Better Late than Never?

So I just found four blogs that I never got to post while I was in Italy.







All I can say is I certainly miss Italy. Not a day goes by that I don't think about all the memories that our home for those four months holds. The Palazzo Alberti will forever hold a special place in my heart. Italy was an amazing experience and will always remain a beautiful memory. And now a year later, I'm engaged and preparing for graduation. Ohhh, how time flies!

This is the story of my life and I write it every day… - Bon Jovi

Goodbyes have started. My biggest goodbye so far was to the elementary school students. I have learned so much from the children and I have also taught them along the way. Since it was my last visit on Monday, I brought the children special candy from home; I gave a variety to choose from: Bottlecaps, LemonHeads and Fruity Good and Plenty. In class, we talked about Halloween; the students drew pictures of their favorite Halloween costumes and enjoyed their American candies. Just before I was about to leave the children all asked for my signature. I signed each of their agenda books on the May 8^th: the day I will leave Italy. Some of the students even asked for my address; I gave it to them and I hope we will stay in touch. It’s remarkable to me how attached I feel to the children and I’ve just known them for a couple of weeks. I will certainly miss seeing them every week. I’m leaning now, more than ever, in the direction of becoming a teacher because of this experience. As the saying goes “Everything happens for a reason” and so I think one of my reasons for coming to Italy was for me to realize my love for teaching.

My last weekend was spent in Sansepolcro. It was very relaxing and I got to check things off of my to-do list. I was able to finally purchase the Sansepolcro ceramic piece I’ve been eyeing for about a month now. I organized my room and even started packing. It’s going to be interesting trying to fit all of my souvenirs into my suitcase, especially with the less than fifty pound weight limit. Probably one of the most accomplishing events was Kelsey, Kim, Hilary and I walked the Corso on Friday and Saturday night. This is a very Italian thing to do because every weekend the Italians walk up and down the street, talking to each other, meeting friends and admiring the window displays. It was very entertaining to people watch; in our Italy Today book, Bella Figura, one of the chapters describes how Italians dress nicely because they want to be looked at. This statement was definitely proven true this past weekend. Most were dressed in their best. My favorite outfit was a plain black dress and she styled it up with a pair of gold high-heeled shoes that resembled Dorothy’s from the Wizard of Oz.

In addition to people watching, walking the Corso also set the stage for Kim’s love to finally introduce himself. A few weeks back, Kim and her Italian ragazzo met at La Scorpione, the discoclub in Sansepolcro. He asked her to dance and Kim declined; ever since then they have eyed each other every time they’ve seen each other around Sansepolcro and it’s been almost every day. That’s right, she sees him almost every day all around Sansepolcro; I think he is looking for her. After waving to Kim from across the piazza Friday afternoon, he finally got up enough courage to talk to her on Saturday night. It was really adorable to see Kim use her Italian knowledge to talk to her ragazzo, Francesco. The same night, Kelsey charmed Francesco’s friend, Paolo. The friend wanted to know if Kelsey was married because he thought she was really pretty. Paolo even put his arm around Kelsey, which of course lead to endless jokes made on Kelsey for the rest of the weekend. To quote Dr. Webb, this was definitely an “enchanted evening.”

In addition to participating in walking the Corso, this weekend the group also experienced La Scampanata, an incredible, amusing and extraordinary occasion. It’s comparable to Meredith’s Cornhuskin’s saying “You just have to experience it.” This event is really difficult to describe but I will try. La Scampanata is an event that takes place in Anghiari at the beginning of May. Males must register to participate. Then, on the day of the event, the participants arrive in the main piazza and check in before 6 a.m. Friends make it a competition to make those participating late...The last person to check in is carried throughout the town while the townspeople cover him in various kitchen items (flour, eggs, etc.). On the first of May, Kim, Kelsey, Hilary, John Rose, Dr. Webb and I left Sansepolcro for Anghairi in the wee-hours of the morning, around 5:30 a.m. We arrived and braced ourselves for the event to come. We were nearly surrounded by people in yellow shirts that read “La Scampanata 2010.” As we waited for the last person to arrive, I took many pictures. The atmosphere was extreme; there was music playing, the sun rising and anticipation mounting. Nearly 6:10 a.m., the last person arrived and the food tossing almost automatically began. This was one crazy event that extremely hard to describe in words because it was so much fun. I can’t believe that such a bazaar event can be so entertaining. I have come to the conclusion that this event was my favorite morning in Italy.

