Chiesa dei Monaci, Siena Tuscany, and the local butcher

You wouldn’t think that Chiesa dei Monasti, Siena Tuscany, and the local butcher would have much in common.  Normally, they wouldn’t, but on this day during our Artfully Tasteful Tour of Tuscany, they had US in common.  We stopped at all 3 of these uniquely cool places and enjoyed what each of them had to offer. 

The beautiful 16th Century frescos of the walls in the Church at a Pontignano Monastery near San Fedele rival those of the Sistine Chapel.  They tell stories through their depictions of the characters in the Bible and do so with vibrant colors and beautiful scenes.  Our hosts at San Fedele, baptized their child there, and we had the privilege to see what few have the opportunity to visit, thanks to their special relationship with the caretaker of the sanctuary.  The church caretaker is their son's godfather, so now, in true Italian style, we  are also indebted to the godfather.

Beautiful gardens on the grounds of the monastery 

Martha Sledge stands under the entrance to a gorgeous topiary tunnel constructed of ancient holly

The butcher we stopped to see gave us samples and we learned a few things about Italian meats.  For example: Did you know that prosciutto comes from the thigh of a pig?  Did you know that Cappicola is cut from the back of the shoulder/neck?  The meats were delicious...well maybe except for the blood sausage!

Cesarè Rappaccini is our chef's favorite butcher.  

After serving us a few samples of his meat selections, Cesaré shows us the horse which represents his neighborhood in Siena's big horse races. 

Whole thighs of pigs and many selections of cured meats hang in the shop

Some like it hot, and Ginny is one of them.  Here she's smiling after finding some hot pepper oil. 

Siena was next, and it's one of my favorite cities in Tuscany.  The town is pedestrian friendly, and yet there is lots of shopping, restaurants, and really good gelato.  I'd highly recommend GROM gelato if you go!  Paul and I painted the duomo, while others tackled different sites around the city (when they weren't shopping).  Siena has a few art stores for those who may want to pick up supplies while there.  A few of us even tried our chef, Andrea Anichini's favorite restaurant in Siena, Vinatieri Compagnie on Vue dei Pittori. 

The Campo in Siena

Each year they race horses in the main square of Siena known as the Campo.   The horse races are known as the Palio.  The races are run twice every summer on July 2 and August 16.  Different neighborhoods in the city each enter their representative horse.  The jockey's ride bareback and the race lasts for 90 seconds.   As you can see, the square is slanted and paved with bricks, so it's a crazy surface for horses to run on.  

The Beautiful facade of the Duomo of Siena

A typical street scene in Siena

Our group enjoyed the day in Siena.  After coming back and having  dinner, we enjoyed aperitifs before dinner on the terrace.  That was followed by a yummy 5 course meal with a welcome song from Michaelino afterward.  He has an amazing voice and gifts us with a song after supper each night.  We continued the music with some guitars and singing going late into the evening.  Just another day at beautiful San Fedele!

Next year's trip is scheduled for October 3-10, 2015.  Click here if you're interested in putting Tuscany on your bucket list:  https://www.ilchiostro.com/index.php?action=workshop-details&item=283

Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

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Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

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Artfully Tasteful Tour of Tuscany- Monteriggioni Picnic and Poggibonsi Market Day

What a great group!  Standing in the shadows of Monteriggioni- Our Picnic Destination

Going to Market has been one of the fun things we have done this week…repeatedly.  It’s always a colorful time when the stalls go up and the fresh produce comes out in any town, but this market is a bit larger than most.  We’ve seen exotic mushrooms and beautiful vegetables and fruits on our table at mealtime and this day, we saw them in the market at every turn. 

Today was Poggibonsi, a town with quite a vibrant market scene.  Our mission was to search out food for our picnic in the walled medieval town of Monteriggioni.  After gathering our treasures we trekked up to the picnic site in scenic Monteriggioni and enjoyed our feast. 

After our picnic, we returned to our Tuscan home away from home, and readied for our evening meal with an art lesson for those who were interested, optional massages, cooking class, and aperitivos before dinner.  All in all, a great day!

