Cortona (yet more hills)

This morning we went to Cortona and toured yet another church with our friend Giovanni, our tour guide way back in Arezzo. It's ironic, because when we were in Arezzo he was complaining about the people in Cortona (which is actually his hometown) and today he was showing it off to us. He had many humorous quips, as usual, but we're too tired to remember them. We also walked through an Etruscan archaeological museum and dig site, where we saw lots of cool old stuff they've dug up from tombs. After that we had an hour of free time, where some of us got gelato and shopped around while others simply enjoyed the view from the piazza where the bus dropped us off. The view included a nice, brand new top of the line Corvette, which some adored and others hated. For the record, the one(s) who hated it (coughMasoncough) were wrong. (That's Jake talking.)

After we took the twenty minute bus ride back to Castiglion Fiorentino, we had a delicious lunch of ravioli and quiche, along with some Italian pigs-in-blankets and fruit (as usual. We miss our chocolate dessert). Then we listened to Tori talk about diversity and relationships, followed by Ryan's talk on the first two weeks of school. We played a team building game where we all stood on the steps in the courtyard and had to make it across to a tree on the other side without touching the ground (anyone remember "the floor is lava"? The best 10 years of my life were spent playing that game), using only a box of cardboard pieces, a towel, and a chair. Laura's group had an awesome time, since tall Chris was in our group and thought of a really cool idea - making shoes with pieces of cardboard bent up and tied underneath with our shoelaces. Two people put them on and carried the rest of us across. The next round we had to use the same towels and ripped up bits of cardboard to get across - but this time with no shoes and with all but one person having a handicap - one person in each group couldn't use their hands, one was blind, one couldn't talk, etc. The first time, Laura's group won, while my (Jake's) group won the second.

Then it was free time! A bunch of us played sardines, which is kind of like reverse hide and seek, where one person hides and allll the other people look for them. Everyone who finds the hiding spot has to hide there too, so you end up with a bunch of people crammed into a tiny space, trying not to laugh. It was awesome.

After about an hour of free time, life mapping sessions began. These were essentially interviews based on a questionnaire we filled out earlier regarding our plans for the next ten years of our lives. There'll be more tomorrow.

Soooo then we ate dinner, which was some kind of tomato-y soup with hominy and pasta in it, and some weird lemon chicken and spicy green beans. And fruit. Of course.

Then came the best part of the day: gelato! It's still totally worth the hike. We're kind of sad though, 'cause it's our second to last time to have it here at the Coco Palm! Except tomorrow we get it first, which makes it better. :D After gelato a lot of us went to play soccer at the local (tiny) field, with one native Italian named Miguel. Finally we came back to the dance party at Santa Chiara. Maybe more on that tomorrow, 'cause it's just getting started and we don't know what's going to happen yet.

Buona notte.
Jake and Laura