After spending three months in Italy, I know feel as if I have three homes. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I love Pittsburgh, I will always look forward to return to that city to visit, and a piece of my heart will remain there forever. Second is my current home on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Even though at first I had a little trouble adjusting, Manteo definitely ranks as high as Pittsburgh. Lastly is Sansepolcro; this town is like Manteo, a small town, except it has a splash of Italian culture. I can’t believe in this short amount of time, I’ve met know so many people. Almost every time I walk down the main street, I spot someone I know; it’s a really good feeling and this makes it all the harder to leave.

As I’m getting ready to leave there are a few songs that are repeating in my head. One of which goes like this…

“I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn

And we are led To those who help us most to grow
If we let them And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...”

–For Good from Wicked: The Musical

Well, I do believe this is true. I do sense people come into our lives for a reason and show us something we didn’t know before. I know I’m going to find it more difficult to leave Italy because I’m going to miss the people so much. Megan encourages everyone with horizontal spirit fingers. Kim has fascinated all of Italy with her head to toe fashion and captivating accessories. Kelsey has shown it is possible to fall asleep just about anywhere. Kayley shined a new light on the importance of school supplies and how it’s always possible to add more. Lilly knows everything is “phenomenal,” especially macchinas. Shannon has growing love for dogs with each passing day. Hilary taught us the most important part of a meal is dessert. The “ghost” that occupied the room next to the parlor was all-knowing and knew how to solve any household problem. Also, Dr. Webb and John Rose are two of the most outstanding people I’ve ever met. They love each other very much, care greatly for their “granddaughters” and just want the best for us. All the girls and professors here have definitely left a handprint on my heart and I will remember them forever. This has been an incredible experience filled with ups and downs, but we all made it through and learned a lot along the way. For example, how important it is to know what the word “oveste” means, how important it is to have a watch with the correct time, a working alarm clock, snacks for road trips, and a smile no matter what happens. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed, but the memories made here will last a lifetime.

Now, the other song that is constantly running through my head is the song, “Who says you can’t go home, there’s only one place that call me one of their own, I’ve been all around the world and as a matter of fact, there’s only one place left I wanna go…Who says you can’t go home?” – Bon Jovi

I will miss Italy but I know this is not the final goodbye, I will return one day. More than anything, I am looking forward to seeing my mom, dad, two brothers, sister and my boyfriend waiting for me in the airport. Until next time, arrivederci Italy!

Can summer come too quickly?

The countdown of remaining day is already in the teens; we have less than two weeks left in Italy. Time has flown by so quickly. I’m a little hesitant about leaving Italy but my adventure has been indescribably perfect and I would not change a thing. As the weeks wind down, I’m certainly still keeping busy.

Kim and I even decided to make some major changes before we leave; this past week, we went to Jean Louis David and both had our hair done with a very Italian style. This haircut experience was one of the most fascinating and entertaining yet. The stylist started by giving me a book to choice a hairstyle. I thought it would be fun to let the stylist decide; so I asked him to pick one for me. After having a new ‘do chosen, my hair was then washed and conditioned. When it came time to cut my hair I was a little nervous because the stylist was using a razor. It was a way of cutting hair that I’ve never seen before; he would comb my hair then razor across a given section. This technique allowed for deep layers and precise, straight cuts. Once my haircut was finished another person came and styled my hair; she blow-dried my hair and made it curl out. I love my new hair cut; it’s a lot shorter than I normally have my hair but change is a good thing.

