Last Adventures and Sad Goodbyes

Well before I get sad about leaving Italy TOMORROW I thought I would share about some of my last adventures.

VESPA TRIP

• The weekend before exams I went with a group of friends to Florence where a bus took us outside of the city to the Chianti wine region. Considering I am not too fond of Florence's current population being mostly American college students dressed like they are going to the gym (or maybe that's all I see because I think its heinous), I was glad to see a different side of town. The bus dropped us off at this little in between warehouse type of thing where I payed an additional 15 euros for insurance and proceeded to sign my life away. I was then taught how to drive a vespa, and I have to say I am quite impressed with how well I did. I kind of felt like it was driving a really heavy jetski on wheels, if that is any comparison at all. But we drove around the countryside and made a few stops for a pretty church, a vineyard countryside, and a fresh cheese tasting. As much as I enjoyed the different stops, by far, my favorite thing was just driving around on the vespa. I think it has partially to do with me being an adrenaline junkie and the fact that I haven't driven in a little over 4 months. We drove to lunch and then had a classic Tuscan lunch, including a small wine tasting at the vineyard we were eating at as well as a sampling of their olive oils. They also made us ribollita, which is a stew type dish that was a medieval peasant dish made with stale break and veggies. Probably doesn't sound very good, but definitely worth trying and one of the weird things I have found myself liking here. We drove back after a wonderful walking tour around the vineyard and luckily, on the way back, made no stops. I probably got up to about 60 mph at my best guess since my speedometer didn't work. Probably one of my favorite little day trips in Italy, even though I feel like I've said that after every one. We also got some time to stop and go to the leather market in Florence where I figured I should buy something since I was there. And since I bought a purse in Florence when i was there 2 years ago, this time I decided to go a little less luxurious and buy a keychain of my favourite animal, a penguin made in Italian leather.

EXAMS

• So, I mean, I feel like exams are always a new adventure. Generally, I don't always know what to expect. Italians and Europeans in general are bigger fans of essays for tests rather than some American varieties which can make for a very vague idea of what to study. Not to mention, I'm not sure if you have tried to study in one of the most beautiful places in the world, but motivation is very hard to find in Italy. I had to write a paper before exams, I hosted my friend Kevin who was traveling through Italy, I was packing, and I honestly just found more exciting things to do than studying for exams. But in all fairness, I did well on my tests and had paid well enough attention all semester to have done well. Not to mention, for the first time in my college career, I didn't use every allotted absence in every class and even had perfect attendance in one.

GOOD BYES

• I would love to talk with whoever planned Umbra Institutes group flight because since there was a group flight planned for 7 am on Saturday morning, they offered a free shuttle to the airport for whoever wanted it at 1 am on Saturday morning. This being said, no one got sleep before the buses arrived. And since my parents arrived friday for our train Saturday morning I just decided to stay with my friends who were heading back to the States until their bus left. Not only was it so sad to watch my friends all leave on buses, but it was also more emotional because everyone had been up for so long with no sleep. Luckily I had a few friends who lived in Perugia that were at the buses saying their goodbyes as well who were able to walk my emotional self back to my parent's hotel room at 1:30 in the morning. It is truly hard to say goodbye to people you have lived with and spent everyday with for 4 months. I feel like I have known some of my friends I made in Italy for years and cannot wait to meet up with them somewhere else in the world!
  

Saturday, April 30 marks the end of my actual semester and begins my one week trip with my parents through northern Italy which will be in a separate post!

here's some pictures from last days/vespa-ing!

My Italian Class learning hand gestures

Emily and I paying for drinks in Pennies our last night out

Vineyard on my Vespa tour

Eric and I getting ready to vespa!

The Anti Camera

So here is my current thought on cameras. I am almost completely against them. I so often think about why I am taking pictures or why people take pictures in general and I can't help but think that we take pictures for other people more often than not. I mean, I enjoy going back and looking at pictures every once in a while and printing them to have in frames. But when we post pictures online or put them in frames it kind of seems like we just want to have them for the enjoyment of other people so we can show them what we have done. This semester this has come to mind so many times traveling with different people. I have caught myself several times so busy taking pictures that I am not experiencing moments. Towards the end of the semester the number of pictures I have taken has drastically decreased mostly because I am more into mental images and experiencing them than making sure I have a picture to show someone that I did something. Some of my friends probably have gotten annoyed by my anti-picture takingness lately, but I think it makes things more special. I mean, I want a picture of me in front of something really special but I do not need my face in front of every monument or a picture of every meal I ate. My roommate and I actually don't allow cameras at dinners anymore because it just takes away from the experience. I think the whole point of studying abroad has been to immerse myself in the Italian culture and to date I have never seen an Italian pull out a camera and snap a shot of their pizza.

I know this is a little wordy, but I thought I might explain my thoughts on this as well as procrastinate studying for my 2 exams tomorrow. My pictures have come to be very meaningful now, though. I will probably write again in like 2 hours when I get tired of studying again :)

Orvieto and Bagnoregio.

I reserve the right to be sappy for about 30 seconds.

So this time in two weeks I will be with my parents in Venice. It is hard to believe that such an amazing semester is coming to an end. I always thought about studying abroad and talked about it all through high school, but this is a totally unreal feeling. I still feel weird every morning when I wake up and realize I live in Italy. It is kind of bittersweet, leaving. I am just about ready to be back home, but I also love this place so much and I don't want to leave. My ultimate dream would be if I could move my friends and family to Perugia, totally practical right?

Unfortunately, end of the semester means piled on work. I officially have no more classes. Scary, I am really about halfway done with college. But I do have a 20 minute presentation, a 2000 word research paper, and 4 exams to go. Not to mention packing. I think that packing may be my biggest challenge I face in the next 2 weeks.

So now, I will stop being sappy mostly because I don't want to think about leaving this beautiful place and my amazing friends behind.


So about some of my recent adventures:
Last weekend, I went on a trip to Orvieto and Bagnoregio. Wow. That is the only thing I have to say about this trip. The stop in Orvieto was very brief, we really only stopped there because we had time and the cathedral was absolutely beautiful. The church facade reminded me a little bit of the cathedral in Siena. I also found this cute little kids store (I am the ultimate sucker for childrens things being a teacher and an aunt) where I fell in love with the classroom supply things in Italian and finally found my present for Lilly K after a 3 month search. It is this precious little Beauty and the Beast hand sewn doll that is bell and then it flips over and is the beast. That is probably a terrible description, but it is precious and I met the lady who's father makes the dolls who thought it was precious I was buying it for my niece and showed me pictures of her father and her nephew. I think being an aunt must be a pride thing, because I am sure all of my friends have seen at least 10 pictures of Will and Lilly K.

We left for Bagnoregio, which by far is the most beautiful place I have been in Italy and quite possibly the world. I have a thing for small towns, I think they have the most character. This is the city where St. Bonaventure is from and the main city part is only accessible by foot bridge. It is called the dying city because literally for years pieces of it are falling off the sides of the cliff. After a comical lunch with a very rude waitress, we walked around the city and just admired the beauty. I definitely would recommend going to anyone. And when we were walking back up to our bus, we got to the top of a cliff where we saw the city from above and it was even more spectacular looking.

