Valentino escorted me down a long austere dimly lit corridor ...baggage and all... until we finally came to two massive wooden doors which suddenly swung wide open from inside and I found myself stepping into a huge rectangular refectory . The students were all seated backs to the walls around the room with the priest-professors at the head table to the right at the far end of this huge hall. As I entered the refectory they broke out into applause. I learned later that Father Superior had put off the evening meal until I arrived since I had called from Florence to let him know I was coming in on the 7 o"clock train. The next item on the protocol was for me to make the rounds shaking hands with each and everyone from the priests on down to the students and lay brothers. Then Father Roberto , the Socius , alloted me my place at table between Carmine Belvedere and Franco Martino which I would keep during my years there at San Alfonso.By this time I was beat.. literally pooped out and was thinking only of tucking myself into a soft bed for a long nap since this was the end of a three-week momentuous , party-on , sleep-when-you-can trip . However , I was hungry so I sat down and dug into a humungous bowl of "pasta asciutta".... short hollow lengths of pasta covered with an olive oil based sauce... plus a big hunk of homemade bread and to wash all this down a carafe or boccetta ( roughly a pint) of red wine.... and 4 fresh figs for dessert. During the meal I noticed a lot of commotion among the students with one guy running around with a piece of paper and a pencil .. he seemed to be asking questions and taking down notes. Finally my neighbour on the left , Carmine , told me that it was time for me to take on the best in the house .... at least that is what I understood with my basic knowledge of Italian as I had only spent two weeks studying the language just before I left Canada. When they set up a table and two chairs in the middle of the dining room it hit me at last ..... I was to sit out there and take on their best arm wrestlers one after the other to determine where I fit into the student pecking order , so to speak. It was a tradition so I decided to go along with the flow and reap what came my way. To skip the tra la lee , tra la la nobody could beat me ... not even two of the young priests , Velocci and Bonizzato ,who were rather sturdy fellows. I was in excellent physical shape .. having played hockey , football and baseball all my junior years whereas these boys were the end result of years of suffering and undernourrishment during the Mussolini regime and the Nazi occupation. Anyways before the evening was over the Superior , Padre Canuto , wished me "benvenuto".. welcome..... and forthwith named me to my first appointment at San Alfonso.... Director of Physical Education ( more like a glorified coaching job...lol) and I was to whip all the students and professors into acceptable shape during the Winter months.Amen for this evening.
Above is a pic of what I called the birdnest in yesterday"s blog. The outer fortifications are easily seen if you look closely. A true mountain walled-in city nestled high in the Appenines.
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