Also this past week, I have not been feeling well lately, perhaps it’s due to the weather fluctuating; so I set out to find a remedy for my little cold. I went to the town pharmacy, which is right down the street. It was interesting to find only the bare minimum located in front of the counter; almost all medication is behind the counter and the clerk must assist the customer in getting the proper medicine. So I used my little Italian vocabulary and said, “Ho mal di gola e…” (I have a sore throat and..) then I pointed to my nose and head. The physician somewhat understood then handed me a spray for my sore throat. I further explained that I wanted a medicine for “tutti” (all) of my symptoms. I was then given a form of ibuprofen. I felt skilled to have used Italian, be understood and able to get what I needed.

One of my favorite parts of the week is going to the elementary school. It is even more exciting when I see one of my students outside of class. Since Sansepolcro is such a small town, I see my students quite often. I saw one of my girls last weekend while I was walking the streets. She stopped her mom and told her to wave to the “ragazze americane.” Another time, I was purchasing something in one of the little boutiques; a different student popped her head out behind the counter. The student was more than delighted to see me outside of school and turns out her mother owns the boutique. The connection I’ve developed with these 4^th and 5^th graders is incredible, considering I’ve only known them just a couple weeks. Normally, I go to the elementary school only on Mondays but this past week I was invited to have lunch with the children. Whenever I walked into the cafeteria on Wednesday afternoon, I reached celebrity status, all the kids were waving at me and all of my students were shouting my name, “Jess, Jess, Jess!” It was very flattering. I was given a special table setting with a glass plate and metal silverware; the children had plastic plates and silverware. I spent my time at lunch talking with the children and they were identifying objects around the room. They would point to an object, I would say it in English then they would repeat it in Italian. I really enjoyed this extra visit to the elementary school.

The group is certainly still keeping busy with little weekend excursions. This past weekend we went to Gubbio and Anghiari. On Saturday, after a short bus ride of only 90 minutes, we arrived in Gubbio. Our first stop of the day was to Mausoleum of the Forty Martyrs where we learned about the heart wrenching story. This site is now a memorial for the forty innocent hostages that were shot by Nazi troops on June 22, 1944; the troops slaughtered the people as a form of retaliation against the partisans who killed two Nazi soldiers. One of the victims of this event was our tour guide’s father, so this made the story all the more powerful and devastating.

After learning about this horrible event, we had a change of pace and were stuck by a more uplifting event. We were taken to the top of the mountain. To get to the top we had to ride green cages that cages were big enough for two people; Kim was my partner. The contraption did not stop moving so to board we had to just jump on. It was certainly a fun experience and I took some incredible pictures of the surrounding scenery. We then explored the top of the town, looked around a church and learned a little about nature from Dr. Swabb and Mr. Ed, the science professors. When it was time to go back down to the main square, the cage lift was not in operation. So we had to walk down the mountain on a rather tricky path. A restaurant owner informed the group it should take about twenty minutes to walk; however, forty five minutes later we were finally at the bottom. The group was given forty-five minutes to walk around and explore. Kim and I found a great pizza place and I ordered my new favorite pizza: zucchini and tomatoes; it was scrumptious. After our little lunch break, we boarded back on the bus and headed to a place where Dr. Swabb and Mr. Ed explained why dinosaurs are extinct. One theory was developed by a scientist who found an inquisitive lining of red substance on a mountain near Gubbio. The red clay represents the great dying of seventy-percent of all living organisms, including the dinosaurs.

After an intellectually filled day, the group returned to Sansepolcro and prepared for the next day. I enjoy Saturday night because there’s always something going on. This past Saturday some of the girls watched New Moon complete with a bag of popcorn. It was a relaxing way to end the day.

The next day, Sunday, the group took a fifteen minute bus ride to Anghiari for an arts and crafts show. I was expecting the setup to be comparable to the markets and festivals we have seen several times in Italy; however, there were yellow signs pointing to what shops were open and had merchandise. This arrangement was clever and promoted all visitors to walk all over the town. So in addition to looking at stunning jewelry I also went on a tour of the town. Some of my favorite items from the craft fair were guitar shaped Hello Kitty earrings, spectacular glass sculptures and the sweetest smelling aromas. Despite the many tempting offers, I surprisingly only bought one souvenir: peach and mango aroma beads.

