I awoke Sunday morning panicked as I was having one of the strangest dreams ever - so strange that I have no idea how my brain even thought to put such ideas together. Ahhhhh…but I had half an hour to still sleep. Wrong. For some reason my alarm did not go off and I awoke half an hour late.
Thus the scramble causes me to miss the bus I was hoping to catch only by mere minutes. Oh well the next was to depart in one hour. As I waited in line for the next bus, this cute, fashionable oriental girl in front of me lit up a cigarette right INFRONT of the “Vietato Fumare” sign (smoking PROHIBITED). You know that universal sign demonstrating a cigarette with a red circle and cross through it? The guy in front of her turned and glared at her with an annoyed look as the smoke was going his way. I was this ---------close to tapping her on the shoulder and telling her “vietato fumare” but truth be told the smoke wasn’t bothering me that much. Then in front of her buds three, what sounded like Polish, women. Again the guy in front turned and looked at them as so to say what are you doing? I even took off my sunglasses so I could glare at them if they turned around but they never did. I thought what the heck, they probably do this all of the time and don’t realise that they are doing anything wrong.
As it tuned out, I am glad I didn’t glare at the three women as the last seat on the bus was next to one of them. Same goes for the fashionable smoker, it turns out she was on the same route as me going to Montalcino and I just HAD to ask her a question regarding tickets for the bus because I was tired of waiting an hour and I could see she was in the same situation as me. She even asked if everything was ok once I got my tickets. I am glad I wasn’t a bag to the nice smoker and three ladies. As it has been written before, “Love thy enemy”.
Florence bid farewell to me by presenting me with a slideshow of her natural beauty. As the bus turned the corners of the parts of the city I have not yet discovered, Florence revealed to me her even greener side – far far away from the historic centre. There were sunny green meadows spread thick with brilliant yellow buttercups and specks of red poppies. The chestnut trees were blossoming with clusters of pink or white – the way the clusters stand they almost look like candles on a Christmas tree.
I had a long wait for my transfer in Siena and had to contend with a VERY creepy guy who kept asking me for things. First it was one euro, then a cigarette then for three other things of which I have no idea what they were. But I am sure one of the things he asked for was a roll of duct tape to tie him to the flag pole outside so he could leave me alone.
I finally arrived in the hilly town of Montalcino and had to take a connecting bus to Castelnuovo del’Abate. Being that Sunday is a ‘day of rest’ the bus to Castelnuovo recognises this day as such and doesn’t operate – much to my despair. Hmmm…this situation seems familiar!
A panic phone call went out to my Italian fix-it-all Marco and he fixed the situation. In half an hour arrived Lorenzo, owner of La Locanda Sant’ Antimo and the best place to get a bowl of Tuscan “Ribollita”.
Ribollita is a soup generally made of beans, cavolo nero (black cabbage similar to kale), Tuscan bread and olive oil. Many recipes call for other vegetables as I have experienced in Florence, but of all of the ribollita I have eaten THIS one is the best (but the worst lookingJ). Ribollita is the reason I am here – to see if I can somehow learn to make this “secret” masterpiece. When I enquired about coming over to learn, Lorenzo said it was a secret but I might get close enough to learn how it is done.
The locanda is nestled in the green Tuscan hills and is surrounded by olive groves and the grapes the make the famous Brunello wine. Nestled in the valley off to the side of this town sits the grande cream coloured marble masterpiece Abbazia di Sant’ Antimo (Abbey of Saint Antimo). Here you can listen to Gregorian monks perform their chants on a daily basis. Upon visiting the abbey you might get a viewing of the large cream coloured chiantigiana cattle which are beautiful to see.
Lorenzo, a strong built Italian with an angled nose, has a very strong Tuscan accent. So instead of pronouncing caffe it sounds more like haffe. A bit difficult to understand. He introduces me to his wife Theresa who works in the restaurant and two cute boys Franceso, 8 and Christian 5 and escorts me to my room. It is small and is in need of some white paint but the Tuscan wall border is beautiful and I have a view of the abbey!
