Volterra, Italy

Our field trip this week was to a tiny little medieval town of 11,000 called Volterra. As we were winding our way out of the streets of Siena and into the hills beyond I could only think one thing, this is Tuscany! It's so simple yet so beautiful and the drive in a car (not a bus) was a nice change. We all chatted in Italian about trips, life, and of course opera. We arrived in Volterra around 4pm on a gorgeous sunny day. This town is perched on top of a hill so the views below are magnificent and Mauro, our professor, told us details of the town as we leisurely strolled around the cobblestone streets. Volterra dates back to Etruscan times and the use of Alabaster is everywhere. It is an easy stone to mold and we saw everything from fish to grapes carved with amazing form. We even got to watch one carver in action molding a vase. The town is small but has one small ruin from Roman times, an ampitheater, which has been picked apart because they needed to use the stone for a church nearby. Preserving ancient ruins was not common until recently (past 800 years). Mauro said there are tons of ruins in the hillsides of Toscany (Toscana) that have been tampered with and because there are so many it is hard to regulate their protection.

We entered an old church dating back to the early 1200s that was quite amazing. Just walking in you can sense the history that has happened there. The wooden statue carvings dating from the 12th - 15th centuries were quite breathtaking. After taking in the town we stumbled into a VERY small pizzeria where the owner was yelling out and talking with all the local Volterrans. We went in to try the torta di ceci, a pizza like food that is made of chickpeas. It was quite tasty and pretty filling and I think we all had at least 2 pieces! It was a great hole in the wall type of spot and we had fun hanging out with the locals. Next we headed to a little osteria to have some wine and sweets (dolci). We continued our practice of Italian and debated which little pastry was best, my choice was the pistaccio one, delicious!

A presto.....

Mangia, Mangia, Mangia!

It seemed that the theme at school this week was making and eating wonderful food. Mangia, mangia, mangia! We take a break during classes to go to a little cafe nearby and I usually order a macchiato but the other students have been more adventurous. This week Joanna and Roberto had pan forte (chocolate dessert with nuts) and the owner threw in some free pear Cognac. You know you are having fun at school when you're drinking before noon! Other treats they serve include mini proscuitto sandwiches on croissants, amazing chocolate pastries, and a hot chocolate so thick it looks like soup. We also had an extra class this week on the history of coffee and the classic coffee makers that Italians use, La Moka & La Napoletana (usually in Napoli). Italians are serious about their caffè.

My roommate Roberto (Robbie) is from Austria yet knows how to make an amazing Tiramisu so he asked our host family if we could make it in their kitchen for them as well as the school. We went out and bought all of the ingredients and got to work. Our signora, Silvana, was so gracious and showed us where everything was in her kitchen and provided us with cafe (coffee), cacao (chocolate), zucchero (sugar), and latte (milk). Robbie made it look easy so I hope I can duplicate the recipe for all to enjoy when I return to Texas. That evening we ate Tiramisu with our host family and then again the next day with all of the students and teachers at the school, yummy!!! Mi amo Tiramisu (I love Tiramisu).

Friday turned out to be a food day as well. We had lunch (il pranzo) at the school with everyone and one of the teachers Mauro taught us how to make winter pesto. The difference between winter and summer pesto is that you use fresh sage instead of basil. We all got our own mixing bowl (mortaio) and with our pestello we grinded-mashed the sage, pecorino and parmasean cheese, pine nuts, and garlic. Add some olive oil and presto we has pesto! Each student brought something for this potluck. Marcia brought fresh grapes out of her signora's garden. I brought freshly sliced salami toscana and other students brought wine, proscuitto, insalata, pane, etc etc. We had quite the feast and enjoyed a delicious lunch together. I felt truly Italian as we chatted, laughed, and relaxed with the background of music. And of course at the end... Expresso!

Salute (Cheers)

Siena, my new home for due settimane

I arrived in Siena via train after navigating two different changes at stations in Empoli and Pisa. I decided to brave the bus system and asked a friendly officer in Italian to point me in the right direction. I found it but unfortunately realized after a few minutes that this particular bus stop was closed for the weekend! So, I joined some other Italians, exchange students, and tourists as we all walked to the next stop and then I made my way through the winding historic center in what I call "walking or pedestrian" rush hour. Trying to get around with luggage can be quite the challenge and I was extremely grateful to finally make it to the apartment of Silvana and Paulo who would be my Italian family for the next two weeks. I have a small room filled with antique furniture and a window overlooking historic buildings in the heart of Siena. The smells and sounds of this apartment remind of my time abroad in Granada, Spain which is familiar and comforting. This family is very nice and I am grateful their colorful stories of Siena (those that I can understand)!