Before I know it I will be taking my suitcase out of its laundry room holding place; it’s nearly time to begin packing. I have bought a decent amount of presents so packing will be a very interesting process. Wish me luck!

As Time Flies By

What will I miss most when I return to the United States? The Italian food! It was said best by a Venice store owner who explained, “It’s all good food. Every restaurant has pasta and pizza.” Pasta and pizza are certainly the two main food groups here in Italy. The pasta options are endless but, for the most part, are all equally delicious. However, as mentioned in my previous blog, I do have favorite, gnocchi with marinara sauce. Italians are very passionate with the preparation of meals; it a significant part of Italian culture. Lunch is taken very seriously and most of the shops will close to respect this tradition. Maybe this explains my dad’s obsession with food, it is his culture and it is in his blood. Recently we had a cooking lesson preformed by Sara’s husband, Fabrizio, who is a chef. He taught us how to make homemade pasta and gnocchi; I cannot wait to show everyone at home how it is done.

This past Friday afternoon the group visited Anghiari, a town not too far away from Sansepolcro by bus. Once again, my adventure is always the process of getting to the destination. Kim, Shannon, Lilly and I thought the bus was leaving at 12:37 p.m.; so we planned to be at the bus stop at 12:30. It turned out that the bus actually left at 12:27 so we missed the bus by three minutes. The next bus was not for another ninety minutes. So, Kim and I walked the main street of Sansepolcro and window shopped since all the stores were closed for lunch. We headed back to the bus stop and waited there for 45 minutes with Shannon and Lilly. Even though we missed our bus, it was a beautiful day so it was nice to absorb the vitamin D. We caught the bus at 1:45 and arrived in Anghiari about fifteen minutes later. The late comers met up in the main piazza with the other group who were on the earlier bus. The group each had a gelato with flavors ranging from panna cotta to vanilla and John Rose enjoyed a cup of tea. After we were finished with our afternoon treats, the group meandered through the streets, hiked up a few hills, climbed a few stairs and got to upper part of the city that had an incredible view. We were even able to see Sansepolcro from the top. We took some pictures and then made our way back down through the town. Anghiari was a quaint, little town with a few stores and the main attraction was the Brusati factory, where fine linens are produced and manufactured. I would like to return to Anghiari for another visit; it was a nice change of scenery but I still prefer Sansepolcro.

The next morning, Kim, Kelsey and I took a bus to Arezzo then rode the train to Florence. It was a quick trip, only about two hours total. We spent the day exploring the markets and enjoying the sunshine. I purchased quite a few family presents; I’m not going to say specifically what because I know some of my family will read this and I want the presents to be left a surprise. I can say that my shoulders were not happy with all the presents I purchased; it was a bit of a challenge carrying everything I bought. After my mission of family presents was completed, Kim, Kelsey and I went to H&M. It is one of my new favorite stores since it is affordable and has cute clothes.

Kim always dresses in the cutest clothes paired with the perfect accessories. She usually wears a headband or flower in her hair; John Rose has a different name for her hair accessories. Every day when Kim doesn’t wear one John Rose asks her where her “fascinator” is; it’s a palazzo joke. Kim has become my stylist and I call her K.Fashionista. She helped me pick out some cute outfits at H&M; however, the outfits looked better on the hanger. Instead, I got accessories to extend my jewelry collection; I even got a “fascinator.” Kim purchased a few cute outfits. And Kelsey, who I call Little Gray because she wants to be a doctor, found a dress she liked.

On our way back to the train station, we found a little mini-market selling antiques with profits supporting the Misericordia. One of the women working the stand, speaking only in Italian, asked me where I was from and why I was visiting Florence. I explained to her that I am an American student studying aboard for about three months in a small town. She told me she has never been to the United States but all the pictures she has seen are bellisimo. After our little talk, I found the perfect antique elephant figurine; it was only five euro and since the lady enjoyed our conversation she gave me a free calendar containing pictures of Florence. The elephant figurine has accents of gold and its trunk is up, which I have just recently learned means good luck.