I unpacked and I hope that whatever insect has it’s nest in my closet is dead because whatever it is I think it will look ugly. I proceeded down to the kitchen to see what I was able to help with.
Wait until you meet the staff!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
On to Practical Study
My study here in Florence is coming to an end as of today. From now on it will be purely practical study as I talk my way around with the locals for a few more days and I guess the upcoming months. It was interesting getting to know the students in the school and the reasons they were here to study the melodic Italian language.
In my immediate class, an Irish lass is contemplating moving here to Italy and used her past month here as a sort of ‘test’ on how she likes the life here and if she was able to pick up the language. I have to say she spoke Italian incredibly well considering she had Gaelic as her second language and not a romantic language. The Australian was taking an art class here and was using this class to help her through it. Now she is considering moving here for a while and by the way she paints beautifully. A Ukrainian was using this past month as a vacation as she is a lawyer – at the sweet age of 21!!
Others that were not in my class were studying the language because; they liked it, so they could understand opera, or they/their spouse work here at times. All different nationalities – Japanese, Korean, Swiss, Austrian, Norwegian.
I think that my brain will be looking forward to this small break. Some nights I come home after a 7 hour school day, make something to eat and dive back into the books. When i would start to study out of one book in particular a wave of tiredness would overcome me immediately and I would have to go for a nap. Well, two night’s ago my nap started at 7:15 pm and lasted until 8 the next morning. I really didn’t think I was that tired!
Friday is a holiday celebrating Italy’s unification and San Marco’s day so I am not sure what I will do as I am sure the city will be busy. I am hoping that at least the bottle of Spumante will be gone by the evening…
Ciao from Italy
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Beware the Italian Tourist
Well today is a rainy Monday morning, I was late for school because I had to dry my jeans in the oven again. I thought I had pulled them out of the wash early enough last night – even placed them on the heater, but things just don’t dry here as quick as good ol Alberta.
Yesterday I was one of the few people in Florence who looked kind of put of place. Imagine a BEAUTIFUL sunny 23C day, sun shining, birds singing, what would you be wearing? Maybe capris and a sleeveless shirt? Yes, in Canada we would be running through sprinklers but here Europeans were in their finest jackets and jeans, black jackets, leather, velvet – whatever as long as it was something hot, dark coloured and layered, they were wearing it. I thought this might be the case so I wore a scarf (and high heels) but that just didn’t cut it. Apparently May 1st, and no sooner, is the Italian wardrobe change where they finally don their sleeveless shirts and capris. I guess I wish I would have know that sooner. In the end, the Italians were the ones laughing as by late afternoon the sun was gone and the wind picked up. And we think the weather changes fast in Alberta? Imagine our weather fast forward triple max!!
I am finally settling in. I had a great reunion with my Italian friend, Marco, who brought some items I had left with him on the last trip. The wine and the humongous bottle of Spumante were both still in their bottles! That’s great but that means now I either have to carry them or host a party to drink them up. The party might be a fun idea as the lady (sister in law of my landlord) on the ground floor of the apartment makes pasta which she sells to the local restaurants. If anyone wants to come to my party I am sure the food will please you. Ok I promise I won’t do the cooking!
My phone charger was in the bag Marco brought so I could finally use my mobile phone as an alarm clock – meaning no more 4:30 am mornings because I was scared to sleep in!
School is going really well. I am soooooo glad to have both the Ukrainian and French languages behind me. Not only is some vocabulary similar but the general language structure and grammar follow some of the same ideas which is very different than English.
Yesterday I was able to practice my Italian language skills with an Italian ‘tourist’. I was walking home from the city centre and I stopped on one of the many bridges that cross the Arno River to take a photo. I started walking away when this young olive skinned man stopped to ask me, “Do you speak English? Where is this Piazzale Michelangelo? Maybe you can tell me in Italian?” So in English I described to him where this lookout point called Piazzale Michelangelo is; which was just down the street and a good climb up a hill from we were. You can see all of Florence including her grande copper coloured Duomo - it truly is a stunning view.