I am sure there is more, but I am trying to study believe it or not so that way I can play next week while everyone else is studying! Will post pictures from Orvieto and Bagnoregio!

Pigeons, Pigeons Everywhere.

So once again, I have failed to properly keep up with this. No surprise. The last couple of weeks have flown by and I have a feeling that the next will do the same. I am down to less than a month here and although the idea of America is comforting, the idea of leaving is terrifying.

Weekend before last (March 25-27) I made a trip to Seville, Spain to go see one of my friends from PC. It was my first trip really traveling alone, and it made me very confident in myself. I woke up at about 6 am on Friday after making the foolish decision to go to sleep at 4 am. Please never do this! There is nothing fun about trying to force yourself to stay awake on three trains alone. After gathering my stuff and going down to the train station I successfully made it to Bologna after 2 train changes. Another confidence booster, because that was only the second time I have had to make train changes. I safely made the shuttle to the Bologna airport and got all checked in just in time to go through my first Ryan Air flight. For those unfamiliar with RyainAir, it is probably Europe's largest discount airline. Basically its point a to point b transportation with no extras or frills. I actually found it to be slightly less cattle hearding-like than easyjet, but that could have been because I was at a smaller airport. I got to Spain after catching up on some sleep on the flight. Patrick met me at the airport and we were off to see Sevilla! Seville was so beautiful and we were blessed with some amazing weather. I had only previously been to Barcelona in Spain, so to be in a totally different part of the country was so nice. I got to meet some of his friends (like me, he is friends with many people from all over the world, not just the country he lives in) and we grabbed some tapas and went to a party for Erasmus students at one of the discotecas in town. It was interesting seeing the nightlife in such a larger city than Perugia, definitely a little more upscale. The next day we did a little bit of touristy Seville. We went and saw the worlds largest gothic cathedral (AMAZING!), the bull arena, the Plaza de Espana, and some other key sights. We also took a break from reality and went and laid in the park and got a go-cart type bike thing and just soaked up some sun. It was nice to be able to see things as well as relax. We also went to a beautiful art museum in an old monastery building. And for our last outing, Patrick and I went to this place thats like an indoor picnic area/bar that has Flamenco dancers and music at night. The show was so neat and the dancing was definitely impressive. Patrick and I said our goodbyes and I managed to get all the way back to Perugia the next day from my hostel.

The trip to Spain definitely made me very aware of my surroundings because I was forced to do so much listening and very little talking besides the occasional question or two asked of me on the train. It also made me very aware that my Italian language skills are killing my Spanish skills. Patrick definitely ordered everything for me the entire trip. I can still conjugate and form sentences, but those little question words and simple things you need for conversation all seem to come out in Italian now.

This last weekend was much needed. After very little sleep, I needed some chill time and that is exactly what I got. After we discovered the discount grocery store (not sure why we never made it there earlier this semester!) thats about a 15 minute walk, we had everything we needed for a picnic. On Friday we went to this grassy area outside of a church and got some sun and just people watched in the park for a bit. It was nice to just have people drawing, playing soccer, and cute dogs all around us. I got more sun I think than anyone else, but luckily my red turns into tan really quickly. Saturday was filled with more sun and exploring which was still very nice. Sunday, as always, is reserved for sleep and work. This Sunday, though, we did go to the little biological market that comes the first Sunday of every month.

You can definitely tell that the semester is coming towards an end. Big projects are due, everyone is stressed, and time is flying faster than ever. The amount of work I have just in the next week baffles me. Oh well, its life and its all good. Although this weather is so irresistible and the sunshine is constantly calling me to take a break from schoolwork!

Making Up For Lost Time

So since slacking for almst a month, I would say in the past week I have been a champ about actually writing. Mostly because I am actually in Perugia and not travelling around Perugia. So since today was absolutely beautiful I spent some of it outside until I was forced in by the cloudy cold and my Italian homeword. The weather here definitely reminds me of home because there is no climate, just unpredictable weather.

This next portion is really devoted my mom and dad, but anyone who wants to shower me with gifts upon my arrival back the US is welcome. Last night I had a dream and in this dream I went on a shopping spree at Target to buy those little drink packets you can mix in with your water. I was unaware that I missed these little things, but since waking up I have been craving the sugar free grape kool-aid single serving pouches. So this got me thinking, what would be things I would love for there to be when I got home? This is not to be a downer, because honestly I would choose Italy over any Crystal Light packet. So mom,please take some notes...

1. Obviously, Single serving drink mixes.
2. Tide Total Care Laundry Detergent
3. Ice cubes
4. Biolage Volumizing Conditioner
5. Iron Suppliments
6. A belt
7. A new car (totally worth a try)

On another note, during me spending some time on the beautiful steps of Perugia I actually got a lot of journaling done and here are some things I came up with:

I think somewhere, there is an old Italian woman inside of me. I get no greater joy than to realize there is beautiful weather outside and push open our shutters with all of my might (this of course, is something I picture little Italian women doing). I would personally like to challenge anyone to find me a more beautiful sight than a sunny day in Perugia. An old Italian man once told me that in nice spring weather I would want to sit on the steps of the church until my cheeks were red and burned. He was right. Springtime is coming and I couldn't be more thrilled. I had a friend actually tell me last night that although she was sure that she would come back to Italy later in life, she wasn't sure that she would come back to Perugia. This, to me doesn't make sense. I think this might be where that Italian in me comes into play. Italians are usually very rooted in their hometowns and rarely move from them. To be honest, I haven't been rooted to a single town in a while. My heart is in so many places, it only seems natural that part of it stay in Perugia as well . Some of why I love Perugia reminds me of how I fell in love with my college. While I could say I just ended up in both places and ended up liking them, I think that might be an understatement. My best friend and I always used to make fun of Presbyterian College and call it a cult in high school. We did such because everyone who went there said they loved it, but no one could tell you why. Now that I go to PC, I can tell you some qualities about it that I like, but cannot really give one solid answer of why I love it there. Perugia, to me, is the same way. It isn't that we have a Colosseum or giant famous sculptures, or grand sights to see. I think that those things are nice, but it isn't why the cities that have them are great. What Perugia has to offer (at least to me) are many things that are not traditional. Perugia offers Italy's fourth ugliest cathedral, one famous fresco tucked away in the city, town characters that can always make you smile, and places that make you feel at home after only a short while. Now, I realize I am biased, but these things all sound appealing as a place to live. It never gets old going on a walk and seeing the panoramic views around the city. I sure hope this won't be my last visit to Italy, but surely not to Perugia.

In the meantime, Psychology is calling my name. I want to get my work done so I can enjoy tonight with friends and (hopefully) a sunny day tomorrow.

I fall more in love everyday.

