Il
29 aprile
Assisi
As
soon as my train arrived at the Assisi station Thursday evening, I
felt, in a sense, that I was “back home.” I have been trying to
understand my love for this city and why I feel the way I do when I'm
here. It is, certainly, a very inviting and charming place and I stay
in a terrific apartment. So, yes, I am surrounded by beauty and I
have my “creature comforts.” Perhaps because it is a very small
city, enclosed by walls and lived in by people who are very proud to
call themselves “Assisani”, there is a certain ambiance here and
a pride exhibited by its hardworking citizens. For me, it has become
a familiar place-the two markets I frequent, the hairdresser who
colors and cuts my hair, the boutiques where my euros always find
something to buy; Assisi has become my “safe haven”- a place I
come to for study and reflection and, more and more, an opportunity
to spend time with my Italian friends who have become an important
part of my life as I know it now.
Although
I have been here for only 3 days, I have spent time with friends,
eaten more wonderful food, drunk more wine (And I really am not a big
drinker, even though I seem to talk about it a lot!) and socialized
more than when I'm home in San Diego. Now this will even out a bit
as the “novelty” of my being here wears off and I get back to my
routine of school, homework, studying, cooking my dinner, watching my
Italian soap operas, and going to sleep at a reasonable hour, but,
for now, I am relishing the excitement of being in Assisi once again.
Each day is an adventure; each day brings something unexpected, and
with each day, my Italian gets just a bit better. I love this
language; I love hearing it, understanding it, and speaking it and
with the support I receive, I am encouraged to keep on, even though
it is difficult and sometimes very frustrating.
What
has also made Assisi so special for me are the friendships I have
here and the people I seem to meet almost daily and without planning.
Perhaps because I am trying to “seize every moment” and live each
day to the fullest, I feel a vibrancy and intensity here that I don't
feel at home, even though my core beliefs about how I want to live my
life remain the same wherever I am.
The
medieval festival of Calendimaggio starts this coming Thursday, May
3rd, and when the opening festivities begin at 3:00 pm,
the stands will be full of people shouting “Sotto” and “Sopra”,
for the lower and upper parts of the city that are in competition for
three days. As I live in “Sotto”, I will wave the red flag and
shout and clap for my “team” and hope that we win, unlike last
year when Sopra was victorious. There is a air of expectation in the
city and one can hear the pounding of hammers as each team builds its
floats and scenery in secret. The month of May is a wonderful time to
be in Assisi and explore Umbria. This year, it rained almost the
entire month of April so everything is green and the flowers are
blooming all over the city.
And
as it's almost 8:00 pm, I must go now and meet my friend, Janet for a
walk to the Piazza Commune and a gelato. The big decision will be
which flavor to enjoy tonight...
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