Correspondence from Cortona

Our deputy director, Annelies Mondi, is currently abroad in Italy, and while we didn't get her set up blogging before she left, she did send us the following email about the 40th anniversary celebration of the program held there:

The internet at the hotel is down and so I am using a student's computer here at the school. The celebration went well. Rick Johnson and President Michael Adams presented Mrs. Willson with a beautiful ceramic hand-painted plaque honoring her for her contribution to the Cortona program. It will hang in the Kehoe center. The mayor of Cortona was there, the consul general of Florence and representatives of the major banks who have provided funding. Mrs. Willson also got to meet the recipient of the Willson scholarship. She is a student of ceramics, Krisha (sp?). We then went down the hill and had a lovely dinner (many, many courses) at Tonino's and sat on the porch overlooking the valley. The dinner was hosted by President Adams and the Kehoes. Frances Mayes and her husband were there. Sandra Menendez was at my table and we had a very nice visit.

The weather has been much cooler here and I am glad to escape the heat (and crowds) in Milan and Venice. Today we go to Gubbio, tommorow Orvieto and then I hope we can see Beverly Pepper in Todi. Then we will be off to Rome.

Ciao!