Sunday, November 20, 2011

Villa Pieve


After experiencing the lively and extremely noisy culture of Florence we traveled by train to Perugia. Upon our arrival we were greeted by Rossella Vasta, a bubbly and exuberant Italian woman gleaming generosity and hospitality. Rossella loaded Ellen and I and our luggage into her tiny car and we soon learned that her driving was just as full of energy and speed as she was. As we got further away from the Perugia train station we began to notice more and more untouched land that was filled with nature, much different than we had previously seen in Rome and Florence. The winding road took us over hills and around sharp corners, eventually ending up on a rocky driveway.

The driveway led our vehicle into an even denser part of the countryside and to the very top of one of the many rolling hills. We parked the car and were immediately greeted by other members of the Vasta family and staff, offering us vino, hugs, and great big smiles. As we walked around we were overly impressed and in denial that we had arrived at our destination for the next six weeks of our Italian stay. The Vasta house, more similar to a castle, was beautifully designed with a balcony, a dining patio, and large decorative doors. In spite of its vast size, the building and the nature surrounding it seemed to compliment one another so well that it seemed as if they had grown out of the earth simultaneously, sharing the same source of water and sunlight. To the right of the house is a long pathway marking the division between two of the other property buildings. Our rooms we soon discovered were on the right, and classrooms and conference area to the left. Just in case you were having trouble distinguishing whether the Vasta building was really just an extremely large home, past these two buildings, but visible from our initial arrival point, stood an actual castle built near the year 1000.

Once everyone had arrived we were given our room keys and began unloading our bags. That evening we gathered on the outdoor patio and were served a three-course dinner. I assumed that our meals would be somewhat like the cafeteria in our college at home, but instead we were treated like customers at a nice restaurant. The fine dining included an appetizer, main course, and dessert, accompanied by bread, water, and wine. We were quite surprised when we discovered that this dinner was not for special occasions, but instead, the way all of our lunches and dinners would be served for the remainder of our stay. Throughout our stay we have grown extremely fond of the Vasta staff which includes Iban, Rosa, and Paola. They are such gracious people, so giving and helpful. They have definitely enriched our stay here and made us feel at home.