So literally, I am in love with Perugia. You can ask my friend Kelsey, as she probably heard me say it about 987988 times on our walk today. There is nothing more beautiful to me than this small town on a hill. Today, her and I literally walked around to see what we could find. There is something charming about getting lost in Perugia. We walked anywhere and everywhere and I saw the actual University of Perugia today, after 2 months, its about time I did. The school is a lot bigger than I expected, but the exterior is really beautiful.

Before and after our walk, we spent some time on the stairs. I know I have written about the stairs before, but honestly I have a love of them. There is something about sitting on the steps in the sunshine and just watching life happen before your eyes, as corny as that sounds. Some of my personal favorite sights on the steps include small children chasing pigeons, parents chasing their small children chasing pigeons, unknown dogs wondering around, and seeing friends and family meet up. I want to live on these steps, but as far as I can tell as long as at night time it remains a popular drinking place amongst college kids, I do not want to wake up surrounded by the remains of someone's rough night. There is something peaceful about them and majestic even if I am the only one who thinks of these stairs in that light. Not to mention, the stairs true highlight, I believe they are the only porportionate stairs in the entire city. Italy is not known for its easy staircases.

So I realize that I mention food alot when I write, but mostly because it is something I am asked about a lot living in Italy. So I thought I would share about a very special resteraunt I ate at with my food class this week. Not that I am fortunate enough for my teacher to take us all out, but once a month he picks a place and the first 5 students to respond get to go and have him buy us drinks and side dishes with our meal. I got to sit at his table for this one and it was incredible, probably the best food I have had thus far in Perugia. The place is technically an illegal restraunt because by law it does not exist. When you go you fill out a form and you join the association for the rights of the elderly. By doing so you are joining the "club" and can eat there. Not sure how this works, but basically the little Costa Riccan lady doesn't pay taxes, the food is cheap, and I now have a membership card. The food is phenomenal, she is known for her guacomol which is just cut up and marinated avacado and tomato. I personally have tried the farfalle there which is little bowtie pastas with pine nuts, shrimp, basil, and cheese. HEAVENLY. Also she cooks everything herself and the potatoes, if you get them, you can actually watch her stick in the fire while you are waiting. For side dishes they have wonderful baked potatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil - and if you want it, a little gorgonzola cheese. Also, I would recommend the grilled zuchinni and eggplant. Please do not get concerned about me eating all of this in one sitting ,it was more of me trying everything. Anyways the place is precious, and called Osteria del Tempo Perso, which translates literally to "Lost Time." The name is correct because with a group of 8 people, countless amounts of food, and 4 liters of wine, we never noticed we were there for almost 4 hours.

Tanti Aguri, Italia!

Well, today is a big day for the tiny country of Italy and the Italians are very proud. It is the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy! While Italians are very locally oriented and love their home towns, today is a day for everyone to celebrate Italy as a whole. It is actually interesting because Italy is a fairly young country, only unified in 1861 and has a very long past. There are Italian flags everywhere and every store display is themed Red, White, and Green. These displays include shampoo bottles, lacoste shirts, and furla bags. Needless to say that Ireland may have St.Patricks day, but today belongs to Italy.

On a side note, today I watched the Amanda Knox movie. If you are unfamiliar with this story, it is about the murder of a college student that happened right here in the little town of Perugia. It is actually a really sad story and the fact that there is lifetime movie about it is a little disturbing. I did enjoy getting to see some scenes from around Perugia during the movie, even though not all of them are here. Basically like all lifetime movies, it was a little sappy (fantastic) and for the most part poorly acted, which makes for a good dinner and movie night with friends. Hayden Panettiere was a super creepy lead role, which I guess when they are trying to portray a murderer is a good thing. Regardless, it is sometimes hard to remember that this event actually did happen and there are actually trials about 5 minutes from my apartment every Saturday and I live about 2 minutes from the University for Foreigners she attended.

In general, if you asked me right now, I would tell you that Perugia is the most beautiful place on earth but this week has been pushing my limit on crappy weather. Perugia is beautiful, but in the rain I would place it on the list of sad places on earth. Not that anywhere is fun in the rain, but I feel like since I am in such a wonderful place, all rain does is keep me from seeing pretty things. Perugia needs to step up its game because I need to go sit on the steps and be in the sun.

Pictures from about the past month of my life.

Me About to Feed Molly Fish

National Gallery


Just Because Mary Poppins Fed the Birds, Doesn't Mean You Can

ICEBAR

Tower Bridge

Emily and I in the London Eye

Me By the Monte Carlo Casino Garden

Part of the Italy Float at Carnevale in Nice

Me And WATER

Carnivale Decorations in Nice

(Still technologically challenged on flipping)

A Beautiful Church near Placa Massena in Nice

Notre Dame

The Eiffel Tower Lit Up On My Birthday

Me in the courtyard of the Louvre

I am the worst blogger ever.

So really, if there is a worlds worst blogger, it is me. But in my defense, I am living in one of the most beautiful places in the world trying to remember that I am a student and also trying to see as much as I humanly can during five months without going broke.

I will try to break this up so its not ridiculously overwhelming, but a lot has happened in the last couple of weeks.

PARIS

• Since last wrote I am one year older, on the 18th of February I turned 20. Not only did I turn 20 which is arguably the most boring birthday ever, but I think I might have made it one of the most memorable birthdays for myself. I woke up at 5am the morning of my birthday and flew to Paris with three of my friends. I feel like not that many people can say that they got to get into the Louvre for free on their birthday or see the Eiffel Tower light up at midnight. It is really interesting for me, at least, that unlike any other birthday where I enjoy spending my time having it be about me, I chose to make this one for me. I did get one present to actually open on my special day and that was a precious travel journal from my friends I had come with. The next day we got up early and went back to the Eiffel Tower to travel up to the top of it, strolled down the champs elysees, climbed to the top of the arc de triomphe, and went to Notre Dame during mass. We also eventually found the Hard Rock Cafe of Paris so Marie and I could buy Tshirts, but that was a struggle in itself. It was amazing how quickly the entire weekend went by, but it was absolutely fabulous and I cannot believe how beautiful Paris was. I wish I spoke more French, though.
  

There is a small break in my travels for midterm week which was ridiculous mostly because you have no idea how hard it is to study in Italy. Absolutely little to no motivation involved. Alas, I did well on my tests and they weren't that bad at all.

