Sotto il Sole della Toscana (Under the Tuscan Sun)

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    Getting out of Florence and into the countryside is one of my favorite things to do on the weekend.  My friend Christina came down from Siena to spend the weekend and we debated going to Viareggio for one last beach day..but the weather was threatening rain.  So we went to the train station and chose a new destination:  Cortona.  Anyone having seen Under the Tuscan Sun remembers the beautiful scenery (and the crazy middle-aged women). 

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It turned out to be a cloudy-sunny day in a quaint Tuscan town with some beautiful panoramic views of the countryside.  Anywhere in the hills is just so peaceful, green and stunning.

Corri la Vita!!  Run for Life!  Sunday was the annual charity 5K walk (more of a stroll really) for charity.  Since church was moved to the afternoon, we decided to take part in the walk.  There ended up being over 20,000 people that took part (and 4 portapotties) – it was crazy and fun.  The crowd amassed at Piazza Signoria, the mayor made an appearance, the gun blew and the masses were off.  There wasn’t really any need for traffic control because no car would be a match for that many people.  The walk proceeded through the Boboli Gardens and some random courtyard stops along the way, and thankfully people dispersed to wander the gardens, stop for a macchiato or panini, and to enjoy the sunny day.  Fun times..maybe next year I’ll run the 12K, although there’s nothing like taking a passeggiata through town with 20,000 other people in Fiorentina viola T-shirts..

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This week promises to be quiet.  Just as an update, my no sugar for a month resolution lasted only 5 days (who’s surprised?) but who can pass up dulce de leche chocolates homemade by your roommates’ grandma in Brazil? But don’t worry – I’ve just added an extra day to my month just to see if I can do it - even though I’ve decided it’s a ridiculous notion to try and live without sugar. Classes don’t start for another week so it’s mostly private lessons, studying Italian, birthday parties, running, and conference this weekend.  That I’m looking forward to.   But I do need a new hobby…any suggestions?

Un giro per quasi tutta l’Italia

It was a marvelous July.  I got to see a great deal of Italy and spend time with my family.  Everything started off with my mom arriving in Rome, where we quickly caught a flight to Sardegna, an island off the coast of Italy.  We saw lots of gorgeous seas, some ruins and spent some time on the beach.

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Our next stop was to meet my father and brother in Pisa and then to head up to Venice.  Venice is always beautiful – even with the almost unbearable 90 degree, 100% humidity weather.  Let’s just say that the entire month was pretty hot and humid and we all got used to being covered with sweat most of the time.  We saw the usual – churches, pigeons, palaces, art, gondolas, blown glass, magical Venice.. We met my uncle and his family in Venice to enjoy the day.

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Then it was off to a quick visit in Florence to see my house and to give me the chance to show my family the city.  We saw the David, took a night tour of the Palazzo Vecchio, went up to Piazzale Michelangelo for the best view of the city and walked around and enjoyed.  

Next stop – Rome.  Jean met us there and we toured around the city. I hadn’t been back to the Coliseum and the Roman Forum since high school and it was really impressive (and hot) walking around all the old ruins of ancient Rome.  The Borghese Gallery was also very impressive, as is the rest of Rome.  I love Rome.

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Dad and Matt returned home (and air conditioning) and the rest of us continued on our way to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast.  It was beautiful – the charming towns built on the steep hillsides, the beautiful sea and coastline.

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Sicily was our last stop – we sure got a lot in on our vacation and everyone was pretty tired by the end of the trip.  We stayed in Catania and visited Mt. Etna and Siracuse. 

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After Jean and mom returned back to the US, I stayed in Sicily to enjoy the beautiful country.  It was so totally different from the rest of Italy.  Let’s just say fashion and looks are not the priority that they are here.  The people were friendly and fun and motorcycle helmets were obviously optional.  The whole family can fit on one little scooter.  The lemon and almond granite were to die for – they really are the best in Sicily, just like the best pizza really was Napoletana.  It was a great, long, enlightening vacation and I’m happy that I got to see so much of this beautiful country!!  

Sono arrivata! Back in Italy

After a marvelous summer filled with travel, sun, family and fun I have finally returned back to Italy for another year of teaching and soaking up some Italian culture.  I am looking forward to doing some more travelling, visiting more Tuscan towns and improving my Italian to a respectable level of conversation. I celebrated my return with some pizza and gelato, naturally, and a stroll through the center to see what has changed since I left (not much). 

