In which the introvert has too much alone time...

Today, one of my dreams for Sicily came true! The one problem was that I had nobody with whom to share it, so it wasn't as fulfilling as I had expected. This post is dedicated to my lovely cousins across the globe, especially the ones who are lucky enough to be the family reunion in South Dakota. They are my dearest friends and I missed them a lot today.

Last night, as I was eating my dinner (leftovers from lunch since I had gone to the beach early) Maria came in and said “Stavo pensando…” Actually I can’t remember the whole thing in Italian. She said she had been thinking about my desire to go to Palermo, and though I should take one of the tours promoted by the hostel. It’s a company called Sicilian Airbus Tours, and its acronym SAT does not scare me like it might have in high school. They do guided bus tours to places like Mt. Etna, Palermo, Siracusa, and any other possible day trip. I hadn’t thought about taking one because it’s much cheaper to organize your own trip. Maria, however, said they would pay for my ticket. “Veramente?!” I said. Yes, truly, I was going in less than twelve hours.

The bus departed Taormina at 6 o’clock this morning. I woke up at 5 and hit the snooze button once before I convinced myself that it would be a huge shame (funny story on “shame” later on) if I missed the tour that had been so kindly arranged for me. So I got out of bed, crashed into a few things (which miraculously did not wake up my three roommates) and tried to gather what I needed for this last-minute trip. By 5:30 I was running the first hundred meters down the road, just to make sure I would get to the bus terminal with time to spare. I applied sunscreen as I went. I kicked myself for forgetting a notebook and a hair band. Turns out I didn’t need the hair band (it has remained remarkably cool here for the past week) and I just paid extra-close attention to the tour guide so I could remember everything to share with you here.

Despite the drawbacks (limited time frame, pre-selected activities, blatant identification as a tourist) there is something so relaxing about being on a guided bus tour. It nice to be driven around and told what to do, rather than stressing about making a train or bus connection. It’s like being a kid again. Also, it limited my chances of run-ins with men I would rather not have run-ins with. Oh, yes, that keeps happening. Just the other day I was innocently eating a peach, admiring the view of Isola Bella from the top of the long staircase. This guy’s pickup line was “un bel posto, vero?” – “ a beautiful spot, isn’t it?” but unluckily for him, I was running out of patience for such behavior and soon excused myself with “I have to go – ciao!” and scurried off down the stairs. If he were cuter, maybe I would have kept up the conversation longer. JUST KIDDING, MOM!

So anyway, at 6 o’clock this morning I handed my ticket to the lady who turned out to be our tour leader. She was a very impressive lady who, for the entire 14-hour day, made every single announcement and explained every single site in three languages: Italian, English, and German. I think, from her accent, that she herself was German. We had a local guide in Palermo who also accomplished that tri-lingual feat. He was an older Italian man named Pietro and he reminded me of Grandpa Heckmann. Oh, I forgot to mention that our bus driver’s name was Nino. I really need to make a list of all the Italian names I hear. They can be so funny.

We got to visit three towns today, actually. Besides Palermo, we visited an amazing cathedral in Monreale as well as the beautiful seaside town of Cefalù. Monreale was a bonus, actually just a replacement for another church in Palermo that was closed for renovations, and I am so thankful we got to visit. After our brief tour of Europe at Christmas time, my friends and I were trying to decide our favorite church. Mine was either St. Mark’s in Venice or Notre Dame in Paris, but after today I think it is the cathedral of Monreale. I can’t imagine any other church being better.

Oh darn, I really have to go to bed. I'm going to post this anyway, so I apologize for leaving you hanging. Tomorrow I will share everything I remember about the sites. They were all SO beautiful. But my closing thought is something that I questioned on the way home, looking out on the gorgeous blue Mediterranean Sea with the Aeolian Islands on the horizon. Can beauty, all on its own, make a person happy? After today, I think it cannot. (Does that have something to do with why God created the world? Is that why God created Eve? Is this all too deep for me to be thinking about at midnight? Undoubtedly.) I would like to explore that thought someday, but tonight I will just say that I wish you were here!

Update

It is lame, but I have to post something. Today I am going to Palermo, and I've barely known for 12 hours. The family just sprang it on me. It is a lovely surprise, though, because they're buying my ticket! I have to run, but I'll definitely have something to write about tonight. Ciao!

