7-17-09

Sorry I haven't been posting, things got real. Now I'm in school again, studying business of all things... Ah, no matter, new journalism classes are on the way, and I'm sitting tight until then.

Today is Victoria's birthday, so you know it's going to be a special one. Cam and I took a lazy morning. Though, when we did decide to drag ourselves out of bed, we went downstairs to find a banquette of food waiting for us. French toast, gnocchi and a bounty of fresh fruit was a welcome sight for hungry eyes.

After breakfast I accompanied my family on a hike to see the sights we hadn't at the beginning of the week. In one of the churches, where stuffy air filtered the dusty light which angled itself through stained glass, there was a purported piece of the cross Christ was crucified on. True or not, it was the size of a dime and in a glass case, making it hard to take pictures of it. We visited St. Marguerite's Church, otherwise known as the oldest church in Cortona. My sister tried to get a picture with one a nun, but she ran into the church, her habit flapping wildly behind her as she retreated. We took a tour of the fortress atop the hill. We got to go out on the ramparts and get a panoramic view of Tuscany.

We drove to the pool, and after our sweltering hike, jumping into the cool water was a welcome refreshment. The others showed up, and we quickly made presence known. Cam performed a sideways backflip, causing the lifeguard to ban us from jumping in the pool. We protested, just like loudmouthed Americans should, but they still didn't let us jump.

At night we got all spiffed up and walked down to Republica Square where two hired cars waited to take us to the restaurant in the hills for Victoria's birthday. No expense was spared on the meal, which was succulent. Ashley, my sister, and I helped make the gnocchi. It was neat to learn real Italian cooking from real Italian cooks. My dad of course never stopped asking questions, he even started writing the recepies down on a scrap of paper he tore from a tablecloth.

We ate till we were stuffed, and drank all of their wine. We stumbled into the hired cars and made our way back to our warm beds. As I watched the great restaurant fade into an Italian night, I thought about the power of food and great cooking to bring people together. This was a treat, one birthday we won't readily forget.