SPRING BREAK
NICE

• The first part of my spring break I spent in Nice, France. It was the most needed dose of water ever being right near the ocean was the perfect way to spend a vacation. Luckily, we happened to stuble upon Nice during the Carnivale season which means that it was perfect for the five year old in me. All of the decorations for Carnivale were so extravagant and huge and there was confetti EVERYWHERE. Especially in our hostel floor upon our arrival after the big parade. The parade was so much fun, Emily, Molly and I met some man who asked me if I needed a new hat and when I said no, proceeded to dump confetti all over me. Not to mention the extreme amounts of confetti that he threw on us all during the parade for two hours and when he got his hands on some silly string, that was all over us as well. It was amazing how the whole Carnivale season brought out the kid in everyone and everyone seemed to be friends and just want to douse each other in tiny bits of paper that seem to multiply. The parade had a theme of the Mediterranean this year which meant that all of the floats represented different things to do with the Sea or various countries. So naturally, we got excited to see the Italy float and we now have a general idea of the Italian stereotype in France: Pinocchio and a woman with giant rotating boobs sitting on a pizza delivery vespa, accompanied by a bunch of crossdressers. It was so funny, I have so many pictures from all of these floats. Some other unusual parade highlights were: a caveman running around with a blow up cavewoman and a float with Israel and Palestine giving each other a high five. For future reference confetti reproduces and is still being found in our apartment.
• Besides just the Carnivale activities, which I am still in absolute awe of, we did do other things. One such thing was a day trip to Monaco. Monaco was rich, beautiful, and a little bit rainy, but it was still really nice. We walked through the Grace Kelly memorial garden which was interesting because it actually looked different from the last time we were there and there were awkward naked sculptures. We also walked around the casino, but seeing as I am not 21 yet, I am still not allowed in the famous Monte Carlo casino but I think I can live with that. We walked around the harbor and ate sandwhiches while looking at some of the most amazing and expensive yachts I have ever seen. We walked up the hill and saw the changing of the guards at the palace and then walked around a beautiful childrens playground and garden. Also, as a side note Monaco is home to what I believe to be the worlds largest Seagulls.
• We also went around Old Towne Nice and went to the top of the Chateau which had some amazing views. One of the highlights was the trip on the little train. I am such a child that I talked my roommates into riding on this touristy little train that took us all around Nice and made fun little train noises. Needless to say I was in heaven.
• Lastly, one of the most fun things to talk about on trips: food. My goal on trips is to try to eat things I can't normally and also currently-to eat cheap. So I consumed shrimp on several occasions, something I haven't quite braved myself to do in the landlocked region of Umbria yet. Emily and I fell in love with a wonderful Chinese restraunt called Pai-lin and found one of the foods I miss from home: shrimp chips. For those of you who are unfamiliar, one of my favorite places in the world to eat at home is in Conyers called Baan Thai. Baan Thai has introduced me to these wonderful little rice chips that taste like shrimp and they are 1 euro for a bag and you can find them in any chinese place in Nice, France. I also ate a fish burger, which was amazing. And lastly the greatest food find in Nice: SOCCA. The worlds most magical food is socca. It is the classical food of Nice and is made on these big copper dishes and made in a wood stove. It is made from nothing but chickpeas, olive oil, and flour, best accompanied by black pepper. We found it in one of the fair areas, and all I can say is that I wish fair food in America was just as delicious.

SIDE NOTE: The airline that we flew to all of our destinations was called easyjet, but do not let this name fool you. There is not much easy about it. Other names that you could call easyjet are complicatedjet, cattle hearding, or everyonerunforyourlives jet. It is one of those discount airlines where you have to fight for your seat....and your life. You know you might be in trouble when your boarding ticket says in all caps: IF YOU DO NOT GET TO THE GATE ON TIME, WE WILL LEAVE YOU.

LONDON

• After another fun easyjet flight that we could've missed because the police didn't show up for border control in Nice on time, we finally made it to London....or atleast another set of border control. Considering the fact that Italian customs are a joke, it was interesting actually being questioned as to why I was in a particular country. No worries, the guy even appreciated my sassiness when he asked who I was traveling with and I pointed and told him "those lovely two ladies behind me." We finally got to our hostel after catching the very last underground about 1am London time which is 2am Italy time in order for us to pass out and call it a night. The next day we woke up early and decided to forgo the tube and walk to Parliament to meet up with my friend Kevin who was interning there. It was probably one of the main highlights of the trip becuase on our walk we passed Buckingham Palace, the Natural History Museaum, the Victoria and Albert, Westminster Abbey, and countless parks before meeting up for our tour of Parliament. Parliament was very nice and if our buildings for US government looked that beautiful, CSPAN would be much more interesting. After wandering around Parliament, we went to the Parliament bar and had a government subsidized beer which also for Me, Molly, and Emily was breakfast. After that we went on to our next adventure to the London Eye. Although it is painful to pay how much it costs to ride on the London Eye, about 18 pounds which is right at $30. But well worth it, I loved the London Eye and actually got a phone call from my Mom while on it. The views were spectacular, and as always, I was super excited to be near water. Our last adventure for Wednesday was the London Ice Bar. It is this crazy little bar made completely of ice where you have to wear these heinous blue capes and gloves just to be able to stay warm-ish and hold your cup that is made of solid ice. It was a lot of fun and although we were exhausted, we took lots of rediculous pictures and had a great time. Side note: I have no concept of how degrees Celcius convert whatsoever. I was told that it was negative 7 degrees Celcius to which my response was "Isn't that like -40?" Not one of my most proud moments. I also left out that we also went to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge Wednesday too as well as Trafalgar Square, and attended a service at St.Pauls so many things in one day.
• Thursday was a lot of fun and devoted somewhat begings our devotion to art and museums because they are free and fun. We went to the Tate Britain to start off our day which was very nice and had a lot of hands on things which the teacher in me loved. They had a room where people could sketch copies of different famous sketchings and Emily and I now or atleast did have art on display there.
• We also went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and saw tons of beautiful things from all of the world. We also made a friend who works there named Oliver that learned all about America from us. I have convinced him to visit Atlanta because he has been disappointed in some of the touristy things he's seen in the US. I hope he comes and I see him. We also went to the natural history museum which brought out the child in me, yet again. Emily and I had a wonderful time in the dinosaur section and I had a fun nerdy time in the Human Biology exhibit. We also went into a Sex exhibit there which had too many graphic pictures of turtles and giraffes, and it almost ruined penguins for me. Another on of our fun museum ventures was to the Tate Modern. I think that having an Art History major for a roommate has really made me appreciate art more and especially modern art. Not to mention there were some good Picasso pieces there as well as some Andy Warhols.
• Our food and drink adventures in London were a lot of fun and since London is a lot bigger than Nice, it opened up a lot more options for us to find foods we wanted and were missing. Emily found humus, which was a big deal and led to us buying some from a grocery store everyday. Also, we got to have FISH AND CHIPS. Which was amazing and we even got Molly Toolan to eat a bite despite her irrational fear of fish. We also got to have the experience of a night in a pub, which also happened to be one of my friend Julianne Crew's favorite pubs in all of London. I had some amazing Lamb meatballs and the three of us all fell in love with Strongbow. Sidenote: we have found a small Irish pub in Perugia that serves strongbow now, life complete. One of the other big food highlights of London, particularly for my roommates was finding a Chipolte which is basically like a Moes or Barberitos. It was a delicious thing considering when I think about foods I miss from America, they are mostly Mexican or Asian...so a burrito was a good choice.

