Monte 2023, Thursday, Day 1

Day one of Monte I flew into Rome around 11:30 am where I met Jamie, Lionel, and Albert at the airport where we rented a car and headed straight out to get checked into our villa.  We had about 2.5 hours of driving to get to know each other as it was my first time meeting the crew in person.  Instantly clicked and we were cracking inside jokes within the first hour.  It was such a good feeling to feel welcome and part of the group right away.

This was my first trip to Europe so I was completely blown away by the beauty of the architecture and way of life all around the town.  It was surrounded by rolling hills and trees I couldn't identify, very magical for me as someone who loves nature.

Driving up this massive hill to our villa we had to stop at this crazy gate that was flanked by two lion statues!  Had no idea where it led to but it was something out of resident evil!

The villa was stunning!  There was a massive dog named Paco that roamed the grounds and was super friendly.  Of course, we became best friends right away.

(I have better pictures of the Villa that will come in a later post)

After settling in we headed into town where Jamie immediately gorged himself on gelato, which you'll see in upcoming posts became a reoccurring theme for the weekend!

I should mention at the Villa we got our models out to prepare them for entry the next day and it was a chance to examine Albert's work in person.  I won't bother trying to describe it with words.  I'll just say that it holds up and then some to any photo that could capture it.  The way this man pushes pigment is absolutely world-class and in my opinion, as someone who appreciates surface textures, technical skill, and ambiance he is absolutely one of the best painters in the entire world hands down.

After dinner, we explored a grotto-like area of town that was so incredibly cool to see.  It had a walkway that you could look through down into the water and the way the sound reverberated off the walls was very cool.  Magical, even!

I'll be doing posts for each day and trying to recount my adventure for you guys as best I can.  It's fun to relive these memories while they are fresh in my mind.  It was simply an unforgettable experience and I can't wait to go back!

If you are curious about the event and the town, please visit www.montesansavinoshow.com to check it out

-Val

Socials:

Lionel, Jamie and Arnau's Podcast "Mini Matters Cast" www.instagram.com/mini_matters_cast 

Lionel's Insta: www.instagram.com/houseofdesa 

Jamie's Insta: www.instagram.com/dragonhead_models 

Alber's Insta: www.instagram.com/albert.moreto.font