Week 4

It is the evening of Wednesday, January 27 in Cortona. Last Friday I went to the city of Spoletto for a field trip for my History of Medieval Rome class. We visited a very pretty cathedral. For that class, we typically analyse the architecture and the decoration of the building, and use that to understand the historical context in which the building was erected, etc. In that class, we have been focusing on the Roman Catholic Church as the central institution of Rome during the Middle Ages. So we are studying its transformation, Romanisation, politicisation, how it is affected by political events and processes, etc. On Friday night, I went out with others to the local discotheque to celebrate one of my school mate's birthday. Didn't get much sleep, cuz we left early to go for a fun trip to San Gimignamo on Saturday. There were about 10 of us. We got there by train and then bus. It is a very impressive town. Built on a hill, of course, it contains several tall stone towers. So it is dubbed the "Medieval Manhattan" by one travel guide. Sunday I just did school work mostly. Classes are going well this week. My back continues to improve. I bike up and down the hill for exercise.
The remainder of this entry deals with the sad news that arrived to me two days ago. My dear grandfather, Allan Russell Berryman, passed away Sunday evening in Whitecourt, Alberta. He had recently been hospitalised for a respiratory illness. Grandpa was a good man, and I enjoyed his company. He was a good story teller, brave, enjoyed photography and geneology, liked nature, his family, his dogs, and fishing and hunting when younger. I will miss hearing his stories and his company. I wish I were not so far away from home right now, but I know that I must stay here and continue to learn and travel while I have the opportunity. I love you Grandpa.
MC