All in all spring break was fun, especially when we realized we couldn't take the last bus home back to Perugia from home and would have to take the very last train before having to be stuck in Rome for the night. We had a lot of fun minus being exhausted and even managed to go out for a little bit on Saturday night minus severe sleep deprevation and me having a travel panic attack on the airport shuttle.

I think atleast for now, I am sticking with small trips around town minus my trip to Seville at the end of the month. There is just so much to see around where I live that I don't want to neglect little Umbria. This weekend, however I will be going to see a sorority sister in Florence and am very excited!

Will post pictures soon! Sorry for my jumbled ADD thoughts!

3rd Times a Charm, Siena, and More

So, as I knew I would be when I decided to write a blog, I have been terrible at updating what has been going on in my life. Although, it is not totally my fault, you can blame my neighbors whose internet we use for free without their knowledge.Their internet is awful and only works about 3 days a week.

Emily and I went on yet another search to find her hummus. If anyone knows where in the surrounding areas to find her some hummus, she would be most appreciative. On our adventure we decided we might as well try to find the international food specialty store that is far outside of the city center. Neither one of us being in good shoes, we decided to go on ahead and walk around even though we had been warned that we would have to cross multiple lanes of heavy traffic. When in Italy, right? Well we played human frogger a little bit and found a little store and decided to ask for directions. Little did we know that we had stumbled upon a magical wine store. This precious little man who blew us kisses was selling delicious wine from steel vats and fills up water bottles for one euro per liter. After him giving us samples and buying a liter and then getting directions, we were on our way to find the actual international store, the gio. After about two miles, we finally found it and it was definitely worth the wait. We found plaintain chips (a personal favorite of mine) from Costa Rica, Guarana Soda (my sister's favorite) from Brazil, Salsa from Mexico, and chips resembling fritos from Sweeden. Still no hummus for Emily.

Last weekend on Friday I took another trip to Rome. We left at 6:30 am which was definitely one of the most painful mornings yet. After we arrived we went to the train station and had a little free time before we met up with one of the professors from my program. So instead of using this free time to grab breakfast (I had packed a snack), I instead decided to scope out the shopping in the Termini station. Having done some research before leaving I was very much aware that there was a Sephora in this train station and since I was out of facewash, I was bound and determined to find it. And I did.

The main point to our Rome trip though, was not for me to go to a make up store. We actually were going to visit a private art collection at palazza farnese. This exhibit is held in the French Embassy and has never been open to the public before, ever. And after the exhibit closes again in April, will probably never be open again. The place was beautiful, I wish I could have taken pictures, but I did buy a book with pictures and desciptions of the art. There were countless pieces of priceless art, sculptures, and frescos. And even though I am not a huge art person, it was definitely worth the trip. One of the professors from our school just kept coming around and whispering how we would never see this exhibit again and I think she might have cried a little bit because she had taught about all of the pieces of art in there, but had never been able to see them. A little less serious, we also took a trip to the "worlds most famous gelato shop." One of our schools directors told us it was where the Obamas ate when they came to Rome, which to be honest wasn't super impressive to me. But besides my skepticism, the place was amazing. If you ever have a chance in your life, please try champagne gelato, at least try it for me. It was even bubbly just like a glass of champagne. During a little free time we did some wandering and found some sights I had not really seen in Rome before which was nice and since it was my 3rd trip in my life time I really think I can get around Rome quite easily. I actually got Melissa and Emily to every major sight in about 1.5 hours. I could totally get paid to do that.

On Saturday I had a class trip to Siena. It was kind of a cold and muggy day, but Siena was super laid back so it was nice. We went and saw the Basilica of San Dominica which is the pretty little church there and also holds the relics of Saint Catherine. Relics are a big deal to Catholics in Europe and this particular church only has her head and one of her fingers among some of the things she used in her life. The rest of her body is in the church by the Pantheon in Rome. In my class that I went on this trip for, we had studied Siena some and about the Palio. If you have never learned about the Palio, I would seriously watch videos or google it because think of it like the Kentucky Derby on crack. The town of Siena which is only composed of about 50,000 people is divided up into 17 different neighborhoods all called contradas. These contradas are all represented by different animals and twice a year compete in a major horse race, Il Palio. Its insane. The jockeys ride bareback and use the whips to whip each other and the horse doesn't even have to have a jockey on to win the race. We got to have a private tour of a contrada's museum and church and see all of the banners they have won and see where they hold regular meetings.

Some other Tidbits:

• The Italian Mail system, yet another thing I do not understand. I received two packages this past week. One was sent a week before I recieved it. One was sent a month before I received it. I got the one that was sent a week ago first. Regardless, I have some more clothes from home! And upon opening the box my excitement was that they smelled like America...and Tide Total Care.
• Bar Music. Italians may have food, soccer, and beautiful sights, but be proud America - When Italians want to dance they listen to our music. If you walk into a pub on any given day (Italians are not picky people, we can hear them drinking literally in the streets every night) you will hear current US hits. And by current, I actually mean songs that were popular about a year ago, but probably just in remix. That, and the occasional Barbra Streisand song.

Believe it or not with all of these random things that I write about that I do, I actually do work here as well and had my first midterm today. A test? In Italy? Completely unfair.

Paris tomorrow, Can't Wait!

Caio!

Spoleto, Old Men, and Living On Steps.

So since I last wrote, I had one of the most relaxing and fun weekends since I have been here. On Thursday night after classes were over, we had a wine tasting that the school set up for whoever wanted to go. It was so much fun, we walked to a little restaurant/enoteca and listened to the lady who gave me my tour of Perugia when I arrived here a little lesson about wine. Some things I had heard before (its nice having a wino for a father, or 'boozing parents' as I prefer to call them), but it was interesting to hear some of the interesting Italian history that goes behind their wine. We had a red, a white, and a rose. The red was definitely the best of what they served us and the plate of food they gave us to try with the different wines definitely didn't suck. The cheese that had been aged in wine was one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted and if someone can find it for me, I would owe them forever. The real surprise of this wine tasting though, was after we were done when the waiter who had served us said “are you surprised?” and brought us all mojitos. I have to say though, considering I have had one or two other mojitos since I have been here and the Italians have no concept of simple syrup, the mojito was very very good.

Friday morning both of my roommates headed off to a fieldtrip to Assisi (to which they got sent home from when one of my roommates ended up with the stomach flu), so I went on a day trip with some other friends. We went to Spoleto which is about an hour by train and was definitely the perfect low budget, low key day. The city, like most Italian cities starts flat and goes up. We wondered around this precious city and found the Roman ruins that they had (not super impressive) and kept wandering uphill. That seems to be my motto anywhere, if in doubt go up hill. This led us up to a walking track that went around the top of a mountain and towards the aqueduct. This view was probably one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen. It was overwhelming just how untouched the mountainside was by man. The city was gorgeous and I am so glad I went, the weather was absolutely beautiful and I was able to rid myself of my jacket for part of the day. Also, had the best Gelato thus far in Spoleto: Tiramisu and Dark Chocolate.