Granita

I almost went to bed without posting, but I can't sleep so you all are in luck! Today I caught up on sleep (maybe too much? no, impossible) and took another walk around Taormina. It is has become my unofficial mission to find the best granita in the town, taking prices into consideration, and today I had a breakthrough. (If you are unfamiliar with this delicious alternative to gelato, maybe you know Italian ice. I'd say they're similar, if not the same thing. Granita comes in all sorts of flavors from almond and coffee to strawberry and kiwi.)

The place for granita that we at Taormina's Odyssey recommend to everyone is called "Bam Bar" which specializes in all kinds of granite (that's the plural...I'm not really sure when to use the singular and when to use the plural). They make all different varieties from scratch, right there. The granita experience, I am told, is made complete with panna (whipped cream) and brioche (a big, fluffy, golden brown pastry roll) but so far I've just enjoyed it in its simplest form: from a plastic cup, whilst walking down the street. It doesn't take much more than that to make it one of my favorite things. To me, coffee flavored is best.

Above: an example of the ultimate granita experience -- maybe I am missing out!

Below: lemon granita, the way I normally consume it.

Anyway, a little take-away plastic cup of granita di caffè costs €2,50 at most places along the main pedestrian tourist street. Once before I found it for €2 but it was disgusting and old. Last week I was rather shocked when I finally made it to Bam Bar and had to pay €3,50. That's approximately $5! Eeep. So today I was excited to find, not more than 300 meters down that same street, a place with equally good granita for only €2. Victory! Still not an everyday indulgence, but much more affordable, don't you agree? And it's impossible to beat on a hot day. Saturday it's supposed to reach 99º F, so I think some more granita is in my immediate future.

A (Can't Really Define It As) Typical Day

7:30 I wake up, not having slept well. One of the Italian girls was talking to one of the Italian boys outside the dorm window at 3:30 a.m. and I oddly woke up. I'm normally such a good sleeper, but I think I was worried about the day, since we had a lot of last-minute arrivals and more people than I was expecting. Too many people for this introvert, perhaps.

7:45 I'm dressed and preparing for breakfast.

8 The American woman who lives in Holland is at the table, since she has to catch a bus at 9. Two noisy but extremely nice French girls complete the group of early risers. The American couple from New York City (who are nearly my grandparents' age) come down next. There is a French couple who needs change for their payment the day before, and couple of German guys who ask me a question about renting a scooter. In the midst of all this, I keep the stove on for coffee and tea as desired, heat up pane in the microwave, and wash dishes and utensils as soon as they are used so that I can re-set places at the table which only seats 8. This morning we have 12 guests, I believe, but the Italians don't come down for breakfast (they were the ones up in the wee small hours of the morning, remember).

10 Breakfast goes until 9:30, and so by this time I have had a chance to finish all the dishes and clear the table and counters. I start taking sheets off the beds which have been vacated, but can't start the laundry because we're currently out of detergent. So I re-make the beds with new clean sheets and begin cleaning the bathrooms. Maria arrives and continues the laundry, then ever-so-swiftly helps me finish the cleaning. She says we can go to the market this morning, which in Taormina is held every Wednesday just up the street.

11:30 We are at the market, looking at jewelry and dresses, produce and plants. Maria is looking for a certain kind of flower, but they have sold out. She buys a swimsuit because they are much less expensive here than in a regular shop. They are made in China (interesting that the labels don't say "Made in China" but "Made in P.R.C.") or other such places, but she and I agree that swimsuits don't necessarily have to be high quality if one doesn't go swimming that often. I run back later and buy a strapless one, because avoiding tan lines is a never-ending challenge for me.

12:30 I read a little bit and take a short nap, but before I truly fall asleep I hear Maria outside my door saying "Katie! Pronto!" which just means that lunch is ready, not that she's rushing me. (That's what all Italians say when they're answering the phone, actually..."Pronto!")

2 We are eating without Piero this afternoon, which happens from time to time when he makes a trip to Messina or Catania. Ruggero has eaten already. He wanted so on the way home from the market his mother stopped at a Macelleria to buy hamburgers. She and I are having pasta con lenticchie and when I say that I enjoy lentils, Maria comments that they are good for you because they have lots of iron. Piero arrives then, with his cousin Sandro, and proceeds to make his own pasta with fish they had purchased that morning. They save me some so I can have it for dinner.

