how we grow old

Yesterday I was exhausted out of my mind when I wrote my post. After more physical labour and probably not enough sleep, I accompanied the parents after a short shower to the hill town of Siena. I had always heard good things about the town, really only that it was beautiful and great (but not as specifically as the serene beauty described to me of Como). So we arrived after I had napped in the car and we headed uphill on many escalators and wandered the city. We discovered gems of powerful frescoes in the Baptistry and the Palazzo Pubblico (avoiding the long line of the tower and heading to the museum instead). Although touristed, the city doesn't feel that way at all, you walk uphill, downhill while never getting lost in a throng of people and always being hugged by the high walls of the city. I left Siena feeling refreshed, having been nursed by the art and the fan shaped central piazza. I highly recommend it. I may make my way back here in the next year or so to spend more time, because I think I fell in love.

Wednesday night at Spannocchia is either a fancy dinner or a pizza night. Yesterday was a pizza night which means at least 10 types of pizzas made in a wood oven by the interns. It was a wonderful time, complete with Mary chasing after her fellow interns with her red painted lips, the hobbling Joe at the brick oven, and the glammed up Julia lamenting that she had eaten too much. I laughed quite a bit and drank perhaps a little too much. After dinner I made my way back to the room I have been sharing with my parents and finished off 'In Praise of Slow', an awesomely written book about the Slow movement pushing for a balance in daily life and the curing of time-sickness. Also highly recommended.

So I should go take a shower, I've aged quite a bit this morning due to the fact that I was milling, making food flour for the animals and grinding up corn, fava, wheat and barley. Both Evan and I were absolutely covered in white powder. I definitely have some in my pants or down my back. Although I cleaned myself off with the air hose in the garage, I'll definitely be making some dough in the shower in a few minutes. Another crazy experience.