After a successful shopping day in Florence, we headed back to Sansepolcro. I used my time wisely and was able to get some reading for my literature class accomplished while on the train. Upon arriving back at the palazzo, I organized my gifts and placed them in my suitcase so they would not be in the way. I wrote down all I had purchased and luckily I only have three more gifts to find; this is a major accomplishment.

In Sansepolcro there is a disco club called Lo Scorpione. It opens at 10:45 p.m. on the weekends but for some reason the locals do not go to the club until closer to 1:30 a.m. Due to all the traveling on weekends, the group had not been to Lo Scorpione yet so we all decided that this Saturday night was the time to go. To prepare for our late night out, after the Florence trip, I took a nap. I am a morning person, I enjoy going to bed relatively early compared to everyone here and then waking up earlier; so I really need that nap if I planned to stay out late. So after a two hour nap, I woke up, had a delicious cereal dinner and got ready for our big night out. My outfit was a black skirt paired with a black tanktop and my silver sweater; I would like to thank K.Fashionista for helping me make this outfit possible. Once we were all ready we had to use some persuasion and convincing then Lilly and Kayley agreed to go to club too. We were very ‘Italian’ that night because we did not officially leave the palazzo until about 2:15 a.m.

I had never been to a club before so I knew this was going to be an interesting experience to have my first occurrence to be in a European club. We get to Lo Scorpione and the cost for donnas (women) is ten euro with a drink included. My drink of choice for the night was Coke with lemon. The atmosphere of the club was very different than I thought it was going to be. The club was set up with white lounge couches squaring around the dance floor. It was dimly lit with strobe lights projecting onto the dance floor. The music was, legitimately as reflected in the name of ‘discoclub,’ for the most part all disco; so to me, all the songs sounded the same. The DJ did however play one American song that I recognized, “I’ve Got a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas. The experience of the club was very noisy, dark and smokey. It was an enjoyable time however, clubs just are not my scene; so this club may have been a once in a lifetime experience for me.

It is incomprehensible to me how quickly time has flown by. Just the other day, I registered for classes for my Junior year in college; it’s unbelievable that I’m almost more than halfway through my college career. Time continues to fly by here in Italy as well. Three weeks, that’s all we have left of our time in Italy. That means only a few more weeks of classes, a couple more blogs and not enough of Margarita’s and Alessandra’s marvelous lunches. I cannot believe how quickly time has flown before I know it I will be back on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Until then I will be living it up in Italy because this once in a lifetime opportunity is drawing to an end.

Easter Break

With every wrong turn, there’s a lesson learned. Well, we certainly learned a thing or two this past weekend over Easter break. Kelsey, Kim, Megan, Shannon and I toured all over the Napoli area; we visited Pompei, Capri, Positano and stayed in Sorrento. Similar to my other travel breaks, a major part of the trip is just getting to the destination. A couple of days before the travel break, we went to the travel agency to purchase our train tickets. We didn’t notice until we were on the bus that the time for the train was wrong. We had accidentally purchased a ticket for a 1 p.m. train when we needed the 3:05 p.m. train.

Upon arriving at the train station we immediately went to the ticket office to ask the proper procedure for having the wrong time. The man informed us to board the train and we would have to pay an eight euro penalty fee. So, the five of us get on the train and it is completely full; all the compartments are filled, people are piled in the aisles with their luggage. We had to resort to standing in the area by the bathroom. About two hours into the trip, the ticket checker came around and asked to see our ticket. She immediately noticed we had the wrong time. She kindly explained to us that since the train was so full due to the vacation, a fee of eight euro needed to be paid. She also told us if we had gotten to the train station an hour after our incorrect time, we could have exchanged the ticket for the correct time for a fee of three euro. So now, we know better for next time. If the train time is incorrect, it must be changed within an hour after the printed ticket time. After standing for nearly two hours, fold out chairs in the aisle became available for all of us and that’s where we sat for the remainder of the trip. Upon arriving we took Circumvesuviana, the commuter train, to get to our hostel in Sorrento. That ride was about 90 minutes and then we walked fifteen minutes to the hostel. So little recap to get to our final destination it took a bus, train, commuter train and walking; it was quite a journey.

