Truffles

It is late as I write this but I am awake enough to savor my day. The moon is waxing maybe two days away from full. (I haven't checked a lunar calendar or, for that matter any calendar in a while!). Morning class tackled through Canto 7 of Purgatorio before the break and we were energized by the first class presentation (Cantos 10-13). Great discussion and really fun time just getting into the poem.

Linda and I made huge sandwiches for lunch at home, and then rushed back for our 2 pm class led by Christie Fengler Stephany. We learned about the process of egg tempera painting and then saw some of the most glorious examples of this in person. Here is a good link about the painting we discussed at the Museo dell Opera in Siena-the article is great as are the images but the real thing just knocks you down. Duccio's Maestà in Siena

from Wikipedia-Duccio's Maestà

The in-museum class was fantastic. Afterwards we enjoyed the amazing museum-drawings of all the pavimenti (floor tiles) from the Duomo were a huge plus. We made our way to one of the biggest attractions-a walk out on the facciatone or large facade of the unfinished addition to the Duomo. Visitors line up to climb a wonderful spiral stairway up to what would have been the front of a large central nave. The planned addition had a tragic end when Siena was hit by the Black Death56,000 of its citizens to the disease (about 70% of the population). Unable to complete the original hugely ambitious design, city leaders simply left the enormous facade as it was.
Here are some images taken on top:

il Campo-seen from atop the Facciatone

Just when you thought things couldn't get better, there were truffles. Linda and I ate out at a wonderful restaurante (Il Guidariccio) off of Via Dupres. Both of us ordered fresh mushroom pasta-and it was magnificent. We capped a perfect day with an hour long walk around the city with the moon shining brightly. But it is late now and I have one more Canto to finish-pull up a chair and see if you can find a copy of Purgatorio on your shelves, and read Canto 18 with me. The truffles will have to remain a dream for another day.