Lesson one of this pottery adventure (you know how I loathe the word "journey"), is that one who wears glasses would do well to carry one of those emergency eyeglass repair kits. Yes, not even completed week one, and a nose pad popped off yesterday. Fortunately, there was an
un officio ottico open in the nearby town of Castelfiorentino, and presto! good as new, and no charge! It was market day in the town - I can hear Diane Lane's voice narrating about the scene in Cortona early in the film, "Under the Tuscan Sun". (Lesson two is that November really is a rainy month, and there have been devastating effects in parts of Tuscany.) And what a great market: vendor stalls of
frutta e verdura, formaggio, arrosti, pesce, various household items, clothes & accessories (of various quality, though some quite good - didn't need to twist my arm!), and best of all, it was spread over and around a couple of piazzas entirely
una zona pedonale.
It was my good fortune to make this trip to the market with the lovely Giuliana Rodolfi, who was an integral part of the origin of La Meridiana (with founder & life-time director, Pietro Maddalena), and whom I just met this week. She offered to take me and another potter in residency on this outing from "the monastery" as they call it (?!), for it is considerably quieter than during the hectic days of rotating one and two-week workshops that run most of the year.
But back to Castelfiorentino! First stop was at a bar for
colazione or breakfast, consisting of the freshest croissant con crema known to this person, and a cappuccino. Lessons three, four and five: (3) We need "bars" like this in Canada! There is something quite special in partaking of a such a commonplace activity. "Going for coffee" just doesn't cut it. (4) Three croissants and three cappuccino's cost a grand total of 6 euro. SIX EURO! It costs almost the CDN $ equivalent of that for only one such breakfast back home. (5.1) I already learned these lessons, but they're worth the second, intense look; and (5.2) Sometimes, the most productive thing is to
simply enjoy a croissant and cappuccino while taking in the atmosphere, and feeling just for that little while, that you are part of a community, one that can seem so foreign yet so alluringly familiar. (5.3) Be in the moment. Yes, it is so cliche, but that's because it's true, and thus, no photos of market day. Instead, a Tuscan terrazzo.
Last lesson for today is to emphasize
simply enjoy, whether those words be used separately or together. Live simply, enjoy fully.
A dopo! (Later!)
And so, whilst having afternoon tea proffered by a well-known English potter working here for a few weeks, the other [recreational] potter in residence commented how unusual and rewarding it is to just spend the day, after day, working in clay. I wholeheartedly concurred, much - I think - to the surprise and/or delight of our founder, Pietro. "Yes, it's so great to really focus on what I'm doing, not putting pressure on myself. Instead, I work to really keep with my work/study plan, but as I work, new ideas are coming out of that. It's really great." Pietro nods in agreement, then goes to read a wall post about which I had forgotten. He says that he is the author - he is certainly the author of its location on the wall (!): "When you start working, everybody is in your studio - the past, your friends, enemies, the art world, and above all your own ideas. But as you continue, they start leaving one by one, and you are left completely alone. Then, if you're lucky, even you leave!" Like Elvis so famously did, I think I have left the building.
