and no one seems to be noticing me. This I prefer. I decide that I don't like traveling alone, especially somewhere I don't speak the language. But I will of course make the best of my current situation. I hope I can remember where the school is. I feel I have a general idea of which direction I came and I am thankful for that. I try to think of more things to be tahnkful for. I feel better.

I stumble into the piazza and go inside the basilica there. I love the way old churches smell. Like old library books. I sit there for a while and take a one minute vacation that turns into like 20 minutes of daydreaming. I'm not even gonna say what I dreamt about. It's way too embarassing. But it was great!

I see a frutta e verdura shop and I feel ok going in here. I think I am getting more and more sensitive to energy because this was the first shop I even considered going in. All the others felt way to intimidating. The lady in here was nice. Ciao, ciao, we exchange polite greetings. I grab some food and go find a spot to sit. There is a water fountain coming out of the wall so I fill up my container. I go back to the basilica steps and sit and eat.

Afterwards I work up enough courage to go into the gelato shop. I feel good. There is no one else in the shop and the girl at the counter has a sweet face. Ciao, I say. Per me un nociola. She says something really fast in Italian. Thank the fuck christ Italians talk with their hands or I would've had no fucking idea what she was saying. Si, si, a cone, per favore. She says something else really fast and I manage to make out 'piccolo' with the inflection of a question. I say Si, si, piccolo. I make it out of there unscathed.

I feel less like I'm sticking out like a sore thumb now that I have my gelato cone. Like, how dumb could I be? I found the gelato shop and ordered myself a cone, right? There seems to be nothing more Italian then strolling through the piazza at this hour with gelato. Everyone else is doin it.

There are more people out now too. I like this. A little boy waves at me from his dads shoulders. I think of everything I could've said moments too late. It's ok. I'll get quicker with my Italian.

There aren't many fat Italians I notice. There is very little traffic. Most town squares are closed off to traffic. An old woman walks by wearing a tight white t shirt with fake necklaces printed on it. Lots of old ladies on bicycles.

There are groups of people with bags full of fresh rose petals making amazing designs in the street. I flash to Danielle throwing rose petals on me that day I lay naked in the clovers.

People really stare here. I notice this. I hope it's because they think I am cute. I feel this one guy staring at me as he is walking by. I look up and he smiles and nods. I blush, smile and look back down at my journal. I am shy in Italy. A group of four walk by my for the second time in a few minutes. They whistle. I smile, but I don't look up. I don't feel like engaging four Italian boys. No really, I don't. Haha.

I start walking back to the school. It is sunset - my favorite time of day. I feel like I am on top of the world. I am in a beautiful neighborhood and the weather is perfect. Yes, yes, yes.

And I am a writer? Armando asks what I do....do I paint? No. Do I sing? No. Do I play an instrument? No. Then he sees me writing and exclaims: 'OH!! You are a WRITER. Ok, this is good, this is your art'.