Sunsets in Tuscany

I always intended to get back into running during my time in Italy. Well, that is until I got to Italy. The Tuscan countryside is indescribably beautiful, but it is also indescribably hilly. Let's just say that I finally understand the meaning of the saying “uphill both ways.” Instead of running, a friend and I have taken to going for little walks in the countryside. The hills are covered in vineyards with some of the most mouth watering grapes I've ever seen. It's almost impossible to go for a walk without picking a few (bunches of) grapes. Yes, this is probably violating all sorts of laws, but we reasoned that we're supporting the wine community enough to allow for a few grapes every now and then. 

As we've discovered on these walks, the most beautiful parts of the day in Arezzo are sunrise and sunset. The sunsets in Greenville are beautiful as well, but the Accademia is essentially on a large hill overlooking the entire city of Arezzo, so we have vip sunset seating. I've watched a lot of the sunsets from the rooftop of one of the school buildings. The view from the rooftop is fantastic, but it left just a bit to be desired. It turns out, if you really want to see the sunset in all of its Tuscan glory, the aqueduct is the place to go! A group of us jumped over the proprietà privata sign (we couldn't read it anyway), and climbed onto the acqueduct to watch the glorious sight that awaited us. 

 

Growing up, one my favorite cds to listen to was a David Wilcox cd called “Nightshift Watchman.” The album art depicts David Wilcox standing on the hillside overlooking a city I assume is Asheville. Sitting on top of the aqueduct, looking at the spectacular vista spread before me, I was overcome by a sense of nostaligic melancholy and wonder at the same time. Nostaligia because I was remembering sitting around our table after dinner, singing the Nightshift Watchman with my Dad. Melancholy because I am almost halfway across the world from my family. Wonder because I was sitting on a piece of ancient architecture, likely built by the Etruscans when Arezzo was founded, watching the same sunset that the Etruscans would have watched. No matter how extraordinary the sunset feels, it is really quite ordinary. Twice a day, we experience this exchange between light and dark, but somehow, it never ceases to amaze me. This semester is giving me the opportunity to slow down and appreciate the ordinary aspects of life, and for this, I am so grateful.