Spoleto, Siena, & More.

Okay this is going to be a big post, so you've been warned in advance. First, I'll give you some pictures of Erin's and my adventures in the park...

Last week there was also an antique market in Piazza Signorelli, so Erin and I wandered through briefly. I found some gorgeous copper jewelry, but did not have my purse with me. I still haven't decided whether that was a good thing or an unfortunate thing. Erin and I tore ourselves away from the prospect of shopping, and wandered through the park. The park is one of the few locations in town that is FLAT. It makes for a rather pleasant walk. This day was right after Cortona got SNOW, so it was still rather chilly... the fountain even had icicles! Another discovery was the probably that the amphitheatre style steps bordering one side of the park are used for an outdoor movie theatre in the summertime. Perhaps the screen frame and projector room gave that away... Regardless, the steps are a fun photo-op! Especially when you figure out how to use the self-timer on your camera effectively. Haha. Along our walk we also found the outdoor Cortona swimming pool. Appeared to be closed. Maybe that has something to do with the season? I am convinced it is the lifeguard in me that draws me to water... On the way back the sun was slowly setting, and we attempted to wait outside to catch some good pictures. We almost made it, but our outermost appendages threatened to freeze and fall off...

Antique market

This past week I also made an effort to take pictures of every single dish at every single meal... to show you how spoiled we are at suppertime. To see the full album, go to my profile on Facebook. Below are just a few examples...

Spoleto - Friday

Erin and I went on a day trip to a typical Roman town that the history class had taken a field trip to the previous weekend. After seeing a few pictures I concluded that perhaps I needed to explore this town for myself. So off we went, bright and early on a Friday morning. We even packed sandwiches. Once we stepped outside, we were immediately concerned by the high speed winds and chill in the air. We continued to be concerned as these winds followed us on our journey. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find Spoleto warm and sunny. Yesss! Erin had been on the field trip the previous weekend, so we depended on her memory and navigational skills to get us to the photo-worthy sites. I believe the first saving grace was the instinct to go uphill... you know, towards the big castle on top. Seemed logical. Luckily we stumbled across a familiar piazza and found a green park for lunch.

Hunger satisfied we continued uphill towards the castle, stumbled across a rather odd staircase with elevator music playing, and found ourselves inside the outer wall of the castle. The view of Spoleto was incredible. On the other side of this hill there is an old aqueduct from the Roman times, that has been converted into a foot bridge across the valley. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the trails in the hills on the other side. I am so fascinated by Roman ruins and having learned a bit more about the history behind them, they continue to leave me in awe. Green foliage and incredible views don't hurt either.

Having missed a train back home by 5 minutes, we wandered back into town for some food. We were baffled by so many shops being closed, since it was not siesta hour! (Siesta is between 1pm and ~4pm, during which time everyone goes home for a nap. I told you I loved this country for a reason.) Siesta can be inconvenient at times, but the logic behind it is impressive. Soon we realized that restaurants were not open for a few reasons: (1) It's not suppertime yet (2) It's not a huge tourist town, so they have no reason to operate on hours other than those typical of Italian culture. Our other dilemma was trying to locate a gelateria. We found a few shops called gelateria's... none of which actually sold gelato. It took us a few minutes to figure out why. It's WINTER. It might be outstandingly warm for us Canadians, but it is still winter, and not logical to sell gelato in a non-touristy town. Darn.

When we finally boarded a train home, I had a rather graceful moment that clearly distinguished me from all Italians. Not that my curly red hair hadn't done that already. I tripped going up the steps and FLEW across the train, momentum stopped only by the closed door on the other side. Positive note - we met a charming American girl as a result. She deduced that my apparent lack of gracefulness was enough evidence that I was not Italian, and introduced herself. I love Americans. The conversation for the remainder of the train ride was, at the very least, amusing.

