Continuing the Course: Chickens, Conservation and Commodities

So, I realized that for my past two posts I have entitled the piece with "C" words so I'm trying to continue the tradition. We'll see how long I can keep it up. Alliteration is always awesome, adding another amazing aspect to annotation. Though the thrilling theory that the use of alliteration makes writing easier to remember may in fact be true, the consequence of choosing "C" words based only on their letters, can commonly confuse the connotation of the composition; "C" words can not always cut it. Regardless of the title of my post, I have some interesting things to share today.

After leaving my computer yesterday I went to Dr. de Rachewiltz class where we read aloud from the Homeric Hymns - a thrilling experience. I love reading aloud and it is truly becoming a lost art. Dr. de Rachewiltz has a rich voice and it was a pleasure listening to him read. We also analyzed the story of Metis, Athena's mother, which was an interesting subject as the very night before I had told the story of Athena's birth to my peers. If I believed in coincidences....man that would sure be a strange one!

After Dr. de Rachewiltz class we decided to hike down into Merano (about a 45 minute hike) to go to the light show honoring a Chinese poet and the illustrious Ezra Pound. After getting lost twice (and having to call Nik, Mary's grandson, who is an absolute angel) we finally made our way into the town proper. Of course the first order of business (because we were, ridiculously, still early) was to go to a gelato place and feast on the heavenly ambrosia and nectar! Gelato is, without a doubt, one of Italy's greatest treasures.

The food was good. Then we looked for some bus information to determine what time the last bus left so we could make our way to the station in time to catch the bus up to Dorf Tirol (hiking down was not too bad, but there was no way we could hike back up in the dark - lots of loose rubble and steep climbing). Imagine our surprise when we discovered that the last train departed in less than fifteen minutes! We high tailed it over to the bus stop and did not see one beam of the light show. But it was not a complete loss - we got that gelato!

And this view:

We also saw a statue of what I think is Atlas - that was pretty epic!

When we got home we we ate dinner - oh the pleasures of pasta! - and started the long wind down to bedtime. As I was getting ready for bed (I had just taken off my glasses, which made this experience even scarier) I saw something on the wall. It was a huge (relatively, if you know me you know all vermin are bigger in my eyes) SCORPION!! I immediately screamed for help and promptly lost all rational thought as I began the inevitable freak out phase of the night. Natalie, my fearless friend, came to my rescue and stomped on it, bringing that poisonous pest to a definitive demise!

After that things were relatively calm at Castle Brunnenburg. I went to bed around midnight (narrowly avoiding turning into a pumpkin) and woke up this morning refreshed. We descended the mountain once again (oh 45 minute hike, you are good for my Fitbit, but not for my feet!) and attended the market in Merano that has lots of commodities for consumption! I bought a lovely Italian shirt, a bratwurst and the inevitable serving of gelato.

Upon our return to Dorf Tirol, Natalie and I decided to go to the grocery store and the fruit stand to stock up on food for the weekend. These are the fruits I got at the stand:

The strawberries taste like little cubes of sugar...and just 1.80 euro - just saying... I also got to hold a chicken!

And now, sadly, it's time for me to hit the books! Good night from Castle Brunnenburg! Tomorrow I will continue my chronicle - ciao!