sunday. 24 january 2010::

today was great minus the fact that nothing seemed to make you believe it was The Lord’s Day. i hope that my faith isn’t merely cultural or that i only feel it necessary to spend extended time with my Shepherd when it seems counter-cultural or awkward to not follow a sunday routine that i grew up with. to be in a country that prides itself in its most awesome landmarks and architecture relating to its connection to God is quite interesting. it seems from an outsider’s perspective that the italians have somehow grown cold to the significance of these historical religious pillars. i wonder how many understand the importance, and the initial reason for constucting these buildings of great wonder and awe. i wonder if adults, teens, young children, and families here know the love of God and his attributes or if they merely know the god of their parents who is a distant figure that they draw nearer to at holidays and in times of need.

this city, place, and home has so many complexities–small and quaint, yet dense and popular. daily, tourists can be found visiting orvieto to see its many welcoming attractions: the duomo (the large church), the torre del moro (a huge clock tower), orvieto underground. in some ways we fit into this category of desiring to explore this interesting etruscan city. yet at other times we obviously stick out in an american kind-of-way. when we do meet an american though, there is some sort of warm and unexplained connection, almost like seeing a long lost twin i would imagine.

we ate at zepplin’s restaurant tonight–paul, alyssa, sarah, and me. it was beyond delicious, and i had a hard time finding adjectives that transcended the sheer delight of the food. we met chefs from the culinary institute of america who were friendly and welcoming. one of them, john, came out to visit for a while and gave us tips on what to visit in orvieto and in italy in general. i ordered lasagna for the pasta dish, or the first course, followed by the main course of chicken filled with olives and red peppers complimented with cooked mushrooms and a side of sweet potatoes. we all shared a bottle of the house white wine, made right in the region of umbria where orvieto is located. it was the perfect blend of sweet and dry, and paired well with our meal of choice. the chef cooking tonight, ryan, gave us free appetizers (a brushetta with tomatoes, cheese, and bacon) and free dessert (lemon gelato). this gelato was homemade from their lemon tree behind the restaurant with apple shavings on top. it was a delight and a great, refreshing way to end a meal. this meal may have been a bit expensive, but was our first authentic italian meal since we had arrived, made at a local world-class italian restaurant. it couldn’t have been better.

today was also productive: i added credit to my cell phone, called mom and dad back home, did laundry in a machine that takes 1.5 hours and spins clothes at 20 miles an hour, and purchased some sweatpants for early morning runs. while shopping for these pants, i found that in italy, i am quite large. i purchased large pants, the largest size i’ve ever had. exciting, but deceptive. all in all it was a good day, and am looking forward to the many more to come.

Advertisement