We checked into our hostel about 10 p.m. on Thursday night. It was very modern and well decorated. We stayed in a room with ten other females. Since it was fairly late, we decided to eat dinner in the hostel; the bottom level was complete with restaurant and a bar area. There was even an option to sit outside under umbrellas on couches. I ordered gnocchi sorrentina style; it was spectacular and I have now found a new favorite type of pasta.

The next day we took the commuter train to Pompeii; it was about a 45 minute ride. The main attraction was the ruins. Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and completely buried the city; it wasn’t until 1592 that it was accidentally found again. After excavation, Pompeii is now one of the most accurate examples of life during the Roman Empire. After spending close to three hours walking around the ruins, we had lunch. In addition to the ruins, Pompeii is known for its lemons and oranges. Nearly everywhere we went had lemons for sale; some lemons were even larger than my hand. After lunch, I treated myself to a lemon slushie that was delectably fresh. After walking around for a little while longer in Pompei we headed back to Sorrento to explore the center square. There were incredible shopping opportunities; however, I behaved myself and only bought a pair of sweatpants and a magnet to add to my collection. The magnet was from a family owed shop that has been in operation for over 50 years. I like how all of my magnets from each of the cities have a special meaning that I will remember for the rest of my life.

For dinner, we followed Rick Steves’s advice and went to a little restaurant off the beaten track that was located on the waterfront. We ended up being very lucky and the recommended restaurant had a spaghetti special of 3.5 euro that night. So we had a magnificent view of the ocean as well as a delicious and inexpensive dinner. We were heading back to the hostile when we came across the Good Friday procession. There were hundreds of people lining the streets. We found a place to stand and joined the crowd with anticipation for the procession. With the celebration commemorating the death of Jesus Christ, it was an ill-omened experience. It lasted nearly two hours and had hundreds of participates of men and children wearing black robes. The main elements of the procession portrayed the 12 Stations of the Cross from Christ being condemned to death to being laid in the tomb.

Upon returning to the hostel, we noticed a special offer for a boat trip to Capri. It would cost fifty euro for a private boat ride over to Capri complete with lunch, beverages, tours of the main caves and blue grotto. We signed up to participate in the boat trip the following morning. The next day we were on the boat departing Sorrento by 9:30 a.m. We spent the next three hours riding around looking at different caves. Our captain even stopped at one cave and told us we could climb up the mountain and go inside the cave. He told us that we should only do it if we are “adventurous” because we would have to walk through the black tunnel in order to get into the cave. We all decided to go into the cave. The captain pulled the boat as close to shore as he could and we hopped off. We climbed up the rocky stairs built into the mountain, through the black tunnel (that really was completely dark) and into the cave. It was certainly an experience to remember. After a few quick pictures we got back on the boat and headed to the two rocks that are the symbol of Capri. The next part of the tour allowed us to enter the blue grotto, if we wanted. It was high tide so boats were not permitted to enter; however, if an individual wanted to enter he/she could swim. The water was too cold for me so I opted out of that activity.

After the blue grotto attempt, we headed to Capri and we were given three hours to walk around and explore the island. Capri was incredibly beautiful and had some amazing shops. I didn’t purchase anything but it was still enjoyable to look at the stores that were all very extravagantly decorated. One of my favorite shops was a home décor store. The table settings were beach themed: compete with coral and clown fish center piece, crab napkin holders and turtle candles.

For dinner that night, we followed Rick Steve’s advice again and went to a seafood restaurant by the water. Bruschetta, an appetizer included in the cover charge, was actually my favorite part of the meal. For the main course, I shared seafood pasta with Shannon. It certainly was fresh and some of the shells still had sand in them. After our dinner, we took the commuter train back to our hostile and settled in for the night.

Positano was our destination for Easter. We had to purchase a special type of bus ticket for the ride down to Positano. We arrived at the bus stop thirty-five minutes early and the line for the bus was incredibly long; there were already about fifty people in front of us. We waited and hoped to get on the bus whenever it arrived. Luckily, there was enough room for us but there were no seats; we had to stand in the bus aisles and hold on to the rails as the bus swirled up the mountain to Positano. Despite the tight conditions on the bus, the views were stunning. The mountains mixed with the community life of colorful houses and made for some unbelievable pictures. We spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach and absorbing the sun.

