After a rather rough flight and only sporadic sleep, I arrived in Roma...but my bag did not. Really, this is not an issue as expected something like that to happen what with two connecting flights and all. And besides...I'm in Italy! The drive to Spoleto was beautiful, with the countryside getting more and more hilly and mountainous as we got closer to the villa. Fields of sunflowers dotted the side of the road, and olive tree groves sprang up the farther from Rome we got.
There are a wide variety of people here - 4 from Singapore, 2 from Seoul, South Korea, and the rest from the US. Ages range from 21 to mid-50's, with both professionals and academics. I am sharing a room with a grad student from Sarah Lawrence who is here for the four weeks as well. Our room is at the top of a tower of rooms, and overlooks the villa's garden as well as the hills of Umbria (and olive tree groves).
Today, we had time to relax and get orientated to the villa and grounds here. Parts of the original structure of the house date from 1511. It has been beautifully and lovingly restored over the years that La MaMa has owned it, with rehearsal spaces, a chapel and common eating areas. The grounds are wonderfully landscaped, with potted hydrangeas, climbing jasmine (which is in bloom!) and roses. This evening, we walked down to the bottom of the hill for dinner at a local restaurant, sampling a variety of antipasti including figs, prosciutto, seafood salad and some delicious pizzas, including the local specialty with black truffle. YUM! And of course, lots of discussion about art and theatre.
Pictures will follow as soon as the bag arrives with the uploading cable...
Buona notte!
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