Arrivederci Siena

My last days in Siena were wonderful. I spent my days studying, nights chatting in Italian, and just taking in the sights. We watched an amazing video in class on the Palio which is a huge horse race event in Siena that happens twice a year. We watched the 2006 Palio where the district (contrada) where I live, La Pantera (Panther) won in the very last seconds against one of their rivals, Aguila. I was moved to tears watching the film because so many Italians were crying and so filled with emotion and were absolutely pazzo (crazy)! I would love to return some day during the event which happens in July and August.

I also spent Halloween in Siena which was the first time I hadn't dressed up, yes I'm big into Halloween. I was actually dressed in all black and we were maybe going to be crayons but it was so cold out that it never manifested. I went to another student's apartment for wine and tapas and then we went to an 80's themed Halloween dance party at another contrada (district) called La Selva. People were dressed up a little and they had spiderwebs hanging and few witch hats, Halloween is very different in Europe. We danced to Michael Jackson, Journey, and a million other 80's songs with a room packed full of Italians. There was a full moon out and I was missing my husband and the good ole USA where they do Halloween right!

The day before I left Siena I went on a wonderful run out of the town walls to a beautfiul area called La Fortezza. The leaves were blowing and streaks of yellow and orange rained down on the plazas. The views from the top of the Fortezza were gorgeous and overlooked the Duomo (cathedral) and the historic downtown of Siena. I loved it so much that after my run I returned again that afternoon just to sit and journal and enjoy the view. Old Italian women would walk around and around the fortezza and then finally see someone they knew and say Ciao, and go into a loud, fun conversation. I watched kids playing, couples kissing, tourists taking pictures, and just took it all in.

My Italian parents Silvana and Paolo made me a cd of the music from their contrada, La Pantera, as well as all 17 contrade. They also made me a DVD of the Palio from 2006 when they won. They were super sweet to me and told me a million times how wonderful it was to have me in their home and I told them the same. It was a great experience and I am truly grateful to them for opening their home, their meals, and their hearts to me.

Montalcino - a small Tuscan hill town

We visited the Sant'Antimo Abbey this past week on our way to Montalcino. This Abbey was started in the year 800 and has been a pilgrim (peligrino) destination for centuries. In fact as we were walking up we saw someone who had been trekking with walking poles and all. As soon as I stepped in I could feel the energy of years of spiritual beings coming to this place. The smell of incense filled the church (same kind my church uses) and the simplicity of the architecture was beautiful. There was a wood carving of Jesus on the cross from the year 1200 hanging in the back and their were candles lit and even some low gregorian chant music playing. I took the moment in and wished that I was alone and not with a group so I could just sit and stay but there are pros and cons of being with a group and so after a few moments of sitting in the pews I joined our small group of 5 outside overlooking the gardens and a monk mowing the lawn.

After the Abbey, we headed to the small town of Montalcino. We walked along the streets and sitting on the ledge were four older Italian gentlemen with the mountains behind them, chatting, it was a typical Italian scene. We made our way to the Fortezza (fortress of the town) and were able to climb to the top which had spectacular views of the sunset over the mountains, the small town below and the beautiful orange trees of fall in Italy. It was a sight to remember and I didn't want to come down.

But after I did, I was in for a treat, the wines of Montalcino. Within the walls of this fortress is a wine cellar. The most famous wine of the area is called Brunello and we ordered a bottle of red with pecorino cheese, proscuitto, and salami. Mauro, our teacher was telling us that most Italians do not drink wine with out some kind of food to complement it such as olive oil and bread, meats-cheese, or with dinner. He sipped the wine and said it smelled of the terra (earth). It was delicious, there were tons of bottles of red priced all the way up to 500 Euros for bottles that were the last of their kind. It was a yummy educational experience and we topped of the night by strolling the quaint streets and eating some yummy dolci (sweets) under the full moon. I'll never forget this simple, yet beautiful town.

Ciao tutti!

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!