Immediately he strikes up conversation (in Italian) and starts walking towards the Piazzale and I walk along with him as he is explaining to me why he is Florence. He tells me he is here with his job, but normally works in Rome as an architect and is originally from Sicily. A –hah! That shuda been my sign right there! Sicily. STOP!!! But no I let him talk on and on. He tells me that since I am here for a while I can stay at his place if I come to visit Rome or if I want to go to Sicilia I am invited to stay at his parent’s place there. How generous! Of course Sicilians, being from the good ol’ friendly south, would offer such an invite.
Now, we are crossing the street so he grabs my hand. I think this might be a gesture of cavalry so I let it slide – the only thing is that he doesn’t let got when we arrive safely on the other side of the street…
The fact that I am working ‘for free’ at a restaurant and farm seems to astonish him and he thinks this is a very bad idea. He offers me a job at his dad’s restaurant in Sicilia and tells me that I can be his girlfriend and work there with his dad!
He then says, “I will take you to Sicily and tell my dad this is my girlfriend she will work with you and live here.” Well that doesn’t sound so bad now does it? A boyfriend, a job and place to stay all in the matter of 5 minutes! BINGO! And to think I had to join a dating club back in Canada when I just could have come to Italy and had my life set in a matter of minutes.
I tell him I already have a boyfriend. He says you can have a boyfriend in Canada, a boyfriend in Ukraine and an Italian boyfriend. Women don’t have just one child, they have 2, 3, 4 children! Hmmm... good point??? Ummm… no.
The climb up the hill amounted to a beautiful view and then he asked me if I would like a glass of wine from one of the mini bars atop the hill. I am not to pass up on wine or any other alcohol so I say sure. He walks out of the mini bar with a BOTTLE of Chianti and 2 plastic glasses hanging off of the top.
As he manoeuvres his way around the grounds of the Piazzale it seemed that maybe he has been here before. Oh well. The bottle of warm red Chianti was very good and after mindless chit chat we climbed up to the church on the hill above the Piazzale.
After a walk through the church we sat on the steps in front of the church watching the people strolling around and sitting in their spots gazing out at the panorama, when he plants a kiss on my cheek. “Whoa! No! Basta (enough)! ” I say.
“What?” He replies?
“I heard about you Sicilians” I say.
Just then a monk walks up to us and asks what language we speak.
“Italiano” Giovanni replies.
“No kissing on the church steps” said the monk.
I laughed. In the end Giovanni invited me to spend Sunday at the coast in Livorno, Viareggio (which I heard wonderful things about) and Pisa. As much as I wanted to spend the 23 C day at the coast I declined…trying to use the *wisdom* gained from the last time I was here. Instead of strolling on the sandy Italian coastline in the warm, yellow sunshine, I spent Sunday morning with the nuns in church at Instituto Sacro Cuore ( the convent I stayed at the last time I was in Florence). It was lovely to see the sisters again and to spend the afternoon with some fantastic school friends relaxing in one of the gorgeous public gardens.
Here’s to *wisdom*.
Yesterday I was one of the few people in Florence who looked kind of put of place. Imagine a BEAUTIFUL sunny 23C day, sun shining, birds singing, what would you be wearing? Maybe capris and a sleeveless shirt? Yes, in Canada we would be running through sprinklers but here Europeans were in their finest jackets and jeans, black jackets, leather, velvet – whatever as long as it was something hot, dark coloured and layered, they were wearing it. I thought this might be the case so I wore a scarf (and high heels) but that just didn’t cut it. Apparently May 1st, and no sooner, is the Italian wardrobe change where they finally don their sleeveless shirts and capris. I guess I wish I would have know that sooner. In the end, the Italians were the ones laughing as by late afternoon the sun was gone and the wind picked up. And we think the weather changes fast in Alberta? Imagine our weather fast forward triple max!!