The bus ride back to Sorrento was even more hectic than getting there. We were waiting at the bus stop for nearly forty minutes before it finally came. During the time waiting, we met a family from Dublin and a family from Baltimore. When the bus arrived twenty minutes late, everyone in line went crazy. The line no longer existed and everyone was pushing to get on the bus. The man from Baltimore blocked the entrance and allowed his family to enter then said “Come on North Carolina.” He made sure we got on the bus because he knew how long we had been waiting. It was very generous of him to look out for his family, as well as our group. The bus ride was very crazy and I felt like a sardine. I cannot even begin to imagine bus rides in the summer.

So as you can see, my Easter holiday was spent very differently than normal. I continue to miss my family and I missed them even more on Easter day; I have never experienced a holiday without being with my three siblings and parents. My mom still included me though in our family traditions; she sent me pictures on Easter Sunday of my family before church and she even still hid an Easter basket for me to find whenever I return to the States. Thanks Ma Mere!

Next weekend I plan on a return visit to Florence with Kim. Looks as though rubbing the snout of Il Porcellino, the bronze 'Little Pig' in Florence's Mercato Nuovo, really does predict a future visit…

Everything from Foreigners to Breakfast: A Mixture of Italian Life

One of the most interesting aspects of studying abroad in Europe is how easy it is to serendipitously meet individuals from other countries. For instance, while walking through the Pantheon in Rome I heard people speaking Italian, French, English, Spanish and another language that I could not identify. It’s incredible that the culture is significantly varied. I saw this diversity again while looking for the train back from Rome, when Kelsey, Kim and I met a French woman. We ended up sitting in her compartment and I talked with her for nearly the whole ride. I have taken French since 6^th grade so I was more than excited to be able to communicate with someone from France. From our conversation, I learned her name is Julie and she is twenty-eight years old. She lives in Italy now and she travels on weekends to check up on her family. Her grandmother lives in Rome with her brother, who is a priest. Her mother is still in France and Julie wants to visit her more often. In Italian class, I frequently combine French and Italian; this was the most ideal situation for me because Julie’s primary language was French but from living in Italy she has picked up a little Italian. Additionally, she spoke hardly any English but I was still able to communicate with her. Having a full conversation in another language made me feel very accomplished and I really enjoyed this chance encounter and I hope to be able to meet more people on our next adventure.

An adventure I forgot to mention in my last blog was a trip to Deruta. This afternoon excursion was two weeks ago. We ate paper bag lunches on the bus that consisted of four different sandwiches, fruit, water and juice; Margarita’s meals are always exceedingly satisfying. After a short bus ride of about ninety five minutes, the first stop was the Maioliche Originali Deruta. This is a family owned factory that produces a variety of original ceramic pottery for sale. The pieces range from everyday use items such as plates, cups, salad tongs, etc. to elaborate and large works of art. I looked at each item with appreciation, knowing that it was handmade and individually painted. After looking around the showroom, we had the opportunity to see how the ceramic process was begun and completed. We watched as one of the workers “threw” five different pieces on the potter’s wheel in less than ten minutes; it was unbelievable. He certainly made it look easy; I took a ceramics class last year and I personally know how difficult throwing pots on potter’s wheel can be, especially when trying to make each piece a consistent size. The potter told us how he can make close to two hundred pieces a day; he is undeniably talented. After our visit to the factory, we went to a ceramic museum. This museum was designed like a maze; it was not just a straight walk, there were a lot of twists and turns getting to each of the different rooms. This made for a very unique experience because I wasn’t able to predict what was coming next. The contents of the rooms ranged from older broken pieces of ceramics to more modern colorful pieces. After the museum we were given the opportunity to walk around the town. I took a few pictures in the park then ventured on in hopes of finding a ceramic piece for myself. The town comprised of various ceramic shops so there was a lot to choose from. Dr. Webb, Bekah, Dr. Bailey (art history teacher) and Megan accompanied me to one of the side streets where we found a smaller ceramic shop. We looked around and I purchased a pink ceramic jewelry holder that was made in the 1950s; it is perfect for me: pink and an antique!