For those of you that have not lived in a foreign country with a family, it can be quite overwhelming at first, but you just jump right into speaking their language and using your hands to describe words if you forget them. I also found out that another student from Austria named Roberto would be living at this apartment. At first, I was not super excited about another student living in the same apartment (i.e. an American speaking a lot of English). However, Roberto speaks several languages and is serious about learning Italian so it has been wonderful to practice Italian with him and it takes a little of the pressure off of me during our dinners (la cena) and allows for a more interesting conversation. Silvana and Paolo have an adult son named Marco who sometimes stays with them and he is art professor in a town nearby and has written two books on the art history of Siena. They watch the news during dinner which sparks lots of conversations, sometimes a debate if it has to do with politics! I have wandered around Siena only a small bit because with classes more than the half day and then lunch (il pranzo), time seems to slip away. The teachers at my school called Saena Iulia are fabulous and I have a small class consisting of 4 students. We begin the class with a little grammar and let conversations flow naturally in Italian with our teacher Elisa correcting and helping us along the way. I am truly amazed at how much I understand and the amount of information that I'm learning. Sono come una Italiana!!!

Lucca, Italy -- Day 2 - 4

Buona Sera di Italia-

After a whirlwind of a first day in Italy. I managed to get back to the train station and make my way to a little gem of a town called Lucca which is 30 minutes from Pisa. I arrived with my big orange backpack in tow and hiked through the main wall (fortress back in the day) and proceeded through the old town to a hostel in the historic center. I was truly exhausted but managed to get out and find some lunch at a little cafe. The town of Lucca is absolutely precious and you feel the richness of its history the second you step foot within the historic center. The top of the wall that surrounds the town has been turned into a small paved trail for hiking, biking and running while overlooking the lush greenery outside and the old buildings within. I strolled atop this amazing wall and it really hit me that I was here in Italy and every turn reminded me of my previous travels around South America and of my husband Merritt.








Feeling rather overwhelmed by emotion I found a great grassy spot on top of the wall to soak in the sun and study some Italian vocabulary. The solitude was nice and after spending most of the day wandering around the town I was ready for a nap.

The Ostello San Frediano used to be a monestario or boarding school of sorts and has huge ceilings and over 140 rooms. In the six bedroom women's dorm, I was the only one that had arrived when suddenly Sera (pronounced Sayruh) showed up. Sera and I became fast friends as we are both around the same age and both were starting Italian immersion programs starting Monday (her in Lucca, me in Siena). We went out to a great little trattoria called Gigi and I had some tasty, fresh meat-filled ravioli and she tried the Osso Bucco (Veal). The next day we went exploring the antique markets, joined in on an Italian rally to end poverty, and walked more of the beautiful wall.

That evening I went to see Un Notte del'Opera (Night at the Opera). It was held in a church called San Giovanni that has a 16th-century facade and a 12th-century body, however recent excavations have revealed the structure is actually five layers deep! It sits atop a much older church that served until the early 700s as Lucca's cathedral, which was built atop a 4- 5th-century A.D. paleo-Christian church that took the place of a Roman temple built atop Roman houses. The photos of the excavation are fascinating. Needless to say I was witnessing Opera in a very historic place. Lucca is home to Puccini, a famous Italian composer and this series is part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth in Lucca called Puccini e la sua Lucca. The concert brought tears to my eyes and made me want to find the Puccini arias that I learned years ago and start singing again.

Next stop.... Siena (my new home for the next two weeks)

Arrivederci!

Pisa, Italy -- Day 1

Buongiorno!