Siena - Saturday

Getting up early one morning was clearly not enough. This time joining a different group of girls, we woke up even earlier and WALKED down to the train station, in order to catch an 8am train. Unfortunately, Saturday was much colder than Friday was and I should have worn mittens. At least the trek downhill warmed me up. Siena was beautiful, and I think I'll have to head back there with Mom when she comes. The duomo bared a slight resemblance to the one in Florence, though the actual style was quite different. I think it was the usage of white AND coloured marble. Fun fact: Italy only has white marble. So anytime you see coloured marble, it has been imported. The choice to use coloured marble was a display of wealth and a symbol of the vastness of the Roman empire. After wandering some more and shopping a bit we headed home. Upon arriving in Camucia, we discovered that the next bus up to Cortona was not for another hour. Being with a group of rather ambitious people, we decided to just hike up instead.

What. A. Workout.

I woke up this morning feeling rather stiff and sore from the activities of the last few days, but it is a good feeling. Sunday will be spent relaxing and studying... and NOT getting up any more than necessary.

Coming Soon

Today Erin and I went to Spoleto, and it was well worth it! We got up bright and early, and finally arrived home 12 hours later. I'll save stories for when I have a chance to upload pictures.... so that post is in the near future. The reason I'm giving you advance notice, is simply because I don't know when I'll get the chance to do so. Here is why:

• I still want to do a day trip to Siena... possibly tomorrow (Saturday). Problem being: no one else wants to go tomorrow, so I'd be going by myself. Not a big deal, but I'm also exhausted from today and would love to sleep in. ("So go another day!" You say. Not as easy as that sounds.)
• Next weekend: Feb 4-6 = Cinque Terre
• Feb 11-13 = Rome
• Feb 18-19 = Pompeii
• Feb 25-27 = Carnevale in Venice
• March 4-6 = Rome
• March 10 = Finals, March 11-12 pack up and leave.
• March 12-April 4 = Travelling with Mom
• April 4 = Coming home.

And I STILL want to do: Siena, Assisi, Perugia...

So WHEN? This is the dilemma. So. Pictures and stories of this past week and weekend will be coming soon.

Crazy Italians

I have found strolling in the park to be a rather pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Enjoyable company does make a huge difference. A camera doesn't hurt either. I'll save THAT story for another day. Today, instead, I'd like to share our encounter with some young Italian teenagers. To give you context, we strolled through the park, up the hill, and back down this crazy steep staircase. As we emerged from the brush covered path, we bumped into a small group of Italian teenage boys. We smiled, said hello, and carried on our way....

Not 30 seconds later we hear the distinct sound of someone running through the gravel to catch up. crunch, crunch, thump, crunch. You get the idea. We giggle, remark on how we think we're being followed, and carried on. As our pursuer got closer, we could hear someone calling "Excuse me! Excuse me! Hellooo!" Now you must picture that with an Italian accent, and a partially adolescent voice. Makes all the difference. We glance at each other, confirm that we are indeed being followed, giggle, and keep walking.

Soon, however, our pursuer caught up. Clearly out of breath, he stopped directly in front of us. We paused in an effort to be polite, since this young man had gone to the trouble of chasing us. Once he regained his composure, he asked our names.... then our ages. We did our best to respond in Italian, even though he asked in English. Well we ARE taking conversational Italian for a reason, are we not? "Venti, ventuno, e ventuno anni," we replied. "OH!" he exclaimed, "I am fourteen!" At this point another teen caught up and apologized for his friend, attempting to drag him away. Before departing, he insisted on the usual European greeting... kissing each cheek. We said our goodbyes and carried on with our walk, giggling the rest of the way. Oh teenagers....

...Oh Italians!

....

...Oh Italian teenagers....!

An International Food Affair

In agreement with this past weekend's cooking adventure, I'll be (hopefully) taking pictures of each dinner course throughout this week. I say hopefully because even though my camera may be present... sometimes I get SO excited to eat that I forget to take a picture until halfway through. So you'll understand if some pictures are incomplete. I'll post these pictures next weekend. In the meantime, I thought I'd give you a little sampling of some of my favourite things:

• Bread and Olive Oil. The BEST olive oil in the world is made right here in Tuscany, and it is served on just about everything.
• Pasta, pasta and more pasta! Every meal consists of three courses: prima, secondo, and dessert. Prima is always pasta (although sometimes we'll get garlic toast beforehand), secondo is always salad with a meat dish, or sometimes a Caprese salad. Dessert is.. well absolutely amazing.
• A favourite prima dish: Penne with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and olive oil. Who knew amazing food could be so simple? I think the key here is FRESH tomatoes, FRESH mozzarella, and TUSCAN olive oil. Regardless, I may have to try making this at home sometime.
• Fresh mozzarella - in salads, in pasta, in sandwiches. LOVE! Caprese salad is just salad with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella slices. When I say fresh mozzarella, I mean something way better than those bricks you buy at Extra Foods. Fresh mozzarella is unbelievable.
• Dessert... tiramisu, panne cotta, gelato... need I say more?
• Pizza. Again, need I say more? One of my favourites is actually a Pizza Bianca - meaning white pizza. It has mozzarella, fresh arugula, tomatoes and parmesan cheese... but NO pizza sauce. YUM!
• It is January, but the fruit here is still fresh. I often stop at the fruit cave and grab a snack after class... Things really do just taste better in Italy.
• We've found a little restaurant that we like to go to for birthdays. Probably because it can hold a large group of people (surprisingly difficult to find around here), and the food is good. Something I'm going to need to try the next time we go... veal with rosemary. Again with the simplicity: medium rare, seared with salt, pepper, olive oil, and rosemary. (Try THAT with a Caprese salad on the side)
• Chocolate... a wise Cortona Alumni once said "Don't get your parents to send you chocolate from home. Rather, get them to send you money to BUY chocolate. An Aero bar is still an Aero bar 1000s of miles from home. Besides, the BEST chocolate is made in Europe." He was right.

Well if I don't have you drooling at this point, I think maybe you should go to the doctor for a checkup. I'm drooling as I type this. I'm also thankful for that hill I have to hike every day to and from class.....

A Snow Weekend.

Forgive me for being quiet for the last week. There really isn't much to say when each day is basically the same! Weekends have the potential to be much more exciting... although the snow (Yes SNOW!) has made this a stay inside and stay warm weekend. I had hoped to do a day trip to Siena, but it's cold. I had hoped to get some good pictures of the market, but it snowed.

So basically it has been a "Snow weekend". Equivalent to Canada's "Snow Day", in which students don't have to go to school. Everything shuts down. The market was minimal, although I did manage to find the necessary ingredients to make hashbrowns. Perfect comfort food for a cold day. The ironic part? We are Canadians. Therefore we should (theoretically) be able to power through any kind of weather. So rain or shine, we have school - classes, field trips, and everything. Good thing there is an abundant supply of hot chocolate and cappuccino's! On that note, I would like to comment on hot chocolate...

Canadian hot chocolate = usually a powdered mix that creates a delicious beverage that is still the consistency of a liquid.

Italian hot chocolate (version 1) = Consistency and flavour of heated chocolate pudding so that it is liquid enough to drink. Except better.

Italian hot chocolate (version 2) = Consistency and flavour of homemade chocolate heated to a liquid form. Pretty much a party in your mouth.

This past week it has also been determined that the food is SO AMAZING that it needs to be documented on film. Luke was in charge of this past week, and I'm in charge of this next week - so I'll show you next weekend. However, since we are responsible for our own meals on weekends, a few other students went out and bought ingredients to make supper for everyone. (Costs divided between everyone fed - about 5euros a plate). This past weekend they made Fuscilli with a Truffle Cream Sauce & Chicken Caesar Salad. Homemade everything - even the croutons. My job in this escapade was to document every step in the process.

Adding the Truffles ^^

Daily Happenings

School has come into full swing, so my time spent "doing nothing" has greatly decreased. Still, this semester seems a lot more slack than any at home. For example... my assignment for this weekend is to go to the Saturday market and people watch. Observe social dynamics. And shop a little while you are there. I'll let you know how that goes, as my camera is feeling lonely. In the meantime, I thought I'd give you an idea of what my weekdays look like...

Monday: Get up for breakfast between 8 and 9. If I'm still tired, I'll go back to bed and sleep until 10 or so after I've eaten. Take my time showering and getting ready for the day. Maybe take a walk around Cortona, let my camera get some action. I really could take endless pictures of the view! Go back, eat some lunch. Monday is also a good day to go down to the Co-op and restock my groceries. Do readings/homework for Tuesdays class. Supper is at 7:30 and is always a 3 course meal. YUM!! Usually after supper I'll retire to my room and turn on Skype and see who's around. Bedtime is by 11pm.