Things I will miss from the US (and you should be grateful you have):   A couch, reliable internet, Mexican food, a car, Target, good friends, quiet, a nice big bed, Family

Things I enjoy in Italy (and you’re missing out on): Pizza, gelato, the ability to walk almost anywhere, culture and art everywhere, Italians, piazzas, evening strolls, people everywhere

I will put up some pictures of some of my summer travels soon, mostly because I don’t even remember half of the things that I have done or seen so I’d better write them down. 

Fireworks for San Giovanni, World Cup, Summer

Florence is pretty great - they know all of us Americans were going to miss our 4th of July fireworks so they decided to have them for us anyways - just a little early!  Actually, they were for San Giovanni - the patron saint of Florence - and they were pretty awesome!  The bridges and Arno streets were packed with people who came out to watch the 40 minute show.  I was impressed!

Other than that - it has been all about the Mondiale di Calcio over here.  I think it's the most patriotic the Italians ever get.  It has been fun to come home at night and watch a soccer game - I don't think I've ever watched an entire game before - but I have certainly become a fan.  Too bad Italy and the US are already out of the running - but now I will just have to switch allegiances over to Portugal and Ghana.  It's fun anyways to hear all the neighbors yelling and screaming together when a goal is scored or missed - and my roommate really gets into the games :)  I should've become a soccer fan earlier.

Last weekend I went up to Torino with a bunch of friends for a sports activity and to see a little bit of the city.  It was huge and gorgeous and green.  I loved it!  Now I need to go back and really see the city.  And I learned that I'm actually pretty good at soccer - and that I haven't improved a bit at beach volleyball. 

I've been busy finishing up school and teaching (finally done!!) and planning vacations mostly.  Even if I hated teaching (which I don't) - I think I could do it just for the pleasure of a summer break.. I've also made it to the beach a couple of times.  The weather was hot and then rainy (I never thought I would enjoy rain so much in my life!) and then sadly hot again.  6 years in SF have ruined me for a summer of 90 degrees and no AC - but I'm sure I'll slowly get acclimated.  At least I get to spend a lot of my time at the beach!  My mom comes Thursday and I'm super excited!!  She'll be followed by my dad and brother..and then Jean.  On the itinerary - Sardegna, Venice, Florence, Rome, Napoli and Sicily...then a brief pause before Sweden, England and the USA!!  It should be a great summer!
The past month has been mostly finishing up school and teaching - so excited that I am finally done!!!  And doing LOTS of planning for summer vacation - with a couple of trips to the beach thrown in.  The weather got hot and then rainy (I never thought I loved the rain so much but I wanted it to stay forever) - sadly, it has gotten hot again but I guess it is summer.  6 years in cold, foggy SF just haven't prepared me for a summer of the 90s without AC but I'm sure I'll adjust.  My mom is flying into Rome tomorrow and I'm SO excited to see her and to see Italy.  She'll be followed shortly by my dad and brother..and then Jean. On the itinerary - Sardegna, Venezia, Firenze, Roma, Napoli, Sicilia...then a brief pause before Sweden, England, and the good old USA!  It's going to be great!

Beach, Cherries and Gelato!

Sun!!  Finally!  Beautiful summer weather has arrived (we kind of skipped the Spring) and I have been loving the sun.  I took the opportunity to go to the beach and enjoy the day.  My roommate convinced me to try the beach in Pisa..but I think we have a pretty different idea of what a beach is supposed to be.  When I first got there it was just lots of rocky piers jutting out..

So I kept walking along and finally we got more of a beach..just of rocks

And then finally - SAND!  It was small but there.  I just don't know how a beach is a beach without sand.  I guess the water is supposedly cleaner with the rocks..but it's just not the same.  It was nice to get some sun..but it really just made me miss the Pacific Ocean and the sound of the waves and the sea breeze...

This past week my favorite pizzaiolo student invited me to his orchard to pick cherries.  It was awesome - he has hundreds of cherry, apple, peach, apricot and pear trees that he planted all himself.  In the beautiful Tuscan countryside.  We picked in the afternoon and then went to his house for an amazing Tuscan meal - with freshly made pecorino cheese from his neighbour's sheep.  We ended the evening by taking a trip to the local gelateria for my new favorite flavor of the week - arancia-limone.  I love my students and their wives.

This weekend was the Gelato Festival in Florence.  And I ate WAY too much gelato but it was good.  They had a demonstration where they showed how it is made and it was really cool to watch and then eat.  There was also a demonstration of the old hand-cranked machines and some amazing custard gelato.  It was fun..but I'm glad it doesn't happen more than once a year or I would not be able to stop myself.  I did find a summer goal though:  to try all of these ice creams on the signs that are out in front of all the shops.  I think I've had 3 kinds already..so it's a good start.