3 I go to get some ice cream, and later wish I hadn't.

3:30 I am still tired from the night before, so I stay in my room all afternoon. I can't sleep, so I read. I also poke around online, reading things about Italian soccer and Italian dialects. I discover a movie set in the region near Via Piana called La Cioceria. It's also dubbed in English under the the Two Women and stars Sofia Lauren. I start to watch that.

6 My evening shift starts, beginning with a request from Piero to email Hostel Bookers. They have a lot of problems with that agency: bad search results, bad reviews...most recently, the website allowed a same-day reservation which apparently is no good. So, being the English expert around here, I get to write the angry email. Well, I try to be polite but forcefull.

7 Even though we have no more reservations, it's good to have someone sitting in reception tonight because in walk two Belgian guys looking for beds for one night. I put them in the 6-bed dorm, give them their 40% discount coupon for the parking garage, and get them towels. I make sure they have keys and maps and the standard restaurant recommendations. I make mental note that I need to boil two more eggs tonight. I sit down to watch a little more of the Italian film and people start to come down to the kitchen.

9:11 As I write this, the Italian girls, the Italian guys, and the older American couple are sitting down to their evening meal. I'm only obliged to stay here until 9, but the couple cleverly came down to cook at 8:50 and of course I couldn't turn them away. Fortunately, I wasn't counting on an evening passeggiata but I could actually go out any time before mid-night and Taormina will still be bustling. So maybe I will.

Buona Sera!

P.S. I know this sounds very glum, but it was just a low-key day.

What's the most interesting thing about this post?

Sunday night, we did go to the pizzeria. Piero had a friend in town and they wanted to have a meal together, so they chose Pizzeria Flamingo. During the day it is actually a lido, a private beach where one pays to rent a spot with a lounge chair and umbrella, so the outdoor eating area was right next to the sea. We got there a little after 10 p.m. We left around 12:30 a.m. It was so hardcore! Up to that point, I had been feeling pretty Italian just eating my meals around 8 or 9 in the evening, but never had eaten much later than that. Now I’ve experienced the real thing.

I almost ate my entire pizza, too (I probably could have, but something keeps me from eating excessively in public…not at home, mind you…just in public). My cousin Anna says she won’t be able to go back to American pizza after this, and I’m beginning to agree. Not much can compare to Italian pizza baked in a wood oven…nel forno a legna. I had the pizza mexicana, which featured red and yellow peppers with spicy salami. Ruggero, the five-year-old, had pizza with…wait for it…FRENCH FRIES AND PIECES OF HOT DOG. I told them that this kind of pizza would be very strange in America. Maria asked why. I said I guessed Americans hadn’t thought of it yet.

Yesterday afternoon I went to the sea and got a little jellyfish sting (very little…you can’t even see the spot anymore). The Italian word for jellyfish is medusa. I’m glad it didn’t turn me into stone. The jellyfish was actually very beautiful, small with brown stripes. The water is SO clear here that one can see everything: jellyfish…lots of fish, actually…seaweed…rocks. I figured out that I could open my eyes underwater without much discomfort and now going to the sea is much more fun. Speaking of rocks, the beaches in the area immediately around Taormina are all pebble beaches. They kind of make it difficult to walk, and in the water they are covered with algae and quite slippery. I’ve grown to appreciate the rocks, however, because the lack of sand makes life SO much easier.

I wish you all were here to enjoy this with me! If you find yourself free in the next two weeks, I’ll be here. Bunk beds at Taormina’s Odyssey are only €20 per night. Can’t guarantee the same value for an airline ticket, unfortunately.

Before my evening shift, I’m going to investigate the library. I think it might be fun to read some children’s books. I’m also reading a book that was here at the hostel called Fuori da un Evidente Destino (Beyond a Clear Destiny, I guess I’d say…but if any Latin students are reading this, please note that it’s not a literal translation). It’s a novel set in Flagstaff, Arizona, and I find it amusing to read about American culture from the perspective of an Italian author. So far there’s a character named Caleb Kelso, a hunter who has a dog named Silent Joe (because it never barks). Caleb appears to have some money troubles, but at the end of chapter one has just discovered a mysterious cave at the base of a tree split in half by lightening. Silent Joe, the dog, has emerged from the hole with a human bone in its mouth. Dun dun dun…

To be continued!

Sicilia

Is this really my first post from Sicily? I bought a new power cable this week and have slowly been catching up with the world since then. I almost didn’t want to turn on the computer again, it was so freeing to be without it. It’s the same way with my camera (although I am planning to buy a disposable camera to capture a few key memories).

