It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Ezra Pound Center for Literature!
I am a veteran of the program myself, so when I say you are in for a profound adventure I am speaking from experience. I wanted to include some information here, some of which is available on the web, and some of which is not, to help you facilitate your journey. Basically, though, I want to give you an idea of what to expect in Brunneburg.
First, Brunnenburg is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The mountains are breathtaking and the weather is generally very pleasant, perhaps even a bit cool at night. There was one night I snuggled under a down comforter, but then, I tend to be cold natured…. The castle itself is stunning, perched on the edge of a cliff, and overlooking the city of Merano. Just above it is a larger castle, Schloss Tirol (that’s Castle Tirol) named for the region in which you will be all too brief visitors. You will be residing in a 17th century farmhouse, however. The farmhouse is clean and comfortable, but it is not fancy. It is a 17th century renovation. Which means there is no internet access ladies and gentleman! So as to whether or not to bring your computer – its up to you, but I thin
k unless you are also bringing a small travel printer (in which case you will be much loved by your fellow Brunnenburgers) it probably isn’t worth it. I had mine with me but I don’t think I used it more than twice the whole time I was there. John Gery will accept handwritten papers, and it is possible to find an internet café or two in Merano. You can also use a computer in the Dorf Tirol tourist center to check email – it’s a Euro for fifteen minutes – but you often have to wait in line for this as there are only a couple of computers available. Although it can be a bit of a shock to some people to be so disconnected, it can often be very rewarding. It helps to immerse you in the heart of what really goes on at Brunnenburg – reading and writing. And perhaps working in the vineyards, or sampling their product….
You should also prepare yourself to be sharing a bathroom with your fellow Brunnenburgers. You may want to bring a robe or covering of some kind. And please remember that in terms of the bathrooms at Brunnenburg, and indeed all other things, you should do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you make a mess, clean it up. Everyone is an adult at Brunnenburg, and no one should have to be responsible for cleaning up after someone else!
Located just above the castle is the little village called Dorf Tirol, lovingly referred to as THE DORF. You will have to climb a very steep hill from the castle to get into the Dorf, and even the fittest among us were winded at the top, at east in the beginning. Pack tennis shoes and/or hiking boots – you will be grateful! The Dorf is not a lively place in terms of nightlife, and there are no clubs here. There is a bar famous to Brunnenburgers called The Treft, and it can
be a great place to hang out in the evenings, but for that matter, so are the picnic tables around the castle. There are some lovely restaurants around the Dorf, and the food is quite good. Restaurants are typically either German or Italian, and you should try to sample the cuisine of both. I found that the people of the town preferred speaking German over Italian, but they understand both. Between my fledgling Italian and my friend’s decent German we managed just fine. There are also a number of people that speak, or at least understand, English. There is also a fountain in the center of town where you can fill your water bottles safely, with cool, delicious mountain spring water. There are a number of little shops in the Dorf, but these mainly cater to people who are getting ready for outdoor activities such as hiking. For other shopping, you will want to head down to Merano, where you have many more options. Every window in the town is adorned with window boxes of colorful flowers, and everywhere you look, from mountain, to valley, to window the view is nothing short of idyllic….
You may think a month sounds like a long time, but it will fly by, and be over before you know it. Your days will be quite busy, with the classes in the morning and afternoon, a brief break at lunch, and you will often have activities in the evenings as well, such as readings and other events. You will be spending a lot of time with your fellow Brunnenburgers, and bonds form quite quickly. Also because of the amount of time you will be spending with one another, tensions may begin to flare. Just remember – these are not necessarily people you will never see again. I am in close contact with almost everyone I met at Brunnenburg, and see them quite often. And I attended in 2004….
John Gery reads in Torcello, Venice
A final piece of advice I can offer you – when you go on the trip to Venice John Gery will do a walking tour. This walking tour focuses on literary events in the city, but will take you past all the great sights, and some you would never see in a weekend while exploring on your own, or even on some other tour. However, the tour will also take you to the outer islands. When I went, people fell out of the tour before the end of it on the last day. Designer shoes and handmade leather goods called their names, and one by one people disappeared from the tour. Which means they missed the island of Torcello (torch – ello). This was truly my favorite part of the tour. There were only a handful of us left at that point, and we all agreed it was one of the best parts of the entire trip. I still remember gazing upon those half neglected mosaics, and listening to john read in the grass outside the church, with an incredible vivid clarity. I am far less enamored of the 80 Euro red leather backpack I bought on my return to the main island (though its cute, don’t get me wrong ;)…. So in other words, get your souvenirs, but don’t miss a moment of John’s Intrepid Tour of Venice and the Islands.
Finally, I just want to add that you will want to make sure that you do not plan to leave before July 18th. Even though your final exams will be on the 16th, in order to leave on the 17th you would have to leave immediately after you finish your exam, which means you would miss the Farewell Banquet, which is always quite enjoyable. So please, do yourself a favor, and give yourself leeway to attend the Banquet! You’ll be grateful in the long run!
And finally, please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you plan and prepare for this journey. I believe most of you have my contact info, but my email is Jennifer.stewart@uno.edu, and my phone number is 504-280-7457. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions!
Tags: Brunnenburg by jeni
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you are trying get money from abroad. Do yourself a favor and talk to your bank before leaving - sometimes banks can waive certain international fees for a limited period if you talk to them in advance. And also, make sure you let your credit card companies know you will be abroad. Many of them now have theft protection plans where they monitor your spending, and if they see (or if the computer sees) spending out of the ordinary, they will close the card. I’ve known a number of people this has happened to, and it really is simple to fix ahead of time by letting them know. Also, make sure you have numbers you can call FROM your destination (ie a US 1-800 number probably isn’t helpful) in case your card gets lost or stolen…. Although these numbers are readily available on the internet, sometimes it takes some surfing ot find the right one, and you don’t want to be having to surf the net while you’re in panic mode because your wallet or purse has just been stolen.
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