On the way back Friday night, I had one of the most fun cultural experiences I have had thus far. We ran into a group of old men on our way back from the mini-metro who stopped us and just wanted to chat because we were Americans. These men were probably late 60’s/early 70’s and had so much to say. One of them told my friend Brittany “Thank you for getting rid of communism” and the man I spoke to just wanted to chat about various things. Like most Italians, he wanted to tell me where he had been in America (they LOVE to do this). He told me about the time he had been to the gulf of Mexico and went to Cape Kennedy and Disney World. Then he wanted to know where I was from and told me that he knew that there were lots of peanuts in the south and asked me if there were mostly African Americans. It’s interesting to see different people’s perspectives. He also told me that I spoke very clear English even though I should be speaking Italian and that my language was very clear, just like that of Obama. Among other things he said, there was something poetic about the way he talked to me about his city. He said that when it warmed up (it was 57 degrees today!) that I would get all red in the face because I would never want to get off the city steps in the sunshine. We parted ways, but I absolutely loved speaking with those men, it was fascinating to understand what people say and think of Americans.

Speaking of the steps in the sunshine, after going to the big market Saturday morning, sitting on the steps is exactly what I did. The market was amazing, kind of a more laid back version of what Barcelona had, but I liked it and the scarf that I got. The steps on the 4^th ugliest cathedral in Italy are the place to be all the time. Now the Italians can handle it when its cold, but now that it’s warmed up its about where I can handle it and for about 3 hours at least I just sat and chatted with friends and journaled in sun. Its crazy how everyone goes to the steps. It is the most perfect place. You can see the main piazza, talk with friends, people watch, do homework, and just love life. It makes me feel like a real Italian just to sit there and enjoy the good life. I could live on these steps and when it is socially acceptable, I will nap on them.

Saturday night, I ventured with some friends to get myself and early birthday present from me. I mean, it makes for a pretty cool story that I got my nose pierced in Italy. After that little adventure, I went with some friends to find what is supposed to be one of the best pizza places in Perugia, Pizza e Musica. The place was super delicious and had good jazz music playing in the background, definitely a favorite of locals. I got a pizza biana con maiz that was delicious! Not to mention, pizza in this country is cheap and a large serving.

Well plans coming up include Paris on my birthday and Spring Break. I also got to skype with my nephew today who will be two years old in 5 days. He is so sweet and I cannot believe how much he has grown in one month. Also, if anyone is interested in hiring a professional travel agent, I believe I am officially qualified because I have spent countless hours navigating travel websites and believe I could probably get you anywhere for a good price!

Al Mangiar Bene and Pictures From Last Weekend

Me and Sakeenah in front of the building for Vittor Emmanuale II, favorite building in Rome

Just sitting in the Trevi Fountain.

Trevi Fountain.

The Girls in Rome.

View of Gubbio From Halfway Up The Mountain

The Snowy Appenines I Saw While Hiking

(Sorry, I can't flip pictures on here)

Me climbing "Mt.Gubbio"

The Cages we Rode on to Get Halfway Up

So on Monday evening, I went with about 8 people from my food and culture class to a little restaurant called Al Mangiar' Bene that is a little ways down the main street. While the restraunt, like most places, requires a small hike down an alley it is definitely worth the trip. If any one knows how I am when it comes to food I generally have two extremes: I try to eathealthy as much as possibly and I have certian foods that are terrible for me that are weaknesses. This place was a dream place for me because it has an ideal that you cannot find at most places to eat in the US. They have a "rule" that everything they serve in the entire resteraunt does not come from more than 30 kilometers away. So everything is super fresh and organic basically. I had a wonderful meal of fusili pasta with a truffle sauce over the top. It was absolutely wonderful. I do with that I could've gotten some protein though, but all the meat they had there was meat that I don't eat. Sorry to be picky in Italy, but I stopped eating beef when I was 11, I am not starting again now.

It is February already and I am shocked about how fast time has gone by already. I have been here for almost a month and am still trying to figure out how I got here still... But plans are being made and I have already booked a weekend to go visit my friend Patrick who is studying in Seville.

So as part of my random thoughts of the day I am composing some lists that are sure to continue to grow as my time here goes on:

Things I Just Don't Understand About Italy:

1. No Dryers. Once again, I'm all about good for the environment, but I really like the feeling of soft clothes out of the dryer. I took a cami off of the drying rack and the cami retained the shape it had dried in. Not a pleasant idea always, but its something that you can adjust to.

2. One of the popular songs here currently is a song called "Barbra Streisand" by Duck Sauce. Seriously, watch it on youtube. It is a solid 5 minutes of "ooh ooh oooh" followed by man in a deep voice saying "Barbra Streisand." If someone figures out the appeal behing this, please let me know.

3. Graph paper. Italians love graph paper. I think the only reason the store even carries normally lined notebooks is because of the American students here. I acutally got a graphing notebook in an attempt to be Italian-like and it sucks. There is too much going on on graph paper.

4. The way doors open. You don't think about this alot in America, but mostly I would say, that when you enter a building in America that you pull a door open. Here, about 80% of public buildings the door pushes open which is something you don't think about until you look like an idiot in front of a group of Italians trying to pull a door that you should be pushing.

Needless to say, I still love this place and the new things I encounter everyday. I think I officially have forgotten how to drive and the idea of my meal plan in the fall is a scary thought. Can PC just write me a check every semester? I will say today though, we broke down and went and got "American" food. My roommates got cheeseburgers, Melissa got a hotdog, and I got the Italian version of a Mozzerella stick. While I don't really like fried food a lot at home, we somehow stumbled upon this sports bar the other day and went back for a visit tonight. It was a nice taste of home to go somewhere and see American type things on the menu and see a big screen with some sort of sports game going on. It felt a little like home. No worries, though, you will not catch this American at a McDonalds like many of the students in my program have broken down and done. I don't eat that crap in America and sure won't pay to eat it overseas.

P.S. I'm planning a trip for Spring Break to Dublin and London. Any comments or suggestions are definitely welcome as I am planning this trip! mollyekent@yahoo.com

It's 5 o'clock somewhere, but in Italy it's noon.

So, this weekend was busy, which i love. I love to be busy and this week is busy. While schoolwork is picking up, it's not all bad and I am enjoying having a schedule. So there are about 3989 things to write about so I am going label things I guess.

Gubbio
This Friday me, Emily, Molly, and Melissa took about an hour bus ride up to the small little medieval stone town. After actually getting out of bed for a 7:50 bus, we managed to drive up to the little town with ZERO tourists. I have really started to appreciate going places and living somewhere where there are not a million tourist attractions. After hiking around in the freezing (by freezing, i mean probably like upper 30's) cold up hill in this city we managed to follow some signs that led us to the funicular. The funicular had these little bird cage type things that led you about halfway up the mountain and then from there you can hike up the rest of the way. Well, I am pretty sure that while these "cages" are legal in Italy I don't think they could be called safe or legal in the US. They were so much fun and I loved literally hopping off of the cage and seeing SNOW. My roommates think that my love of snow is historical because I literally turn into a 5 year old when I see it. For them snow is old news and is miserable. I'm not going to lie, though, hiking up a mountain over some snow was not the most joyous thing. Jumping in it though, was fun. We also visited a church at the top of the mountain for a saint whose actual body was just chilling in the front of the church. Slightly disturbing. I'm not sure why, but more than his body just being there I was also disturbed that he was wearing his whole get up including gloves. The gloves really got me. After seeing the Apennines from the top of Mt. Gubbio (not the real name), we went back down, grabbed some lunch and then hopped on a bus which happened to be the bus full of kids riding home from school which will lead me to my next point. Middle schoolers.