I am finally settling in. I had a great reunion with my Italian friend, Marco, who brought some items I had left with him on the last trip. The wine and the humongous bottle of Spumante were both still in their bottles! That’s great but that means now I either have to carry them or host a party to drink them up. The party might be a fun idea as the lady (sister in law of my landlord) on the ground floor of the apartment makes pasta which she sells to the local restaurants. If anyone wants to come to my party I am sure the food will please you. Ok I promise I won’t do the cooking!
My phone charger was in the bag Marco brought so I could finally use my mobile phone as an alarm clock – meaning no more 4:30 am mornings because I was scared to sleep in!
School is going really well. I am soooooo glad to have both the Ukrainian and French languages behind me. Not only is some vocabulary similar but the general language structure and grammar follow some of the same ideas which is very different than English.
Yesterday I was able to practice my Italian language skills with an Italian ‘tourist’. I was walking home from the city centre and I stopped on one of the many bridges that cross the Arno River to take a photo. I started walking away when this young olive skinned man stopped to ask me, “Do you speak English? Where is this Piazzale Michelangelo? Maybe you can tell me in Italian?” So in English I described to him where this lookout point called Piazzale Michelangelo is; which was just down the street and a good climb up a hill from we were. You can see all of Florence including her grande copper coloured Duomo - it truly is a stunning view.
Immediately he strikes up conversation (in Italian) and starts walking towards the Piazzale and I walk along with him as he is explaining to me why he is Florence. He tells me he is here with his job, but normally works in Rome as an architect and is originally from Sicily. A –hah! That shuda been my sign right there! Sicily. STOP!!! But no I let him talk on and on. He tells me that since I am here for a while I can stay at his place if I come to visit Rome or if I want to go to Sicilia I am invited to stay at his parent’s place there. How generous! Of course Sicilians, being from the good ol’ friendly south, would offer such an invite.
Now, we are crossing the street so he grabs my hand. I think this might be a gesture of cavalry so I let it slide – the only thing is that he doesn’t let got when we arrive safely on the other side of the street…
The fact that I am working ‘for free’ at a restaurant and farm seems to astonish him and he thinks this is a very bad idea. He offers me a job at his dad’s restaurant in Sicilia and tells me that I can be his girlfriend and work there with his dad!
He then says, “I will take you to Sicily and tell my dad this is my girlfriend she will work with you and live here.” Well that doesn’t sound so bad now does it? A boyfriend, a job and place to stay all in the matter of 5 minutes! BINGO! And to think I had to join a dating club back in Canada when I just could have come to Italy and had my life set in a matter of minutes.
I tell him I already have a boyfriend. He says you can have a boyfriend in Canada, a boyfriend in Ukraine and an Italian boyfriend. Women don’t have just one child, they have 2, 3, 4 children! Hmmm... good point??? Ummm… no.
The climb up the hill amounted to a beautiful view and then he asked me if I would like a glass of wine from one of the mini bars atop the hill. I am not to pass up on wine or any other alcohol so I say sure. He walks out of the mini bar with a BOTTLE of Chianti and 2 plastic glasses hanging off of the top.
As he manoeuvres his way around the grounds of the Piazzale it seemed that maybe he has been here before. Oh well. The bottle of warm red Chianti was very good and after mindless chit chat we climbed up to the church on the hill above the Piazzale.
After a walk through the church we sat on the steps in front of the church watching the people strolling around and sitting in their spots gazing out at the panorama, when he plants a kiss on my cheek. “Whoa! No! Basta (enough)! ” I say.
“What?” He replies?
“I heard about you Sicilians” I say.
Just then a monk walks up to us and asks what language we speak.
“Italiano” Giovanni replies.
“No kissing on the church steps” said the monk.
