I'm sure you will understand.
After a wonderful breakfast at the Ostia hotel we quickly packed up and headed for Massa Marittima, Tuscany, for a monastery called Domus Bernardiniana. Massa is a Tuscan hillside town, 380 meters above sea level, or 1,250 feet. Like everything in Italy, this place is so incredibly beautiful, and I will have photos up soon, it is just that now that I am on the study abroad trip we have lots of things to do in the day and dinners at night with interesting discussion over wine. Lots of wine.
The town is divided into two parts: the old city and the new city (which have Italian names). It is set fairly high on a mountain/hill from back when malaria was a problem. Apparently the higher up you were the safer you were from the disease, which if you think about it translates to "bad air" (mal-airia). But so far here we have visited Massa Marittima Cathedral and the Palazzo Pretorio the cathedral overlooks. This Tuscan hilltown is, well, very hill-y, and to get anywhere you either travel up or down 10 meters, or both depending on which way you go. Dr. Murphy is very well versed in the artworks and architecture of the cathedral, but also noted that this particular cathedral is sub-par to what we are going to see later in the trip. We come here for the town and the people more so than the monuments, but the view overlooking the Tuscan valley is gorgeous. It reminds me of being in Colorado, if the towns in Colorado were build in the 13th century, and at a much lower elevation. No snow, but then again it is summer. This town used to be a popular mining town but the mines have been abandoned and the town has declined in popularity. Still it is beautiful and full of small shops to peruse and enjoy.
And the Domus is quaint and adorably old. The employees are wonderful and kind and keep the place in excellent shape. The weather couldn't be any better, with a cool breeze under a clear sky during the day, and a chilly bite at night. Watching the sunset over the mountains is particularly gorgeous. I missed the sunrise this morning, where I agreed to wake up for a run at 6:00 AM, which might not have been the best decision after sharing three bottles of wine between five people and staying up til 1:00 AM talking about art and photography. Probably wasn't the best of ideas, and probably won't happen tomorrow. I need my sleep.
And speaking of sleep, I should probably get to it now. Massa doesn't have much to see as far as famous or ancient things go, but it is still Italy and is still beautiful. I can't imagine anything that goes on in the world touching this place or affecting it in any way, it feels so removed from the rest of the world. But of course this is just my tourist perspective, I am not involved with political affairs here, but it sure would be an interesting topic of discussion if the chance ever arose. I shall practice my Italian and be on the lookout for the chance to ask about it.
Another night I am exhausted, another good night indeed. Buonanotte a tutti, e sogni d'oro. Goodnight everyone and golden dreams.
The town is divided into two parts: the old city and the new city (which have Italian names). It is set fairly high on a mountain/hill from back when malaria was a problem. Apparently the higher up you were the safer you were from the disease, which if you think about it translates to "bad air" (mal-airia). But so far here we have visited Massa Marittima Cathedral and the Palazzo Pretorio the cathedral overlooks. This Tuscan hilltown is, well, very hill-y, and to get anywhere you either travel up or down 10 meters, or both depending on which way you go. Dr. Murphy is very well versed in the artworks and architecture of the cathedral, but also noted that this particular cathedral is sub-par to what we are going to see later in the trip. We come here for the town and the people more so than the monuments, but the view overlooking the Tuscan valley is gorgeous. It reminds me of being in Colorado, if the towns in Colorado were build in the 13th century, and at a much lower elevation. No snow, but then again it is summer. This town used to be a popular mining town but the mines have been abandoned and the town has declined in popularity. Still it is beautiful and full of small shops to peruse and enjoy.
And the Domus is quaint and adorably old. The employees are wonderful and kind and keep the place in excellent shape. The weather couldn't be any better, with a cool breeze under a clear sky during the day, and a chilly bite at night. Watching the sunset over the mountains is particularly gorgeous. I missed the sunrise this morning, where I agreed to wake up for a run at 6:00 AM, which might not have been the best decision after sharing three bottles of wine between five people and staying up til 1:00 AM talking about art and photography. Probably wasn't the best of ideas, and probably won't happen tomorrow. I need my sleep.
And speaking of sleep, I should probably get to it now. Massa doesn't have much to see as far as famous or ancient things go, but it is still Italy and is still beautiful. I can't imagine anything that goes on in the world touching this place or affecting it in any way, it feels so removed from the rest of the world. But of course this is just my tourist perspective, I am not involved with political affairs here, but it sure would be an interesting topic of discussion if the chance ever arose. I shall practice my Italian and be on the lookout for the chance to ask about it.
Another night I am exhausted, another good night indeed. Buonanotte a tutti, e sogni d'oro. Goodnight everyone and golden dreams.
Perfection
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