About a month left of classes and then I'm looking forward to the summer!  For my family to come and visit and the chance to get to see more of Italy! 

Why I love Spring..

{I have to preface this by saying that I started this post Before it proceeded to rain every day for the past week..but here's to hoping that it will stop some day soon.}

Just some thoughts about why I've been enjoying Spring so much so far:
  1.  It's not 100 degrees and humid yet (I have to admit I'm terrified - I am not quite sure how I'll handle actually having a hot, humid summer after 6 years in cold, foggy SF)
  2.  No mosquitos yet (I've only killed two so far..although there is one hiding somewhere in my room that I can't seem to find..)
  3. The beautiful flowers covering the grass and newly green trees in the parks.
  4.  Jacket weather (a little nostalgia for San Francisco)
  5.  My clothes can actually dry in one day - outside! 
  6. Flip flops!
  7. Biancanotte (white night) in Florence.  The night before May 1st (Labor day here) the entire center of Florence was open all night with concerts and events in every piazza and at midnight there were more people than I've ever seen in the city walking around  - about 150,000 people roaming the streets. It was pretty impressive - and the weather was absolutely perfect.  Gelato and pizza at midnight should happen more often..
  8.  Summer vacation and travelling!

I have been wanting to go visit the Iris Garden by Piazzale Michelangelo but have been holding off because of the rain.  However, we had a brief respite on Saturday  - so I took advantage and visited the gardens and finally the San Miniato cathedral.  If someone had told me there was a cemetary there, I wouldn't have put it off for so long!  It ended up being a beautiful day (if this were winter and it were supposed to be so cold and rainy, that is)..


Some pictures of San Miniato and the serene graveyard.

Wouldn't you like to be buried here?  I sure would!

The one on the left was my favorite ever..I don't know why the man is lying down with a torch..Did he collapse during the Olympics or is that symbolic of his light being put out or was that just his wish to be shown lying on the ground instead of under??

It turned out to be a nice weekend..and one of these days, when the rain stops, I will be able to go to the beach!

The BEST Pizza Ever...truly

A couple of weeks ago my favorite students in the whole world invited me to one of their houses' for dinner.  And it was absolutely amazing - Fiorentino is a true pizzaiolo! 
I teach Fiorentino and Giovanni for an hour once a week at the school where they are both engineering professors.  They are beginners, although Fiorentino worked selling tickets at the Duomo for a few years so he knows lots of useful phrases like - how much?  where is the bathroom?  how many steps to the top?  Giovanni wants to learn English to help collaborate with other schools in Europe and both of them have plans to travel to the US next year - but mostly, it's just a fun new hobby for them. 
Really, we just end up talking about whatever random topic of the week comes up - weather, Berlusconi (always highly entertaining since they are on opposite sides of the political spectrum), Fiorentino's flying hobby or his orchard, the best places to visit in Italy, my weekend travels, their weekend plans, their wives, my family, etc.  I get to practice my Italian and they are improving their English slowly...it's always one of my favorite hours of the week!..

  Fiorentino has been wanting me to come out and see his house and orchard and his wood-burning oven for a while - and we finally found a time to make it happen.  Giovanni's wife, Laura, is from Finland and she had a friend and her daughter from Sweden visiting - so we all went out to Fiorentino's house in Montespirito.
A bellisima casa!!  It was built in the 1500s and is very large by Italian standards.  Two stories and a basement and an old wine cellar.  It was a beautiful Spring day and we enjoyed sitting outside and talking - English, Finlandese, Swedish, Italian - I always love the mix of languages.  Added to that, their friend and his Brazilian girlfriend stopped by so we had plenty of nationalities covered..

This is the wood stove that Fiorentino built in the basement.  He is amazing!  He had made the crust earlier in the day, since true pizza crust needs a whole day to rise.  Then we sat and watched while he rolled out the crust, added the sauce and the cheese and the toppings and put it in the oven.  We ate enough pizza for 20 people between the ten of us!  They just kept on coming.. First, foccaccia, then pizza margherita, pizza alla cipolla, pizza con proscuitto e funghi, and pizza napolitano (without the sardines for me)...amazing, every single one of them (and I had them all).  Although we were all stuffed, we also managed to finish off the night with nutella and marscapone pizza for dessert. 

The whole group..and Giovanni trying to get me to eat another piece..which I'm sure I managed to do..

I love these students of mine!!  They are by far the kindest and most entertaining Italian men I have met so far!