Middle Schoolers
I have learned that middle school is an internationally awkward time for everyone. Not only do middle schoolers smell in America, but they also smell in Italy. Especially when you are on a small bus with about 25 of them for an hour. I guess I never realized that it takes all pre-teens a while to discover deodorant. I also learned that a lot of words are universal, many of which I do not feel comfortable to write on here. In general, middle school is a terrible age and I do not wish to ride a bus around 2:00 with them again. Although, I did see one kid who was definitely the bully of the group who looked identical to a guy I went to middle school with named Justin Giannace. He was the only one in 7th grade with a mustache.

Roma
Rome! After my early morning to Gubbio on Friday, somehow I made it out of bed Saturday in order to catch an 8:00 am bus to Rome. Definitely would take the bus over the train again. Although the bus was full at first and the bus driver had us stand for about 20 minutes and drove us to another bus which was scary because I honestly thought that he was going to just have us stand for a 2.5 hour bus ride. Since this wasn't my first trip to Rome, I didn't know what to expect, I kind of thought that some of the sights would seem old. It was a totally different experience. It was nice not having a tour guide and different not being there with my parents. And possibly my favorite part was watching the faces of friends who were seeing things for the first time. We saw the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Nevona (probably misspelled), The Pantheon, the Ruins, and the Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps was especially neat to see because I didn't see them on my last trip to Rome. It was crazy being around that many people and also not having to use any Italian. I actually wanted to, but everywhere people just approached you with English. It made me appreciate Perugia because if I were studing in Rome, I don't think I would be motivated to learn Italian.

Other Tidbits...
I guess I should explain the title of this blog. While enjoying my "fabulous" life in Italy, today my food and culture class had a wine tasting. My 12:00 class. We went about 400 meters (probably means nothing to anyone, I don't even know how far this is other than I know where the actual cafe is) to Cafe di Perugia and tasted 3 different wines. It was fun to take a break from the norm and break out of the classroom. It was also interesting too, to be tired from 3 glasses of wine during my already tiring psychology class. I am also having fun adjusting to British English spellings like "behaviour" rather than "behavior" and using words like trolley rather than grocery cart. I also rather enjoy hearing my British and Irish teachers use their accents in speaking in Italian.

In other unrelated things, please keep the people in Egypt in your prayers. There are 2 girls from Presbyterian College studying abroad in Cairo who have been evacuated from there schools as of today. Taylor Warner and Jessica Shamoon are their names and they are in contact as much as they can with their families, but their school is moving them to a safe European country.

Also, Ellen Scheide, my big in my sorority is donating blood stem cells today to a man with Lukemia. She will return to PC on Tuesday from her procedure. She is so giving and I am so proud of her!

As always, pictures are on facebook. I will try to put some on here later.
Caio!

Better Late Than Never.

A New Church I found In Perugia.

Church in Assisi.

So just as I thought I would, I have not kept up with this blog as much as I would like which I guess means that this post will have to be a little long which will encourage me to write more often so I don't leave things out.

So first off, last week was the beginning of real classes. Due to my lack of a good camera (my own fault) I decided not to take photography. Mostly because I have gone through 3 cameras in three years and have been demoted to what my parents said would survive being in fraternaty house that runs on double a batteries. So, I got a new class approved through my school and have decided to declare a Psychology minor! Or at least that is my intention now, we will see if I actually will have time to complete it at PC. So here is a basic rundown of my classes:

• Contemporary Italy: Basically this class covers everything you wanted (or did not want) to know about Italy. Every class we cover a new topic and will basically cover every aspect of the entire country. We are going to cover georgraphy, history, religion, family life, organized crime, etc. Basically the works.




• Food and Culture of Italy: This class is just as delightful as it sounds. The professor is a young Brittish man who is really funny and commutes here from Florence. Besides a fieldtrip we are going to take to Florence later on, we talk about why the food here is the way it is and the history going back to the beginning of time it seems. Today we tasted olive oils and next week we are tasting wines.




• Elementary Italian: I don't think this needs much explination, but I do really enjoy Alassandra my Italian teacher. The language isn't too hard to pick up on, its just hard to break my habits from 7 or so years of Spanish. She does want us to learn it all though, one girl in our class paused because she didn't know the answer and let a profane word slip, so Alassandra asked us if we knew what it was in Italian and wrote it on the board for future reference.




• Human Development: This class is basically where culture meets psychology. The sweet Irish woman who teaches is is absolutely brilliant and the class is intense, but interesting. Basically we explore the theories of psychology and their origins, and analyze why they don't all include culture. A lot of reading.

An adventure I have recently taken part in is TANDEM. This is a cross cultural experience that Umbra (my program) and the University of Perugia put on. They have it at Il Barraio, the cool little bar I think I have mentioned before with the great sangria and you get to go meet Italian people. Although I didn't have much Italian to practice with the people, the people I met spoke wonderful English and I learned a lot about cultural differences. The one girl we really got to know, I think her name was Rafaella basically told us that Italians look to America as the perfect example of Nationalism which I thought was really interesting. I explained to her that I thought while most people would say they were glad to live in America, there are many that don't like everything that happens there. I definitely plan on going back to this, they have it about every 2 weeks.

Last week, in the midst of everyone in my program getting sick and very cold weather, we went to go visit a nearby town of Assisi. It was absolutely beautiful even in the rain/snow. My southern body had quite a shock to the cold weather. We toured the basilica of St. Francis and it was HUGE and gorgeous. I sometimes wonder about huge churches like that because I see tons of people touring them as a building and at the same time I see people in the pews almost in tears in prayer. I wish I had more of an understanding of St. Francis' story and of how saints play into the Catholic faith as well. Regardless it was beautiful and even though pictures weren't allowed inside, I don't think I will forget that church. The whole town of Assisi was beautiful really.

We tried some new things this week, we went to two separate aperitivos - both wonderful! And yesterday Emily and I explored some of the parts of the city that we hadn't yet. We ended up by our house somehow 2 hours later after finding some really neat shops, restaurants, an art school, and some spectacular new views. I don't think it ever gets old.

and it all begins now.

