There are 14 people on the storytelling workshop from all over the world. Giovanna and Roi from the International school of Storytelling are our facilitators. Roi says that he has many good reasons for being here, but he knows that the real reason will unfold. Tim from the UK who speaks fluent Italian, says that he did a Japanese painting course, and the teacher asked him why he wanted to learn. He replied, I don't know. The teacher said, I have taught many people, and very few reasons have been strong enough to learn. But perhaps yours is. We play with childish abandon, remembering moments and childhood special times. In the afternoon we are invited to ask a question, what is it we are seeking from the course, why are we here. We have walked down to the river, over the old Roman bridge. We pair up and choose something from nature. A story emerges spontaneously from the objects. And miraculously the metaphors in the story synchronize with our question.
The water in the river is so fresh that shrimps live in the water. It is forbidden to fish them out. If you are caught the fine is 400euros per shrimp!
We walk back in time for a tour of the village - we learn why the villagers don't cook with salt, ( the Medici family taxed the villagers and they rebelled, their punishment was to go without salt for 5years)and are amazed by the creativity of the villagers. We are invited into two houses .... Pictures below..
This woman is 87 years old, living by herself in a Harry Potter kind of home. The secret to her youthful appearance, a husband 10 years younger! ( no longer alive... Makes you think)
The view from her little balcony overlooking the river. On the other side of the river each family has an allotment, and each grows their own vegetables.
Next we visit this man and his dog... He is 76 years old, and was a kind of revolutionary..below is the entrance to his home...
Definitely Harry Potter country...
I have never ever in my life been into such a jumble of things. A skinned rabbit he has caught is lying in the basin. A few loaves of bread in a plastic crate, he offers us his home made cherry liquer... It tastes like amaretto - delicious...
Above the entrance to his door I notice the words, and get told they mean out of chaos comes creativity, or imagination ...
A light rain falls on the cobbled streets as we walk back the the Convento. Notice the flowers and stones along the way..quite entrancing ...
Below is our group of storytellers.
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