I’ve been here for over a week now and am truly enjoying it. As expected, I spend more time working here than at the B&B. I’ll do a post on my typical day, later. The family (Piero who is the husband and a bit older, Maria who is the wife and probably in her forties, and Ruggero who is the cute if somewhat spoiled five-year-old son) are excellent hosts. They give me a lot of trust and responsibility, and take care of me in so many ways.

Today for il pranzo (lunch) we ate linguine con pomodorini e frutte del mare (linguine with cherry tomatoes and seafood). Maria is such a good cook. We are always joking that this should be a Michelin-rated restaurant. They actually do want to have a very small restaurant at some point in the future. At any rate, lunch was amazing. The seafood was delicious and consisted of shrimp and mussels purchased at the produce market in Siracusa when the family went there yesterday.

The meal was a perfect picture of life here: traditionally Sicilian, filled with kindness and generosity. I didn’t realize this before, but lunch (as explained to me by the girl helping here before) is the most important meal of the day here. The family always eats together, so I eat with them and we ALWAYS have pasta: farfalle, linguine, spaghetti, etc. For the first week I was horrified at the thought of all the white flour I was consuming, but I (and my body, I hope) have gotten used to it by now. And Maria always gives me such a large portion. My plate is always pre-served with pasta, and then we help ourselves to salad and vegetables as soon as there is room on our plates, for which I am extremely grateful. Maria noticed on the first day that I was eating my pasta slowly and diving into the side dishes, so we talked a little about how I like vegetables. She agrees that they are good for you and thankfully prepares some every day (the most unique was zucca or pumpkin, steamed and prepared with olive oil and vinegar). But still, a generous serving of pasta every day. Last year in Italy I was cooking for myself (that’s not actually fair to say…Anna Gansert was cooking which was much, much better) and so the food was influenced by but certainly not typically Italian. So this has been a new experience for me.

Besides the special lunch today, the other astonishing demonstration of their generosity came Wednesday night when I was preparing for my free day (we had just worked out my day off that morning, very last-minute, very Italian). I was reading all about Siracusa in the hostel’s guide book, and just before he left for the night, Piero came up to me saying he had “un piccolo present” for my trip the next day and put some money in my hand. I was surprised and touched. I didn’t really know what proper protocol was in that type of situation, so I tried to demonstrate my astonishment by weakly protesting and my gratefulness by thanking him profusely. I hope he realized how much it meant to me. It covered my bus fare and some of my food for the day.

Tonight after check-in (6-9 p.m.) we are going to a pizzeria. I am still full from lunch. Ciao!

A Temporary Pause

Sad news: yesterday night I got back from a wonderful day in the mountains only to discover my computer cord was no longer delivering power to my computer. Either I will have to buy a new cord, or my blogging time will be severely impeded.

Good news: my cousin Anna and I got our tickets to Sicily! We leave for Taormina in the morning and I will begin volunteering at a new hostel, Taormina's Odyssey. Looking forward to it!

Three Kind Strangers

Oh, no! Two days have gone by without my daily post. And just as I advertised on Facebook...

Yesterday was Sunday. I took that day off to go into Rome. Since my first trip there last year, I've been keeping a long list of things to do in the Eternal City, and each time I check something off but also add two or three more things. This time, I also got to meet my cousin Anna and share the day with her! She's been traveling through Italy on her own, but we're going to spend the next week or so together.

Since yesterday was Sunday, we were able to go to the Porta Portese Flea Market which is held this one day a week, south of Trastevere (that's the part of Rome across the Tiber River). It was a little like the open-air market in Sora, except less food and plants and more dry goods. And it was huge! I bought a yellow summer scarf to protect my shoulders from further sunburn, and Anna got a long colorful skirt made from fair trade cotton in Nepal.

At one of the stalls, a customer who couldn't speak Italian was looking puzzled at a jar of confettura di fichi along with the merchant who couldn't speak English. The guy asked me if I could translate, and when I said "fig jam" (I only know this because we serve jam to the guests at Via Piana and it says confettura on the bottle) the merchant was SO excited and gave me this huge kiss on the cheek. He then enthusiastically gave Anna and I some cheese, which, in his words, came from a "baaaaaa"... :)

So Anna and I were laughing about that one for a while, but we also met a few other kind men in the course of our day. Our next stop, since it was nearby, was La Bocca della Verità or the Mouth of Truth made famous by the movie Roman Holiday. It's in tiny front courtyard or entryway of a church, and there was a line of people extending out the gate. They were all waiting to get pictures with their hands in this Mouth (which, if you are a liar, will bite off your hand). The kind man in this case was the security guard. He saw that Anna was about to take a picture through the gate, and stuck his hand through, offering to take a picture from a better vantage point. He indicated we were far to trusting by joking "thank you, goodbye" and pretending to pocket the camera (at any rate, it was a disposable camera). Then he laughed and took the picture.

