Tuscania

It's Saturday and time for another local Viterbo adventure. I find out most of my information from my colleagues in my office. I say where should I go and I get suggestions and then off I am. This time, the town of Tuscania, a 20 minute bus ride away. As usual, it's beautiful views from scenic lookouts and religious sites. But, well, I love it anyway.

This is the view from the edge of town. It takes my breath away every time I come upon a sight like this. How can anyone ever get bored of moments like thins?

The great thing in Tuscania is that you can walk on top of about a quarter of the city wall. It's also perfectly manicured.

The church from the first picture is San Pietro. Here it is from the front.

Where there's a walled city, there are towers.

Maybe the front of this years Christmas card?

Inside Chiesa San Pietro

Chiesa San Pietro has a crypt. Notice that all the columns are different. It's as if the builders went to the scrap heap and picked out any columns they could find and stuck them here.

Another candidate for the cover of the Christmas card!

Parent Conferences -- Italian Style

Last night, the host parent's of 12 of my 13 advisees came into school for a parent conference. I was asked to speak about each of the students for a minute or two and then my colleague translated into Italian for me. Most of the time my assessment of the student matched the host parent experience at home. All except for one. After I went around, the host parents just starting going on and on in Italian and I understood nothing. They just wanted to vent. The most common issue is lack of tidiness. For all you students out there reading, CLEAN YOUR ROOMS. Pick things up off the floor. Your Italian mothers are beside themselves at not being able to walk into your room and clean it up for you, or even to change your sheets!

Here are the names of the families: Ciucciarelli, Agostini, Guitarrini, Delre, Berti, Ciprini, Oliveri, Colonna, Corinti, Anselmi, Giannini, Raponi and Salino. Might I be working in Italy?

Viterbo City Hall

Rain quashed plans to go olive picking with Gigi this day. So, I got the motivation to spend a couple hours finishing off the recommendations for students back at HRS and then head out during a break in the rain to walk around town.

I saw people heading towards church so I went in and observed services. I lasted 15 minutes.

I wandered around (went into a wedding expo, lasted 5 minutes) and then as I'm headed home wander into an open door, up some stairs and land in what is the municipal building of Viterbo and it's open. Here is a 16th century original painting of the province of Viterbo and the surrounding towns.

The city council room

The ceiling is filled with paintings of each of the cities in the province of Viterbo. Notice S.P.Q.V, just like S.P.Q.R in Rome.

Vetralla painting

The marble of the floors is from Venice (as told to me by the docent). Notice the fossilized seashell in the marble.

Why this man is painted as coming out of the door on the wall? Who knows.