After a long long flight (18hrs including layovers) I arrived to Pisa, Italy. I will be spending 5 weeks in Italy with the goal of becoming fluent after studying Italian for 2 years in Austin. Looking out the plane window I saw the beautiful mountainous coastline and sparkling blue waters. I pondered what awaited on my 1st ever solo journey. After months of travel to South America and around the U.S. with my husband Merritt, I was feeling a little anxious about being on my own. Especially since I still had not decided if I was going to stay in Pisa or catch a train to my next destination. But right off the plane as I was getting ready to navigate my first bus using my Italian skills, a girl from Finland approached me asking about the same bus and before I knew it, I was traversing the streets of Pisa with my new friend Tanea. It was a gorgeous day in Italy with highs in the 60s and the sun radiating down. We quickly bonded and explored the city as she told me about her travels and living abroad in France. After getting settled into our hostel, the Torre Pisa, we made our way to the leaning tower itself. And sure enough, it is still leaning. Built back in the 1100s it was merely an architects mistake that has now turned into a major landmark. It is surrounded by lush grasses and a walled off area with several cathedrals. The sing song of the Italian language is everywhere here and I love listening. I have begun my practice of speaking Italian here and there but am still feeling a little shy about my phrasing. So far, people have been very friendly and willing to practice speaking with me. I met two more girls staying in my hostel that are from London and we watched a radiant sunset over old buildings and a river snaking around the town. Tomorrow, (Domani) a new day awaits as I put that big orange backpack on and take the train to a small town called Lucca. I am proud to say I survived my 1st day abroad.

Ciao!

Salvador, Brazil

Our last and final destination was Salvador, capitol of Bahia, Brazil's Afrobrazileiro region and major center of african culture. We were sad to leave Arraial d'Ajuda after amazing six days but so very excited at the opportunity to experience the spicier foods, intense rhythmic music and dance, and the beautiful people that result from many generations of african influence. We arrived by ferry, crossing an overcast bay at 5am after another overnight bus ride. Upon arrival we discovered that a famous Brazilian musician was going to be playing in a couple of nights, and quickly bought tickets to see Caetano Veloso, a halmark of Brazil's diverse & eclectic music scene. We danced under the stars, along with a few thousand other screaming fans at the outdoor ampitheater, and the show was unbelieveable. We also stumbled upon a Jazz night at the oceanside terrace of Salvador's main art museum. The Brazilian Jazz music was fantastic, the cool sea breaze felt so nice and the setting couldn't have been more perfect.

We took advantage of being on the seashore and ate amazing seafood dishes and went to churrascarias and traditional Brazilian buffets (per kilo). We took great strolls along the ocean overlooking beautiful lighthouses and packed beaches. One afternoon we found an intimate little beach and as the sun started to set a group of Brazilian guys came out and started doing Capoeira (a type of dance/martial art) and chanting along to music they were playing. Then they started doing amazing gymnastics and flips. We took a late night dip in the ocean and truly enjoyed our last stop in South America. A vast part of the world that will hold so many special memories, truly the experience of a lifetime, that we will forever cherish.

Arraial d'Ajuda, Brazil

It was not easy getting to the tiny beach town of Arraial d'Ajuda. But after an overnight bus, taxi, and ferry, we finally arrived at a cool hostel with pool table, swimming pool, hammocks, and nice private room. As soon as we stepped foot in this hostel we were greeted by Ricardo who won us over instantly with his big smile. "Come eat with me and my girlfriend, I am making a Brazilian dish called Moqueca" He showed Merritt how to make the dish which is a delicious coconut based fish stew and we proceeded to eat versions of the dish for the next several days.

Ricardo as well as another couple of Brazilians at the hostel had cars and kindly offered to tour us around other fantastic beaches in the local area. One beach town was Trancoso, a small villiage on the coast where people on horses might ride by and local festivals involve the entire town parading on the dirt streets. The beaches were picturesque and we ate a refreshing, frozen Acai with granola and bananas.

We celebrated Merritt's 33rd birthday with lounging on the beach and MORE MOQUECA! Ricardo played Bossanova on the guitar and Merritt shared his tunes as well. We also made Caipirinhas, a favorite drink with the Brazilians which consists of a lot of lime, sugar and Cachaca (brazilian rum)

Ouro Preto, Brazil

After our wonderful time in Rio, we bussed it to a small colonial town called Ouro Preto which means Black Gold in Portuguese. We got upgraded to nice room overlooking the beautiful churches and we met several interesting people from Peru and Honduras also visiting the area.

There is a lot of history in this town as it had the first major rebellion against Portugal for Brazilian Independence. It failed but paved the way for the future. They mined a ton of Gold here back in the day and you can still go tour the mines today. We visited several interesting museums and had fun wandering down the cobblestone streets and taking in all of the old churches.

Rio!

Merritt and I had so much fun in Brazil that we decided to halt our blog and just enjoy our last month abroad in South America. Rio was a definite highlight from lounging on Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, to going to see Ronaldo play at the Maracana Stadium. We went up to the amazing Christo Redentor (the famous Christ landmark of Rio) and Pao de Azucar (Sugar Loaf). We spent 6 amazing days soaking in the sun, eating delicious meals, and dancing into the wee hours with fun loving Brazilians.