Zucchini flowers- another example of the beautiful exotic food available here.

Heidi and Gary at the market

On the way to our picnic, we stop at the Market in Poggibonsi, Tuscany.  Vicki Thomas is ready for our scavenger hunt.
The goal is to seek out some good food for lunch in Monteriggioni

Jack and Vicki Thomas find some yummy things to contribute to our picnic feast

Becky and Dianne rest on one of the tiny trucks at the market

What a feast!

Vicki's smile tells you just how good it was

Jack and Jim are enjoying the good food and wine.

An adorable shop in Monteriggioni

Michael opts for wine instead of gelato

Ken and Joan Chartier

Just one more bite of gelato for Jim and Ginny Ward

Ken gets "Happy" feet when the music is playing our theme song!

Paul and Rebecca Zdybel explore the back alleys together

Dianne Morrell and her granddaughter Morgan are making memories on this trip.

Heidi Vukov strikes a pose in Monteriggioni, Tuscany

Ken Chartier relaxes in the square at Monteriggioni

Gary is gauging whether or not there is room for one more gelato?

What a great group!  Standing in the shadows of Monteriggioni- Our Picnic Destination

Next year's trip is scheduled for the first week of October 2015.  Contact me if you're interested in being part of what is sure to be another fun trip. =)

Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share any of this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

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Our Artfully Tasteful Tour of Tuscany Begins!

Our home in Tuscany is San Fedele.  Over 1000 years of prayer permeate these walls and give it a very special atmosphere.

Our first morning begins with some yoga on the deck overlooking the hillsides all around.

This cross was restored by the same man, who as a boy had once helped his father to install it 75 years earlier.

Even the simple things are beautiful here!

The Market at Ponzone is bustling on Sundays

Our chef for the week is Andrea Anichini.  He will be giving us cooking lessons during the week and preparing our meals every evening. 

Our Sunday dinner- a very special BBQ.  Absolutely fabulous!

Another captivating view of the hills surrounding San Fedele. 

Breakfast is on the terrace every morning. 

Renatta makes us a beautiful cake daily to accompany a delicious breakfast. 

Our studio is spacious and allows for us to leave things set up during the week.  

After our first Art lesson in Tuscany we begin our first painting of the week. 

Aperitifs on the deck are something to look forward to in the evenings before dinner. 

Bidets: Really? Yes, Really!

When in Rome...you know what they say to do, right?  Well what the heck do the Romans do with a bidet?  It's not your classic bathroom appliance in our country, and yet it's everywhere you look in Europe.  Rome is no different, and our trusty bidet was there for our use...whatever that is.

I know there's a personal cleansing function, and though my momma never got around to teaching me, I think I've pretty much figured it out...kind of like sex.

I have to say, that we found quite a few ways to use our bidet.  My aching feet were soaked in it's cooling waters a number of times during the week.  Perfecto!

Paul found yet another creative use of the bidet's basin, and here you see him doing his first week's laundry in preparation for the next leg of our journey to Tuscany.

It also was very helpful for shaving legs.  When your shower is only about 2 feet wide, it's kind of hard to find enough room to bend over to take care of business.  One of my trip participants laughed and put it this way," The parts that needed it the most were the hardest to get to!"

We are heading for Tuscany and looking forward to the beginning of our Artfully Tasteful Tour of Tuscany.  Enjoy these photos of Rome, and I'll see you next in Tuscany!

Vatican's Swiss guards on duty

Colosseum in the midst of the city

The dome of the Pantheon and the monument to Italy's Independence in the background...fondly referred to by Romans as "The Wedding Cake".  

A beautiful villa across a footbridge over the Tiber River

Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share any of this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

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Colosseum- Colossal Surprises!

Rome is magnificent and the buildings and architecture are incredible.  Both the scale and number of gorgeously intact buildings and ancient ruins boggles the mind.  They are everywhere!  Go around any corner, and you stumble on yet another architectural beauty. Of course, the most notable of these architectural wonders is the Colosseum.  We went on a tour today and found out a few fun facts...

