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 4th and 5th 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!
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