Tuesday: Alarm is set for 7:30, and I'll shower and get ready BEFORE breakfast. Breakfast, as always is between 8 and 9. Class starts at 9:15, so before I leave I'll pack a lunch and grab my books. I have class 9:15-10:45, 11:00-12:30, and 12:45-2:15. Between class at one point I'll run across the street and grab a cappuccino or hot chocolate from the chocolate shop. What a lovely, tempting location!! Tuesdays I have a language lab for Italian back at the hostel at 3pm, so after class I head back and get a start on my homework. The language lab usually goes until about 4-4:30. Afterwards I resume homework/facebook until supper at 7:30. After supper my brain decides to turn off and I retire to my room once again.

Wednesday: Get up for breakfast between 8 and 9. Take my time getting ready/showering. No class today, but now I have a pile of readings/homework so most of the day will be spent doing that. Leftovers for lunch (no complaints!!) Maybe I'll take a walk around Cortona to get some air, maybe I'll go down to Camucia to do some laundry... Supper at 7:30, and relaxing in the evening. Most people here at the hostel like to party all night, every night. I'm just not into that, so that tends to be why I keep to myself after supper.

Thursday: Alarm is again set for 7:30, so that I can shower, eat breakfast, and pack my lunch. On school days I pack a sandwich, yogurt, fruit, etc., rather than eating leftovers. I save leftovers for days that I don't have class. Class until 2:15, most likely a stop at the chocolate shop for a caffe cioccolato al fondente, and then Italian lab until 5:30. Days that I have class are exhausting, but balanced by the days that I have NO class. Thursdays are basically the equivalent of Fridays, because nobody has class on fridays. This means I can stay up later, and get ready for the weekend.

Friday: Yay it's the weekend! I'll usually get up for breakfast, and consider going back to bed afterwards, but it depends on what the plan is for the day. This is a good day for day trips.... for example, some of us went to Florence for the day to do some shopping. We caught the train at 11:30, and came back around 9pm. Very long day, but definitely worth it! I bought new leather boots! Unfortunately, I have no pictures of those yet... so you'll have to be patient! Friday is also karaoke night at a local pub. Gave me a chance to get dolled up and try out my new boots! Also, this pub serves complimentary popcorn when you order drinks.... oh how I have missed popcorn. You wouldn't think it would be such a hard thing to find!

Saturday: If I haven't gone away for the weekend, I can go to the Saturday market in Cortona. The market is mostly clothes, etc., since it is geared towards those living in Cortona who don't (or can't) go down to the Co-op in Camucia. However, there were numerous vegetable, fruit, cheese, and meat stalls also. I picked up some potatoes... hashbrowns!! I'll likely spend some of the day doing homework to get ready for the next week. If I have leftovers I'll eat those, if I don't I'll plan to make something (such as hashbrowns! ;) )

Sunday: If I've gone away for the weekend, this is a day to return home and then relax. I have yet to find a church to attend here in Cortona, although they are in abundance. My concern rests on the observation that they are all catholic churches. I wonder if there are other denominations around? Sunday evening is also the best chance for me to Skype with family. (Sunday evening for me is Sunday afternoon at home. I am 8 hours ahead of AB time.)

I hope this gives you a better idea of what life is like studying abroad. To sum up: It's awesome!

Long Weekend in Florence

Thursday was a national holiday, and we never have class on Fridays... so that meant a very long weekend here in Cortona. I'd say about eighty percent of the students here decided to head up to Florence for the weekend, and we all ended up staying in the same hostel again! I guess we just can't get enough of each other. We took the train Thursday afternoon - it is approximately a 1 1/2 hour train ride, and headed out to wander the streets once we arrived. Florence is filled with awesome locations to shop, so that was the primary mission for most people this weekend. I bought a toque, although I don't have any pictures of it... yet... to put on here.

Friday was mostly spent shopping in the market and in all the leather shops. If you want a leather jacket while in Italy, Florence is the place to look. The selection is outstanding, and usually you can get a pretty good deal for what you want. I'd say it was a successful day.... I bought a leather purse, a leather jacket, some jewelry, and a scarf. I had wanted a purse that was big enough to fit my camera along with my wallet etc, so that I didn't need to carry my camera bag every time I went out. The key point of all the selection, is that you wait for the PERFECT item before you buy. A picture of one of my purchases below....