I guess it has been an eventful past couple of days, I have learned a lot and luckily slept a lot since adjusting to a new culture has been a little crazy. On Wednesday we had a welcome aperitivo hosted by our school at a local place called il barraio. An aperitivo is basically a little like an Italian happy hour. If you go to a place and order at least one drink, they basically keep appetizer type food coming as long as you are there. Since our aperitivo was school hosted at this little place, it was completely free which was nice being that the Euro has been fluctuating quite alot. They served us all pitchers of Italian Sangria and some pizza and these little quesadilla type things with prosciutto and cheese in them. I know sangria is not thought of as a typical Italian drink, but it wasn't like any I have had in Spain or the US. Probably because the wine was local and probably because we are convinced they didn't use much juice in it because juice basically cost more than wine here. It was a really fun night and the place we went to was really cool and had like a Moroccan feel to it.

(the church in falign
Friday we decided to take our first "major" outing and take a train. The original intention was to go to Spello, but unfortunately one of the people we were with could not figure out how to open the train door so we missed the stop. Fortunately the train had another stop in about 7 minutes that led us to the little town of Faligno. While Faligno wasn't big (neither was Spello), it was really nice to stumble upon such a small little town where we were the only tourists really. We did meet a little man from Manchester who was really nice. The town had a beautiful cathedral and a bunch of shops and arches and whatnot. It was kind of exciting to stumble upon a neat little place like that. So needless to say on the way back to avoid and more issues, I was the one to open the door to get back to Perugia. We got back just in time for a late dinner and found this little restaurant called Lunabar that had some amazing food. I had a seafood pizza where most of the seafood was unidentifiable, but it was absolutely delicious. Also, the house wine there was probably one of my top favorites since I have been here. We now have officially mastered the public transportation system and know that even when things go wrong, they can still go right.

(Me, Molly, and Emily before the tour)
(one of my new discoveries on the tour)

Yesterday one of the guys from our school that has worked there for years led us on a 2 hour walk of the city that was the "non historical" tour. It had a little history, maybe a little truth, and a lot of really cool places and sights that I didn't even know our little city had. It's crazy how everyday we find something new here. We even found a couple of new shops and places to eat. Definitely a cool thing to do and a fantastic work out since all of this food is so good.

(Umbrian Country House)

Today was amazing, the school contacted us earlier this week about going to a country house for a lunch and at the proposal of free food and drinks we were all in. We drove about 25 minutes outside of city center to a small town and had a four hour lunch. Italians love taking forever to do things and this lunch was one of those things that was worth the wait. We had a fabulous antipasti, pasta course, main course of turkey, tiramisu, and finished off with the strongest cup of espresso I have ever had in my life. Needless to say even after all of that food I was very much awake. We got to explore around the property where we were a little bit before leaving and it was absolutely beautiful.

This little city is beginning to fill up, all of the other University students are back in town and it is a sight to see how many people fill up this town at night now. The piazza outside of our street was packed last night at 1:30 and as far as we could hear from our apartment they were still going for a while. Its funny how things are different here, the students all hang out at bars, but also the really cool thing to do is to be in the streets and squares in masses. Pretty sure thats illegal where I am from. Needless to say our little city is very much alive and even more fun.

Class begins officially tomorrow, so we can see how that goes. Luckily I have nothing until 11 any day. So far, I love this country.

Mi Chiamo Molly. Sono di Georgia.

So as my Italian is getting better (severe overstatement) I am getting a little more confident in exploring the city shops, supermarkets, ect. Actually, my practical afternoon Italian class took a trip to the huge 'supermarcato' that is a little bit out side of the center of the city. While there are a few small markets around town, to really find the most for your money and more practical items/items that Americans are familiar with it is best to visit the bigger store. To get to the bigger store, I had my first trip with my class on the city's mini metro which is an above ground public transportation system that is above ground. It is only about two years old and really convenient, not to mention you get a fantastic view of the city without having to go very far at all. Like in America, Italy has chain stores. The store we went to is called the Coop (pronounced Coh-op if that makes sense) and was essentially like a Publix, but much better and much fresher ingredients. I had to buy a reusable shopping bag here today though to save my self a bit of money because as of January of this year, unless you buy the plastic bag at a grocery store you aren't getting one.

I am excited to be getting on a normal schedule and be getting settled into this beautiful city. It is starting to feel a bit like home. I have cooked meals here now, ridden transportation, done homework, taken classes, and even ordered my panino (sandwhich) today completely in Italian. Besides almost getting hit by a Fiat daily and the shady people that come out at night (happens everywhere, right?), I really do feel safe here. Italy has really livened my sense of adventure. Even though I live about 30 seconds from school, every day it seems like we discover a new view or a new part of town that we cannot wait to see more of. Also, it never fails that we learn a new cultural thing or idea that we cannot totally seem to wrap around our heads. So since before I left I wrote a list of things that I thought would be interesting to adjust to, here is a short version of a current running list of interesting things I have found in Italy thus far:
1. Strange store hours occur here. There is "la pausa" or the pause which is like the Spanish equivilent to a siesta where a lot of things close down from about 1:30 to 4, sometimes the stores close, sometimes they don't. Heck, sometimes they don't open back up until the owner darn well pleases. Also, shops often can be found closed on Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons. I feel like Italians just very much go with the flow and if they don't want to open, they just don't.
2. Italians are not stupid and know when Americans are coming here for school because they pass around flyers to come to the more "American" bars to get a free drink with your American ID and to quote "Shake your booty off." Obviously American people have a fabulous and classy reputation here. Note: These are not the places I am trying to spend my time here, no worries Mom and Dad.
3. I am all about being good to our environment, but these people are some kind of serious about recycling. We have 4 different colored trash bags that all of our trash must be sorted into and taken out all on different days between 8 and 10 at night. I can take one handful of trash from lunch and use 3 separate trash bags, but only after looking at the piece of paper that tells me what goes where.
4. Our shower door is a tri fold, I don't know if this makes sense to anyone, but it literally folds in three and if you aren't careful will leak everywhere. And even if you are extremely careful, it leaks a little. What does this mean? Our apartment bathroom came with instructions...and a mop. We have to mop after every single shower to garuntee that we do not leak water to the people below us. But I guess some things are worth having a beautiful place to live.
5. Fashion trends here are a little different than here at home. Which can mean one of two things, they are way ahead of us or behind us. From the looks of it, I think it might be a little bit of both. While there is lots of high fashion here and lots of discount stores, the two top things in this season? Shiny, puffy coats and those Timberland hiking boots.
6. Starbucks in America things it is so fancy for using Italian words and having all sorts of varieties. Well guess what, America? Italians have been known to call our coffee "dirty water." If you simply go into a coffe shop and order a caffe (the basic, you don't even say espresso), you will only get a shot of espresso. The Italians don't mess around. They have some variations of this, some with milk, some with chocolate, even some a little big watered down, but they think the stuff we like is gross.
7. Lastly for now, the people here are unlike any other nationality I have met. While Americans (I am one of them sometimes) and other people get really frustrated when people are in their country and do not speak their language adequately, the Italians do not care. The only thing they care about is that you even tried in the first place. Even if the means of communication is mostly smiling and pointing (which I am so very good at doing), the people appreciate that you even say hello or goodbye in their native language.