I laughed. In the end Giovanni invited me to spend Sunday at the coast in Livorno, Viareggio (which I heard wonderful things about) and Pisa. As much as I wanted to spend the 23 C day at the coast I declined…trying to use the *wisdom* gained from the last time I was here. Instead of strolling on the sandy Italian coastline in the warm, yellow sunshine, I spent Sunday morning with the nuns in church at Instituto Sacro Cuore ( the convent I stayed at the last time I was in Florence). It was lovely to see the sisters again and to spend the afternoon with some fantastic school friends relaxing in one of the gorgeous public gardens.
Here’s to *wisdom*.
Friday, April 18, 2008
I thought it was going to be EASY!
I was thinking it was going to be easy getting to Florence…
My problems all started at the Edmonton airport. The gentleman beside me on the plane said that Air Canada has always lost his luggage. I thought hmmmmm…that’s not gonna happen to me!
Well it did. It took over an hour to run between 2 of the help desks in Rome and in the end Star Alliance told me it was on its way from Frankfurt to Milan? I wasn’t even in Germany!!!
Tired (as I had only slept 4 hours) and frustrated, I decided to make the trip to Florence. I bought the train ticket and walked onto a train just assuming it was going to the Termini train station in Rome where I was to make the Florence connection. WRONGGGGGGGG. I ended up at Tiburtina station and had to take the metro to Termini which caused me to miss the connection. ARRGGHH!
After a looooong wait in the train ticket line, I got a new ticket went to the supermercato and bought some pears.
Now as I sit on the sleek comfy Eurostar train I look out the window and see the beautiful old buildings and there are wild poppies growing amongst the train tracks. The temperature is a balmy 17 C and the fronds of the palm tress are gently bobbing in the breeze. OK maybe life isn’t so bad after all…
The gorgeous couple across from me is so in love it is amazing. They are all of maybe 25 years old, beautiful, and all they do is laugh and smooch and gaze into each other’s eyes….*sigh*. When we arrive in Florence the lovey-dovey guy says to me, wow that train ride was quick…”well of course it was” I thought. J
Anyways I survived the first few day without my stuff luckily I had a clothes washer – no drier, but the oven sufficed the one morning….really. It did a great job on my jean jacket and yoga zip up.
Florence was just as I left it although I’d say a bit more beautiful. The wonderful colours of spring have scattered themselves on the trees all over the city.
Spring is well on its way here. With colourful flowering trees abound and joyful birds singing their praises of the warm spring days. I am sitting on my covered balcony and the view is nothing spectacular but it is a fresh green one. Below me are freshly planted gardens and scattered are various trees, ivy and shrubs. I have 3 cute flowering succulents hanging off of my balcony – I just love how plants are so lush in this ancient city. I am glad to be back here.
I stated the language class and am really enjoying it and the people I have met are great –most of them are women.
Until next time…
My problems all started at the Edmonton airport. The gentleman beside me on the plane said that Air Canada has always lost his luggage. I thought hmmmmm…that’s not gonna happen to me!
Well it did. It took over an hour to run between 2 of the help desks in Rome and in the end Star Alliance told me it was on its way from Frankfurt to Milan? I wasn’t even in Germany!!!
Tired (as I had only slept 4 hours) and frustrated, I decided to make the trip to Florence. I bought the train ticket and walked onto a train just assuming it was going to the Termini train station in Rome where I was to make the Florence connection. WRONGGGGGGGG. I ended up at Tiburtina station and had to take the metro to Termini which caused me to miss the connection. ARRGGHH!
After a looooong wait in the train ticket line, I got a new ticket went to the supermercato and bought some pears.
