|| Pisa

Like always, the Cortona Study Abroad group gets the chance to explore different towns in Italy. One of our first road trips happened to be a town many are familiar with -- Pisa! Like in all the postcards, you automatically think of the town. It is gorgeous, and the detail on this architecture that blows you mind --- however there is more to Pisa than just the tower.

For me its in the details. Ive recently found so much interest in the Marble - its an easy thing to fall in love with here in Italy. Ive been attempting to capture its beauty with documentation.

|| A Night on the Town

Another great evening spent with the Program. We all decided to dress our best and attend Luigi Pirandello's drama "Non Si Sa Come". To clarify... we as a group are not the best italian speakers... and we are all learning to understand as much as possible. Following along with the dialog was a bit tricky but what a good way to train your ear! 

Teatro Signorelli (named after Cortona's famous artist Luca Signorelli) is such a beautiful beautiful theatre! If your interested in seeing a live show, and your around, I absolute recommend taking the time to look fabulous while enjoying the evening.

|| Tuscan Wine

Our Cortona Faculty invite Marco Molesini to our students' house on the hill, for an in-depth wine tasting. He is a special kind of wine connoisseur where he lives in the heart of Tuscany, travels to wine vineyards large and small, and sells his knowledge to people across the world! Definitely a good man.

We learned some fun facts about Italian wine and Italian wine making:

Wine makers in Italy make some pretty strict rules regarding the organic nature of the wine production. One being it is illegal to add any sugar to any italian wine. These regional wines tend to have a lower alcohol content because of the fact no excess sugar is added. (Sugar activates the yeast... activating the fermenting, therefore more alcohol.) To continue on with the Italian law... it is also illegal to add any colors, aromas, or glucose. What you get when you drink a bottle of Italian wine is authentic, organic, full flavor of each grape. YUM.

Just to add to this, Marco was talking about the process of adding sulfites. You know those nasty headaches you get after an evening of a few glasses of wine, good music, and good food? Those  are caused by added sulfites. Italian wine makes add no excessive sulfites like we may find in other countries. These sulfites are a preservative and help keep the wine for longer periods of time. Here in Italy, you open a bottle of wine, you drink the bottle of wine. (my kind of people)

Just a side note:: you can find more natural sulfites in white wine than red wine... so for you ladies who switched from white wine during the summer time instead of the traditionally tea, choose your wine carefully! ;)

for some recommendations::

Focusing in on tuscany, the holy land of red wine, there is one grape that appears to be the god of grapes - the Sangiovese. This grape is found in well known wines, like Chianti and Vino Noble de Montepulciano. How ever there is one specific bottle that we tasted:

Brunello di Montalcino

Oh yes, if you're in search of a good wine its this one. Unlike Chianti and Vino Noble, Brunello is 100% Sangiovese grape. Montalcino is a region in Tuscany that grows this grape, very thoughtfully. This small patch of land is planted with a variety of soils, has one of the warmest climates in Tuscany, and tend to produce wine with a more aromatic flavor.

This specific bottle is goes through the process of maceration and fermentation and the ages in oak. An important and destinct flavor that is found in this bottle of red.

Two other bottles we tasted were

Scabrezza 2012 

A white wine that blends the pinot bianco (white grape) and pinot grigio (red grape)

Sancta Catharina 2009

A red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot

All wines were wonderful but the Brunello definitely hit it out of the park!

|| Cortona

I've been in Cortona for about a week now... which seems like so much longer! I've been busy getting settles, setting up studios, keys, oh the amount of keys, organizing books, moving computers, learning the system of the program, and of course, getting ready for the students... honestly, time seems as it is frozen and in fast-foreward at the same time. Thats not possible is it?

But who am I kidding. Ive been eating the best tuscan prosciutto. If any one is interested.. there is a local little hub called Enoteca. Great atmosphere, great company. Ive also been drinking vino rosso like I am the daughter of Baccus. How can you not? Tuscany does have a reputation for some reasons yeah? More importantly,  i've been making amazing friends, speaking a language that could pass as bad italian, and really trying to take everything in. This one week has really been a nice foreshadow to my upcoming experience.

Now the Cortona program was build on a lot.. most importantly by its founder, John. D. Kehoe. He commandeered the expedition of finding the home for UGA's art campus abroad. Searching near and far, from Bologna to Roma, Kehoe choose Cortona, for the love of its people, for whom we all love today. This building pictured above is the campus as it stands today, nestled atop of the Tuscan hill. It's most comfortable.. i admit.

Cortona had a history.. one that I will continue educating myself as time elapses. But for now I can tell you the basics. Before the Renaissance, before the Middle-ages, before Ancient Romans even, Cortona was home to a group called the Etruscans. This group of ancients were quite incredible. They built the foundation Cortona is today... this civilization, rich in minerals, used trade and agriculture to support their community. Not too much is know... other than the art found. Cortona actually has an Etruscan museum, one that depicts the fine hands of the etruscan skill sets.

Skipping back into modern times, Id like to point out the type of culture Cortona shows off. Like I said, Ive only been here a week. A few days ago, I walk down the hill into town for a coffee. I was ever so greeted with a kind woman holding an owl. Why, did I ask myself? She is showing off this beauty, speaking so kind about its abilities and beauty. But why. I take a photo, turn around and a man is holding a Falcon. Now what is going on? Ask for a photo, turn around again, and I am greeted with this man seated on top on a horse wearing MiddleAge costume. What in the world! I am quite literally in the center, trapped in a shrinking circle of animals.

There is much more to be said of Cortona! There could be reviews on wine, food, restaurants, views, museums, language, learning, antique markets (pictured below) but that calls for another post!

As time continues on, I will continue to post about the program, my experience, and many other things. But as for now, Ciao friends!