After this, we made our way north through the old part of the city. We saw the Jewish ghetto, where all the Jews in Rome were forced to go on October 6, 1943. There are still many Jewish bakeries and shops in that neighborhood, many of which were unfortunately closed at the time we walked though.

We reached the Pantheon, which is one of my favorite places in Rome. It's just so old and huge and beautiful. Near there we got coffee (un cappuccino for Anna and un caffe freddo for me, which was an extra-sweet cold espressso) at Sant'Eustacchio Il Caffè, which I keep hearing about. It was worth the crowd of people filling the bar. SO good. Our next goal was to get gelato so we went to Della Palma, a gelateria with over 100 flavors. We tried two each: blackberry and ricotta fig for Anna, coconut and spicy chocolate for me. Again, SO good.

By this time it was almost time to catch the train to Anna's hostel so we could catch the bus back to Sora before it got too late. We decided it was time to eat some real food, so we went to this cute little pizzeria near the train station where Anna had eaten the past two days. In fact, as we were walking past the man recognized her and greeted us. We shared salad, the first vegetables Anna had eaten in several days, and pizza margherita. We shamelessly put the rest of the pizza in a zip lock bag to take home with us. When we went to pay, Anna told him that I was her cousin (cugina, we added). Then, in a hilarious turn of events he proclaimed in Italian, "and I am her uncle!" and gave us both a big hug (and a discount on our food). Such a nice man. The kindness of these people really characterized our day and gave us pleasant thoughts on the way home, despite our aching legs.

Partire è un po' morire

To me, that phrase means "parting is a bit like dying" or maybe "a little death" and its equivalent in English would be "absence makes the heart grow fonder" I suppose. I've been here only a bit more than a week, but soon I will have to depart for Sicily. I am confident Sicilia will be wonderful, but I really like the people here.

Today I spent a lot of time with Anna, helping her study for an oral exam on Monday. It's on the French philosopher Henri Bergson. She would study a bit and then explain it to me in Italian, thereby helping her sort out her ideas and helping me understand a bit more Italian. At the very least, I learned the words scienza (science) and durata (duration, apparently one of Bergson's pet concepts).

I'm sorry that these last two posts have been so...I don't know...technical and boring. I'm writing so very late at night and thoughts are not flowing very well. More tomorrow!

More Info on San Giovanni

Passed on by my dear dad (see previous post for back story):

"In the Church's veneration of her saints, the cultus of St. John the Baptist had from earliest times and continues to have a most prominent place. John gave testimony of the true Light that shines in the darkness, although he proclaimed in utter humility: "He must increase, but I must decrease." And the Master also spoke in highest praise of His precursor: "I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist." Attuned to the words of the Gospel, the Christians of former times were filled with love and enthusiasm for this saint, and expressed a justifiable conviviality at the approach of his feast-day by lighting a bonfire the night before in front of their churches, in the market-places, on the hilltops, and in the valleys. The custom of St. John bonfires, indicative of a people with unabashed and childlike faith, continues in some places to this day." (The Rev. Dr. Philip T. Weller)

An Italian Tradition

Tonight I went to a bonfire for the day of San Giovanni. It was a small neighborhood gathering near the farm. I can't figure out which San Giovanni it was, nor could anyone tell me (in English or Italian, all they could say was "it's an Italian tradition"). EDIT: After a bit of research, I realize that it's the eve of St. John the Baptist. I still don't know how the bonfire figures in.

First we ate dinner where everyone got a sausage, a small piece of lamb, and maybe a small piece of pork as it became ready on the grill. The first meat wasn't ready until maybe 9:30. The rest came after that. I was thankful that Anna and I had eaten salad beforehand.

The tables were furnished with fried bread and regular bread, pecorino and smoked ricotta cheese, red wine, white wine, beer, and water. Giuseppe (that's Antonello's father) has quite a liking for Anna, so he paid for our meals. He introduced us to people and talked about Sicily with everyone who would listen.