Now as I sit on the sleek comfy Eurostar train I look out the window and see the beautiful old buildings and there are wild poppies growing amongst the train tracks. The temperature is a balmy 17 C and the fronds of the palm tress are gently bobbing in the breeze. OK maybe life isn’t so bad after all…
The gorgeous couple across from me is so in love it is amazing. They are all of maybe 25 years old, beautiful, and all they do is laugh and smooch and gaze into each other’s eyes….*sigh*. When we arrive in Florence the lovey-dovey guy says to me, wow that train ride was quick…”well of course it was” I thought. J
Anyways I survived the first few day without my stuff luckily I had a clothes washer – no drier, but the oven sufficed the one morning….really. It did a great job on my jean jacket and yoga zip up.
Florence was just as I left it although I’d say a bit more beautiful. The wonderful colours of spring have scattered themselves on the trees all over the city.
Spring is well on its way here. With colourful flowering trees abound and joyful birds singing their praises of the warm spring days. I am sitting on my covered balcony and the view is nothing spectacular but it is a fresh green one. Below me are freshly planted gardens and scattered are various trees, ivy and shrubs. I have 3 cute flowering succulents hanging off of my balcony – I just love how plants are so lush in this ancient city. I am glad to be back here.
I stated the language class and am really enjoying it and the people I have met are great –most of them are women.
Until next time…
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Returning to Bella Italia
It seems surreal to me. Here I am on the plane to Italy and it hasn’t really hit me that I am returning there. I know I will be so happy to return to the comfort of Tuscany.
I am excited to eat the large Italian pears and big, juicy, green muscat grapes (they taste like a combo of peaches and grapes…oh yum). My tongue can’t wait to take pleasure in the 2 bottles of wine I left behind telling my friend Marco, “Save these for me if I ever return!” (I hope he did ;). My eyes are waiting in anticipation to see what exquisite piece of clothing the fine people at Versace have placed in their Florentine store window. And I can’t wait to try it on – hoping that I’ll love it this time.
No, I don’t have money to be going on this trip – never mind buying something Versace. This trip is just something that I wanted to do – a personal development sort of thing - and I thank God that I am doing what I want to do despite how strange it might seem to most people.
I was talking with the gentleman beside me on the plane and he told me the story of his friend who built coffins. His friend was standing at the kitchen sink, large glass of whiskey in his hand and the gentleman asked, "What are you doing to yourself you are drinking away your family's fortunes!"
He replied, " You know I was just thinking, I never built a coffin with any pockets – no one has ever wanted to take anything with them!"
The Gentleman told me in the end, when you are in a nursing home all of your life contents fit into one shelf in a small room. It doesn't matter if you tried to keep up with the Jones'.
I think the fact that I was unpacking clothes out of 3 different suitcases (from my move to the farm) and packing them into one suitcase for this trip had me feeling like I hadn’t unpacked from the last trip yet.
But alas, I am on my way to a wonderful four months under the Tuscan sun and in Tuscan kitchens. This trip is what I would consider ideal: Getting into the heart of the lives of Italian people. Other than seeing the beautiful history of a country I truly enjoy meeting and interacting with the country’s people – ok maybe not to the extent of some of my last interactions :)
This trip takes me to the romantic river city of Florence for 2 weeks of language school. I am staying in accommodation close to where I stayed with the nuns the last time which is a nice part of the city.
I am then on my way to the TINY village of Castelnuovo del’Abate where I will ‘work’ at a locanda (restaurant and hotel) for room and board! I frequented this lovely little restaurant, located near the Abbey of Sant’Antimo (where Gregorian monks perform chants), twice the last time I was there. They make the BEST ribolitta soup. I asked for the recipe but from what I understood the recipe was too long to write out. I was thinking yeah right, they probably just don’t want to give me the recipe...some secret or something. So I wrote them a letter asking if I could come to work there to learn to make the soup and they said yes! BUT Lorenzo, owner of the locanda, said the recipe is secret but he thinks I should be able to get close enough to learn the recipe and he informed me there is a fire oven for making pizzas. Maybe I’ll be throwing pizza dough like a pro by the end of this? How great would that be?
