May 18, 2023: A Day in Cortona

 I started out the morning with a walk with Nicole and Dr. Ross. We hiked up the same mountain we did the day before to get to Corciano. Not only was it a great way to get some exercise and some serious incline training, but the reward was an amazing cappuccino. The shop owner, Alberto, greeted us with a warm, "Buongiorno!" The cappuccino was only 1.50 Euros! The cappuccino was delicious with shaved chocolate that dressed the top. It was honestly one of the best and cheapest coffees I've had. Starbucks now looks less and less appetizing to me. When we got back from our excursion, I ate the same breakfast as the day before: a croissant, hard boiled egg, yogurt and espresso. 

We then headed for the Camucia market slightly outside of the city of Cortona. It was set up similarly to a normal farmers' market one would venture to in the states. We stopped by the table that had fruits and vegetables and picked out some fresh produce for dinner that night. All of the produce looked so bright in color and you could tell that the strawberries were newly harvested by their taste. They were not too sweet but very refreshing. It was so nice to eat fruits and vegetables fresh and to not worry about washing off any pesticides. 

In the United States we reference "the dirty dozen" constantly and stress the importance of washing our vegetables. We also pride ourselves in utilizing GMO (genetically modified organisms) with our crops and animal byproducts. There are truly pros and cons with this idea though. 

We then had some free time to explore the other tables which had tablecloths, food, shoes, handbags, etc. Then we left the market to head into the heart of Cortona. We parked the bus at Santa Margherita Cathedral. 

Margaret of Cortona was born in 1247 and earned a living by caring for sick women. She joined the Third order of Saint Francis and pursued a life of prayer and penance. This led to her founding a hospital for the sick, homeless, and impoverished. She participated in many public affairs even challenging the Bishop of Arrezo. After her death, the church was built in her honor. She is displayed in a casket inside for all to see. 

The cathedral was absolutely stunning. As I was snapping pictures I somewhat felt guilty for doing so. It felt as if I was invading someone's privacy or doing something unholy. I think the fact that candles were lit and that it was dead silent in the church was the reason I had that feeling. 

I took a photo with my roommates, Jocelyn and Nicole and then headed down the hill into town. The town was absolutely beautiful and really embodied an Italian bazaar. We had some free time to venture so I started going into shops. 

This part of the trip was really special for me, because I was finally able to get gifts for my loved ones. I asked my family what they wanted from Italy before I left and they all gave me their requests. I also have some other gifts that I thought they would enjoy (which I will keep a secret since they will probably read this post before I give it to them). My family is very important to me and I'm incredibly close to them. I share a lot of my life experiences with them, so I loved being able to bring back pieces of Cortona with me to give to them, so I felt like they were with me. 

Nicole and I then started to wander around to look for a lunch spot. We came across this restaurant that didn't seem to be terribly busy. The owner was very kind and told us that if we had any questions that we could ask him. The menu was clearly only in Italian and we probably screamed "stupid Americans" to him, so I appreciated him offering to help us out. 

The restaurant was truly eclectic and the best "hole in the wall" find. I had the Picio al ragu with pieces of pork. It was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had. The tomato sauce was unbelievable. The tomatoes over here are incredibly tangy and flavorful. It really makes me wonder why our tomatoes don't taste as fresh. The bread paired with the meal was crisp and buttery. It was very tasty. I also ordered the 'Sor Ugo' cocktail which consists of prosecco, St. Germain, Soda, Menta and Lime. It was not too sweet and pretty light. It was similar to a Moscow mule with the difference obviously being the alcoholic base. 

I was very proud of myself for remembering key Italian phrases as I interacted with the shop owners. I would greet them with a "ciao", "buonasera", "arrivederci" and was able to tell our waitress "no carne" when helping Nicole order since she is a vegetarian. I am no where near bilingual but I am learning the language pretty seamlessly and am trying my best to immerse myself in the culture and be respectful. 

Everything in the restaurant could be purchased. They had cutting boards, figurines, spices, liqueurs, etc. I definitely will refer this place to anyone venturing over to Cortona. We then went into some more shops and saw some unbelievable ceramics and dishware. I wanted to purchase this gorgeous espresso cup and saucer but restrained myself. 

We then made our way to the grocery store, Coop. Catia stressed how it is pronounced "OHp" and not "OOHp". We walked in and I purchased some pasta, razors and Boci candies. These candies are chocolate and hazelnut Italian treats with sweet messages in each wrapper. I wanted to purchase them to bring them home with me. 

We then came home and had a once in a lifetime cooking class. The chef at the villa helped us in making our own pasta. We also helped with rolling the meatballs which were a blend of pork and beef and parmesan cheese. 

Everyone was broken up into a team of 4 people where we measured 500 grams of flour and created a "fountain" or what in America we would refer to as a "well" for our flour so we could place 5 eggs in the center. We then whisked the eggs and gradually added flour into the egg mixture. Then we kneaded and rolled the dough and refrigerated it. 

We all were able to use the pasta maker machine which flattened the refrigerated dough and then transformed it into fettucine. The end product turned out delicious and we were all very proud of the part we played in creating it. 

With the pasta and meatballs we also had croquettes (potatoes) and a green salad with tomatoes. The dessert was a chocolate gelato which I had been craving all day. 

I learned the importance of a gram scale and how it can be a very useful tool when cooking and another way to measure rather than through measuring cups. There were also a ton of times where I wasn't always sure how to say something in Italian and relied on body language and facial expressions. I think that there will be a lot of times where I may have issues communicating with patients, so learning other ways to communicate such as those are vital skills in accommodating to different patients and scenarios.