In addition to classes, every Monday I go to the elementary school for my service learning component of the curriculum. I have always considered becoming a teacher and this is experience has pushed me even further in that direction. I have two classes at the elementary school, which is only about a five minute walk from the palazzo. The first class is fifth graders. For this class, I have to individually test each child on his/her English; I use a version of the standardized test the children will take at the end of April. I enjoy working with the kids and it is very helpful that they want to learn. The first Monday I tested about four kids and this past week I tested six. The teacher hopes I will be able to test each child twice before the exam. I grade the children on a scale of 1 to 5; most children know the colors, introductions, and vocabulary. A common struggle for almost all the children is verbs. At 10 o’clock, the children go to a different classroom to have a snack and then I have a new class.

I enter into the new class’s snack room where I get the opportunity to just talk to the children. This past Monday I talked to a girl named Asya. We talked about our love for High School Musical; we even sang a song together from the movie. She was very impressed that I knew all the words. After a fifteen minute snack break, the new class goes back into the teaching classroom. This class contains fourth graders. This class structure is different from the first class and my lesson plans are new topic each week. This past week I explained to them what I do for Easter in English then asked what vocabulary words they recognized. I then repeated the paragraph in Italian, my pronunciation is not that great but the children were more than willing to help me. Near the end of class, I gave the kids an Easter word search and before I left they turned the papers into me. To help me with my Italian on the word search the children wrote the Easter words in both English and Italian. The children really enjoy helping me learn Italian; it is more than adorable. It wasn’t until I got back to my room in the palazzo that I looked at the papers and a couple of the children wrote Ti Voglio Bene on the top of their papers. This means I love you for a friend or I like you a lot. The kids are so cute and I love them too!

This weekend’s excursion was to Assisi. In my art history class, we learned about St. Francis of Assisi and this knowledge provided the foundation for the trip. St. Francis was very humble person who loved to talk to animals, especially birds. The basilica in Assisi contained twenty seven frescoes of Saint Francis’ life by the artist Giotto. The “Serman to the birds” was a fresco that really stood out to me. The fresco is very simple with a gray background; the foreground is Saint Francis caring after the birds; this is a large contributing fresco to his life because the communication with the birds is what St. Francis was known for. Later I came to find out that this fresco is actually one of the most famous and most often reproduced pieces of the Giotto series. In addition to all the frescoes, the church had two levels and the lower level contained the tomb of St. Francis. Whenever I went to visit the tomb, the entire room was nearly filled with people sitting and praying. St. Francis was a very famous saint who still has a great amount of respect today. After touring the basilica, the group went and ate lunch then headed back to Sansepolcro. Due to the thunderstorm that appeared to be coming, our hike was canceled. Instead we went to one of Saint Francis’ favorite sites; Castello di Montauto was very close to Sansepolcro and nestled on the top of a mountain. All the surrounded area was covered trees, it was very peaceful. I understand why Saint Francis enjoyed being there; the whole atmosphere was very serene. It was interesting to see the bed where Saint Francis used to sleep. It didn’t even look like a bed, but rather a hole in the wall made of rocks. Saint Francis was certainly a modest man who wanted to be as natural as possible; he didn’t support living a life of luxury.

After returning from Saturday’s adventure, we were all pretty tired and went to bed fairly early. The next day was Palm Sunday. The fabulous chefs: Kelsey, Shannon, Bekah and Hilary made a delightful breakfast of eggs, pancakes, fruit, toast, tea and coffee. It was a nice chance because this was not a traditional Italian breakfast since the food was warm. This was also a bonding experience because we sat and talked for nearly two hours; it was lovely to relax and just enjoy breakfast.

Next weekend marks our Easter break and most of us are headed south to the beaches of Capri. I’m really looking forward to some fun in the sun!