After improving *I hope* my rotten cooking skills, I am off to the rolling hills of the Pienza area of the Val D’Orcia. This time I hope the clay hills will be covered with wheat and who knows, maybe I’ll see the ghost of Russell Crowe the Gladiator walking thought that wheat field. Podere il Casale an organic farm. Here I hope to be perfecting the craft of making cheese – Pecorino cheese to be exact. This beautiful farm makes a lot of other products like pasta from various types of flours including chestnut, jams, cheeses and I will see what else. I am staying in a small trailer and I hope it’s a trailer overlooking the valley.
My 4 month I do not have allotted to anywhere yet but I am hoping it is a hotel in Positano on the Amalfi Coast.
I think this will be my most educational trip yet!
I am excited to eat the large Italian pears and big, juicy, green muscat grapes (they taste like a combo of peaches and grapes…oh yum). My tongue can’t wait to take pleasure in the 2 bottles of wine I left behind telling my friend Marco, “Save these for me if I ever return!” (I hope he did ;). My eyes are waiting in anticipation to see what exquisite piece of clothing the fine people at Versace have placed in their Florentine store window. And I can’t wait to try it on – hoping that I’ll love it this time.
No, I don’t have money to be going on this trip – never mind buying something Versace. This trip is just something that I wanted to do – a personal development sort of thing - and I thank God that I am doing what I want to do despite how strange it might seem to most people.
I was talking with the gentleman beside me on the plane and he told me the story of his friend who built coffins. His friend was standing at the kitchen sink, large glass of whiskey in his hand and the gentleman asked, "What are you doing to yourself you are drinking away your family's fortunes!"
He replied, " You know I was just thinking, I never built a coffin with any pockets – no one has ever wanted to take anything with them!"
The Gentleman told me in the end, when you are in a nursing home all of your life contents fit into one shelf in a small room. It doesn't matter if you tried to keep up with the Jones'.
I think the fact that I was unpacking clothes out of 3 different suitcases (from my move to the farm) and packing them into one suitcase for this trip had me feeling like I hadn’t unpacked from the last trip yet.
But alas, I am on my way to a wonderful four months under the Tuscan sun and in Tuscan kitchens. This trip is what I would consider ideal: Getting into the heart of the lives of Italian people. Other than seeing the beautiful history of a country I truly enjoy meeting and interacting with the country’s people – ok maybe not to the extent of some of my last interactions :)
This trip takes me to the romantic river city of Florence for 2 weeks of language school. I am staying in accommodation close to where I stayed with the nuns the last time which is a nice part of the city.
I am then on my way to the TINY village of Castelnuovo del’Abate where I will ‘work’ at a locanda (restaurant and hotel) for room and board! I frequented this lovely little restaurant, located near the Abbey of Sant’Antimo (where Gregorian monks perform chants), twice the last time I was there. They make the BEST ribolitta soup. I asked for the recipe but from what I understood the recipe was too long to write out. I was thinking yeah right, they probably just don’t want to give me the recipe...some secret or something. So I wrote them a letter asking if I could come to work there to learn to make the soup and they said yes! BUT Lorenzo, owner of the locanda, said the recipe is secret but he thinks I should be able to get close enough to learn the recipe and he informed me there is a fire oven for making pizzas. Maybe I’ll be throwing pizza dough like a pro by the end of this? How great would that be?
After improving *I hope* my rotten cooking skills, I am off to the rolling hills of the Pienza area of the Val D’Orcia. This time I hope the clay hills will be covered with wheat and who knows, maybe I’ll see the ghost of Russell Crowe the Gladiator walking thought that wheat field. Podere il Casale an organic farm. Here I hope to be perfecting the craft of making cheese – Pecorino cheese to be exact. This beautiful farm makes a lot of other products like pasta from various types of flours including chestnut, jams, cheeses and I will see what else. I am staying in a small trailer and I hope it’s a trailer overlooking the valley.
My 4 month I do not have allotted to anywhere yet but I am hoping it is a hotel in Positano on the Amalfi Coast.
I think this will be my most educational trip yet!
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