Fact:  The Colosseum was not always called the Colosseum.  It's original name was the 'Flavian Amphitheater'.  The Colosseum derived it's current name from being adjacent to the "Colossus"- a huge bronze statue of Nero that has since been melted down and destroyed.  This is what it may have looked like:  

Did you know that the Colosseum had assigned seating and gates like a modern stadium? There was also fabric sheltering the spectators from above, supported by beams which protected all but the center of the Arena.  Sailors used drums to work together and haul the sailcloth into place. 

Fact:  "Arena" means "sand" and that very substance covered the floor of the Colosseum.  Sand acted as an absorbent surface for all the blood and gore which took place upon the arena floor and gave better footing to the combatants.  

Sand also disguised about 60 trap doors which served as "stage entrances" for actors in the various dramatic battles and events.  Animals and people would make their entrance onto the floor of the arena using elevators raised by slave-powered winches.  A diagram is pictured below. 

Did you know that Jewish Slaves built the Colosseum?  Rome destroyed the Jewish Temple and defeated the Jews in 70AD and then brought back 50,000 Jewish slaves and plunder from the Temple in order to construct the Colosseum?  It was begun in 72 AD finished in 8 years.  This Triumphal Arch of Titus commemorates the Roman victory and shows the plunder of Jerusalem being brought back to Rome by the slaves and soldiers. 

Triumphal Arch of Titus in the Forum which depicts the victory over the Jews in 70 AD. 

Did you know that most gladiatorial battles were man to man?  They did not always end in death, and there was quite a bit of incentive not to kill them, since their training and skill was very expensive to cultivate.  They trained just across the street in a private arena which was connected to the Colosseum by underground tunnel.  During games at the Colosseum, the gladiators generally fought in the afternoons, animals fought in the mornings, and executions took place around the noon hour.  A couple of tour guides maintain that it is unlikely that Christians were ever tortured there...but I haven't checked that fact out for historical truth. I know the Pope makes a pilgrimage there as a holy site every Lent, and I doubt he would do that because animals were killed there. 

Fact:  The exterior of the Colosseum is made of white Travertine?  It's a local stone which was very durable and easily available. Though it's original color was white, and it has only become the terra-cotta color we associate with it due to weather and age.  Can you imagine?  It's currently undergoing a 60 million Euro restoration, thanks to donations by a wealthy Italian businessman who owns Tods shoe company.  Its already partially restored to its original color.  

The Colosseum was decorated with painted statues and may have looked something like this in it's heyday (except it would have been white, right?).  Other amphitheaters were in operation throughout the empire, but in Rome, the Colosseum continued to function as a major center for these Roman games for around 500 years. 

Fact:  The Grand Opening Games of the Colosseum involved 100 days of games and overall they were responsible for the slaughter of over 10,000 animals?   Any small animals which were left, were often given to the people.  Every kind of animal was included in the games, because the goal was to thrill and entertain.  The Roman people did not have zoos or the ability to travel with ease, so bringing exotic animals out for display provided that shock and awe experience which the Emperors wished to provide.  Animals included everything from Tigers, lions, Elephants and Bulls, to Crocodiles, snakes, and small animals.    So many lions were killed during the games of the Roman Empire, that some believe these types of spectacles contributed to the eventual extinction of the European Lion.  

Were you surprised by any of these facts? We were fascinated.  If you're wondering which tour of Rome to take:  Our City Wonders tour was great, but 4 hours of climbing and walking on the rough stone surfaces of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine Hill were quite demanding in the heat.  If you go, be sure to drink water, dress for the weather and wear good walking shoes! 

Let me hear from you! I read every comment and it means a lot to know you are out there traveling along with me.


Rebecca Zdybel
Artist, Instructor, Art-Travel Instructor
Art Lessons in all media
Myrtle Beach, SC
rebecca@artmyrtlebeach.com

Spread Light, Share Love, DO Art!

Feel free to share any of this blog post on your own blog or website, but I ask that you you include:

Rebecca Zdybel is an artist and instructor in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Follow her and see her work at http://www.artmyrtlebeach.com/

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