Friday evening we went to the Duomo, which is the religious heart of Florence. I had seen the outside on the last trip, and it is gorgeous, but this time I wanted to go inside. Pretty typical cathedral, but the inside of the dome was incredible. Afterwards we walked over to Ponte Vecchio, took some pictures and bought some gelato. I don't think I'll ever get sick of gelato.

The duomo at night

Ponte Vecchio

Mmmmm Gelato

Saturday morning we got up bright and early and hiked up to the top of the Duomo. Steep spiralling staircases, and minimal headroom (good thing I'm tiny)... and so worth it. Left us out of breath, from climb AND the view.

After the duomo we grabbed breakfast and took a train to Pisa. We spent a few hours taking silly (and classical tourist) pictures. Once we had our fill we decided to take a different route back to the train station. And got lost. Of course. BUT! Getting lost did result in our discovery of a charming park inside an old stone fortress. Sometimes getting lost is worth it.

Sunday was check out day, so after we packed our bags we decided to do a little bit of last minute shopping. Breakfast was.... wait for it.... WAFFLES topped with GELATO. Be jealous. It really doesn't get better than that. Unfortunately the shopping excursion was not fruitful for me, as I am still on the hunt for the perfect pair of leather boots. Oh well, I am sure there will be more trips to Florence in the future.

Because you asked...

Here's the inside of my room. I would have taken a picture of the outside of the hostel... but it isn't as pretty as the inside, and would sort of ruin the beauty of it.

This is home.

Allow me to take a few minutes to give you a tour of where I shall be living for the next few months. This city is small and picturesque. It is situated on a hill, so all the roads either go up or go down. (Can you imagine the legs I'll have when I'm done??

This is the common room/dining hall.

View from the town into the valley. The trees at the bottom are olive trees... cool!

More pictures of the town...

The Series of Unfortunate Events that lead me here...

You know when you wake up in the morning and just have a bad feelings that SOMETHING is going to go wrong? It's really not so pleasant to have that feeling on the day you fly halfway across the world. Long story short... I am finally in Rome and settled into my hostel for the night.

But we all know that none of you want the short version.

We arrived in the airport around 2pm, and headed to the check-in desk. All was well... except they were concerned that I might get booted out of the country for having no proof that I'm leaving ITALY. I have proof I'm leaving LONDON... but not Italy. Apparently inferences are not enough. They strongly suggested purchasing a train ticket out of the country before my 90 days was up. (My total trip is 94 days... 4 days too long to be there as a tourist). I ended up chancing it... worst case scenario would be that I have to buy a flight on the spot once I got to Rome.

Flight to Calgary.. no problems. Even had no problems making the connection, even though there was little more than half an hour between flights.

I boarded the flight to Frankfurt, and shortly thereafter the Captain makes an announcement that they are having mechanical difficulties.... loading the water tank for the bathroom. One hour later they decide to bring excessive amounts of water bottles and wetnaps on board to substitute the lack of water for flushing the toilet and washing your hands. Hmm. Regardless... a one hour delay is going to make things tight in Frankfurt, since I only have an hour and 20 minutes to make the next connection.

I don't sleep well on planes I've discovered. I try... but its more like resting my eyes. Which, I suppose, is better than nothing. On the flipside... the inability to sleep meant I got to watch the sunrise as we flew into it. Super weird, but cool.

I missed my connection to Rome in Frankfurt. By 20 minutes. Certainly didn't help that the airport is under construction, and we had to be bussed back to the main terminal. Also didn't help that the airport was crazy busy and we had to go through security again. Oh well, they rebooked me on a different flight later in the afternoon. Just meant I had 4 hours to wait in the airport. Which sucks when you don't know anyone, there is no wireless internet, and your ipod is dying.

2 hour flight to Rome. With a surprise snack! I found food on my tray after I passed out on the plane. What a lovely surprise to wake up to!!

Half an hour train ride from the airport to the city center. By now I am desperate for a real bed. 4 hours of sleep (give or take) in the last 22.

BUT! My luggage made it on time, and I had no troubles at immigration. AND! I am here safely, and ready to start this adventure!