Pinholes in a Canvas: Viterbo

Part One of my built-up-blog-posts
So much to tell! I am writing this at the end of my first week in Viterbo. Its hard to believe its only a week!
When we first got in, we were all very tired and ready to collapse at any moment. Luckily, my host mother, Anna, understood this, and brought me back to the house, a split household out in the countryside south of Viterbo, along a narrow, twisting road through forest and farmland. The house is inhabited in one half by Anna and Sincero, my host parents, and in the other half by Giulia, Georgio, and their daughter Georgia. Giulia is the daughter of Anna and Sincero. The house has a German Shepard dog named Hettore, two cats, an olive grove, some fig and lemon trees, at least 5 cars, and 5 sets of deadbolts on all external doors, an interesting combination.
Viterbo is a beautiful, but mixed, town. There are portions, such as San Pellegrino, which are filled with archways, fountains, and medieval palazzi. Others places bear monuments, churches, fountains that range from the modern era to the ancient. But in other parts, Fascist architecture with such slogans as “DURARE” (work) exist, covered with graffiti. The entire city is worth exploring, as most of the city is quite beautiful. Churches and clock towers dot the skyline, caffes in every piazza, clothes lines strung between and across stone houses; its a wonderful town. The people are quite friendly, and many of the businesses, especially around the school, are willing to slow down their Italian for the American students (which includes, in addition to us, an American University.) Overall, Viterbo is very nice, and I hope to explore more. We seem to have lots of time to explore with other students, which is quite nice.

A view from the central piazza, Sacrario, named for the WWII monument in it. this shows one of the many clock towers in town.

A lion guarding the cross and orb, all symbols of Viterbo.