Then some of the other guests and volunteers showed up, right before the fire was lit. We watched as this huge bonfire, with an effigy of San Giovanni (I think -- again, nobody really knew for sure what was being represented) went up in flames (relatively quickly due to the dry grass making up the majority of the fuel).

And today was market day. The huge open-air market is held in Sora every Thursday, so many of us volunteers went down around 8AM to beat the heat. I didn't really need anything, so I just walked the span of the stalls which were selling everything from pots and pans to chicks and ducks. I ended up buying a bit of goat cheese, just because I love the taste of goat cheese and it's fun to interact with people at the market.

In between these two fun events, I cleaned rooms for our new guests. I was imagining a small family as we set up beds for four people, but it was actually four gigantic Australian guys. It was just surprising to see them, because I guess we don't get to many backpacking groups. I don't know. Hopefully they appreciated the freshly-mopped floor. Now I'm going to go to bed so I can help Anna make breakfast in the morning. Buonanotte!

Tranquillità

Today was a quiet day. I spent the morning weeding, doing dishes, and scrubbing tile. I spent the afternoon eating, sleeping, and memorizing Italian verbs. I spent the evening watering plants, eating dinner, and talking to Anna. It was nice to spend some time with her and catch up. We said goodbye to the Austrian volunteer this afternoon. The only other volunteer (Eleanor, the Welsh girl) is spending the night with her friend at the rustic farm. It's very quiet indeed. I'm off to bed.

Lingua Franca

This post is to make up for the one I was supposed to write yesterday. I'll write another this evening.

It's a very strange thing to be the only native English-speaker in a room of many different language-speakers. English ends up being the default language, and I feel a little spoiled always being the comfortable one, never having to stretch myself. I have decided, however, that I don't like the way I speak English. I need a better accent. The Welsh girl told me yesterday that she admires the Deep South, including the accent. Maybe that would do.

This Has Been the Best Monday Ever

We took a trip to the sea today! It was the Mediterranean (also known as the Tyrrhenian Sea which, as my 10^th grade students may remember, was sailed by Aeneas and his men on their way to Italy) and the water was so, so, so blue. How is it so blue? I really don’t know. Maybe it goes along with how clear it is. The weather was also very nice – sunny and not too hot. I may have stayed out in the sun a little too long, but just a little. I went out swimming two or three times, took lots of pictures, studied my book of Italian Vocabulary. I learned the words for many insetti, frutte, e verdure (insects, fruits, and vegetables). I tried to pick things that I see most often, and both insects and food are involved in much of my day.

Thankfully, insects are not quite so involved as last year. For one thing, the common room now has a piece of clear plastic across the big window. (Some might remember the picture of it from last year. Actually, you can probably still click on that photo album link to see it.) It was a little sad at first, but I’ve gotten used to the sight and I think it does help keep the insects down – as do the scores of ragni (spiders) which make their homes here.

Another factor eliminating my exposure to zanzare (mosquitoes) and other pests is the fact that my accommodations were upgraded from last year’s ancient unfinished kitchen to a genuine guest room. This is due to Anna’s kindness, another volunteer’s use of my old room, and ultimately a rather slow season. I’ve been here four and a half days and we’re just getting our first guests. It’s nice to have guests, because that means my work has a bit more variety. Instead of sanding rusty metal for hours on end (okay, only three hours) I get to make breakfast and do dishes and clean rooms. It may seem routine, but it’s nice for a change.

A couple of people are leaving tomorrow. I really should do a post of all the people I’ve met. It’s one of the best things about being here – talking to these people who’ve come from all around. I think that the majority of people I talk to here in Italy are not Italian (which might explain why my language acquisition is not going as quickly as it could – maybe that will change when I am in Sicily).

Besides Anna, the Austrian girl who manages Via Piana, there’s another Austrian guy who’s a long-time traveler and been here for three weeks, Anna’s friend from Austria who’s visiting until tomorrow, the Welsh girl who’s been volunteering here for nearly five months now, the Welsh girl’s friend who’s also leaving tomorrow, a French guy who volunteers at both Via Piana and the farmstay, a British guy who has volunteered at both places off and on for a long time, and a Dutch girl whose name I can’t remember because I only met her once and she works at the farmstay. I don’t usually think of these people paired with their nationalities like that, but sometimes it’s interesting to sum up and see the wide variety that we really are.

