After Cinque Terre, it was off to Tuscany. I stayed at a farm that was below Cortona, on the gentle slopes at the foot of the hill. This place had olives and a small vineyard, so this time of year there was less to do on the agricultural side. The place was run by Dino, a 50 something year old ex doctor who was a farmer, and artist, organizer, and cook among many other talents. It functioned as a informal arts center and would host festas, sculpture exhibits in the olive grove, and bands or dancers to come perform. The old farm house had many rooms, two kitchens, a small stage and practice room, and a room with about 10 bunks beds. These were used by musicians and dancers who would stop by and stay on their way to performances or just to visit Dino. I stayed in a little room detached from the house with a big bunk bed and used a composting toilet and a solar panel heated shower. Also living at the house was Alessia, an actress and dancer, and Fabio, a dancer. They were both in their late twenties and working more or less freelance.
Dino was very interested in creating almost no waste, and reusing everything possible....organic waste, paper, plastic, metal, everything was separated or saved for later use (often in sculpture!).
From the farm, it was possible to walk through the countryside to Cortona in about 45 minutes where I went to visit the UGA Cortona campus and meet up with some friends who were there for the summer. Cortona is a very beautiful Tuscan hill town, swarming with American college students, English tourists, but also the local Italians. The views in this part of the country are vast and beautiful.
On the first night I arrived, I watched Dino and other actors perform in competition of short one act plays, strange modern theater stuff, but very strong too, even though I couldn't yet understand all the Italian. A few days later, a group of french improv dancers performed for us in the fields and orchards of the farm. This too was very Dada art like, strange beautiful but full of humor. At another point I accompanied a Milanese couple who stayed with us to Perugia where they performed on the streets. They played blues folk and made me nostalgic for muggy summer nights on a porch. The list of art events that occurred go on, but are too many to describe here!
Pictures above include pictures from the farm, from different festas, the cat, Dino, from my visit to florence, the cortona countryside, and a local monastery Le Celle.