Nice fact about Italian culture: I got a cappuccino today for only €0,90 (about $1.28) and it was delicious.

Free Time

Today was my first free day, and having worked six hours yesterday in preparation, we were all very excited for this time off. We started out with a hike to a waterfall. It was about an hour up into a gorge in the steep mountains. Although steep, it mostly in the shade. At the very end you have to follow the creek bed, because the gorge becomes so narrow. (I hope to post some pictures in the next few days). Some of us wore our bathing suits, but it the water was too icy to do more than wade.

Afterwards, we ate a bit of lunch. Then I took a nap and tried to memorize some more Italian words. We ended the day at Park Bridge Pizzeria, where I got a pizza bianca (no marinara sauce) with arugula, tomatoes, and Parmesan.

But speaking of bathing suits, tomorrow we will actually use them. Anna is taking the volunteers to the sea. After we spend a couple hours cleaning for the guests, we'll drive down to Gaeta for the rest of the day.

Buona Sera!

Sabato

Have had more wine in the last two days than the last two months (but none today…it really just depends if one is at a party when the host is offering home-made wine). Worked six hours today instead of three, so that a bunch of us volunteers can take a long hike to a waterfall tomorrow. It is a lot cooler here than it was when I left Maryland. It’s even getting down into the 50s at night. It’s beautiful.

More tomorrow, but I wanted to fulfill my daily quota!

First post from Italy, 2011

Whenever I start talking, or writing, I want to tell everything there is to tell! But since I really don’t have time to spare for sitting in front of my computer, I am going to post at least one interesting thing that happened each day I am in Italy. Featured today: a short account of my journey here, a fact about Italian men, and a fact about Italian women.

It started on Tuesday night, when I finally finished grading final exams and began packing. I had already planned what I wanted to bring (somewhat) and begun to set things out, but I still had some laundry to do and miles to go before I slept. And actually, I didn’t sleep that night. My dear cousin Amanda came to get me at 4:50 a.m. just as I had finished packing and changed into my travel clothes. She helped me empty the fridge of perishables and laughed as I had to lighten my suitcase by a few pounds. This amazing girl had to get up at 4 a.m. to get me. THANK YOU, AMANDA! We were (or at least I was) a bit slap-happy on the way to the metro.

So she took me to the metro, which I took to Reagan National, from whence (after an hour delay) I flew to JFK. I had a long layover in New York, but we left on time at 5 p.m. I was really tired by then, but I tried to stay awake all day long so that I could sleep on the plane. And I did, very well. You see, not long after I found my seat at the back of the plane (a window seat, 38G) the lady sitting next to me asked if I would switch with her daughter, who was sitting up several rows in 19G. Sure, I said. No problem. After I found my seat there, the flight attendant came up came up to say that those seats had been double-booked (or something that was unclear to me) and we had to move all the way up. I was now sitting in 1G. Business class. First class.

There were so many amenities, I didn’t know what to do with them all! Instead of a thin fleece blanket and small, flat pillow, passengers in first class get a comforter (practically) and a big, fluffy pillow. They also get noise-cancelling headphones, a bottle of water, and a completely different menu than the rest of the plane. I was so tired that I unfortunately did not get dinner, but I did enjoy the omelet for breakfast. And I really enjoyed the reclining seats as I slept.

So, it was a good flight! And even better, my suitcase turned up at the baggage claim. I kept thanking God after each successful stage of the journey. I took the train, then the metro, then a bus…and there were Anna and her friend, waiting to pick me up in Sora!

Since then I feel like I’ve done so much: hiked up to the old castle in Sora, dinner and il vino with Giuseppe (who is the father of Antonello, the owner, and only speaks Italian), lunch with all the volunteers at the house of Gabriele (who is a friend of Antonello and a park ranger in Abruzzo), and my first three hours of work. We cleaned rooms for guests and then I worked on sanding remnants of paint off an old door.

Observations from the past 24 hours:

Italian men are really great about helping with suitcases. One guy helped me get my 49-pound suitcase onto the train, and then two more helped me with the process of getting it on the bus.

Italian women like to match things. I spotted three matching outfits, yesterday. One lady had on golden-beige glasses, shirt, purse, shoes, and fingernails. Another lady had a blue patterned dress, light blue bag, and blue espadrilles. The third was wearing light purple from top to bottom. Oh, and I saw another all-purple outfit today.