Winding down ...

Well, as difficult as it is to fathom, I'm am literally about 12 days away from being home again. Seems like just yesterday I was counting down the days until departure, and now here I am going through pre-return information and planning with the students - and planning my own arrangements for my trip back too! In some ways my time here has flown and in others not, but it's been a lovely three months and I'm very much looking forward to the adventures that await me in the spring! I will be returning at the end of January/first of February with a new group of students and staying until the end of April/early May.

The knowledge of a return does funny things to someone who is leaving all sorts of people and places that they love. If there was no immediate prospect for return, I would be very sad indeed - a whole big mess of emotions! But as it is, sono una ragazza molto, MOLTO fortunata: since I know I'm coming back, I am free to relish the joy and excitement of returning to home and loved ones without sad thoughts, such as, "Will I ever come back to Sansepolcro?" Talk about removing most of the bitter from "bittersweet" :)

Although, I would be remiss if I did not admit how much I will miss my fellow Palazzo inhabitants - and my young charge, and the entire Falaschi family, and my daily haunts, and my friends around the town, and the town itself. It's no small matter leaving, that's for sure, but in another light it is ... because I'll be back again before I know it!

But enough about that - here's what I've been up to since last I wrote:

On Sunday and Monday (the 1st and 2nd), le ragazze returned from their travels and then life began anew on Tuesday. It was good to get into a routine again after a week where "getting better" was my main occupation. The cold also set in quite soundly, as did the rain, so taking care of Veronica became (and continues to be) more of a challenge. I am missing those beautiful days in September and October when comfortable, sunny days weren't just the norm, but expected. Rain was nearly not thought of, and any coolness was felt in a welcome breeze.

While we are on the topic of weather, I should mention that I am quite interested in what "spring in Italy" is like. I've only ever been here during summers and falls (and one day in winter), so I'm curious to experience spring firsthand. Can't say the same about winter, I'm afraid!

This past Saturday (the 7th), we took a day trip to nearby rival town, Gubbio - and I loved every minute of it.


We started our day with a visit to a beautiful mausoleum honoring forty Gubbini civilians that were martyred by German troups during World War II ...


Then we got a bird's eye view of the place by riding up the side of a mountain in a human-sized bird cage ...


Next, we delighted in the many beauties of the gorgeous basilica at the top of the mountain ...


Here's the group! L-R: (Back row) John Rose, Dr. Webb, Nicole, Hannah, Chelsea, me, Sam, Dr. Swab, and Mr. Ed - Dr. Swab's husband; (front row) Amanda, Lauren and Vi.


After that, we made our way back down the mountain, two by two and in our birdcages, and started seeking out a place per mangiare (for EATING!). Hannah, Sam, and I really lucked out in our choice: we found a little pizzeria and after ordering, started talking with the owner a bit. Naturally, he wanted to know where we were from, and after learning we were Americans, he smiled, pondered a bit, then informed us that we were the first Americans to have eaten in his restaurant since the currency in Italy changed from lire to euros! We were so excited. Can't get much more authentic than that!

After one of the most delicious pasta dishes of my life (penne with a spicy pink sauce con stinco), the girls and I decided to wander around the town and take in more of the local scenery. Here are some snapshots from our post-lunch adventures:





Overall, we had a positively GORGEOUS day - and Gubbio was probably my favorite new place this time around (so far). That being said, this Thursday we are heading over to Val d'Orcia (which is in the province of Siena) and then from there we are heading way, way, way southward to Matera. Both places are closely connected to specific readings in Dr. Webb's literature class, but thankfully the rest of the Palazzo has been invited to come along and join in the fun :) We'll be gone Thursday through Sunday and, knowing our group, I think there is great potential for it to truly be a trip to remember ... I can't wait!

After that, I'll have one last week watching Veronica, leave for Roma on Saturday, and then depart for Raleigh via Dulles the next morning. Craziness.

Must end for now. Much love to those back home - looking forward to seeing you all very soon!


un bacio,


Bekah

Sono malata ...

I'm sick :( Head, throat, cough, and general tired-blahness since Saturday. But it's not so bad ...

The students are having their long break this week and I didn't have any plans, so thankfully I now have plenty of time to take it easy and get better before the craziness starts up anew next Tuesday! And if I'm not showing signs of improvement tomorrow, Sara is going to take me to the doctor - I am in very good hands!

One happy bit of news is that I got to wear my yellow galoshes THREE TIMES last week - what joy is mine :)


I will write more once I get to feeling better ...

ciao a tutti,

Bekah

Little notes on today

It rained today! But guess who didn't have her galoshes?

Bekah.

I went well out of my way to try and determine the forecast earlier this morning, but clearly this was to no avail. First, I checked online after waking up and was informed that there would be showers this afternoon. Promising, but most of my excursioning tends to happen in the mornings or at night. Darn. Well, then I did "the window check," twice - once before and once post-shower. Still no rain, although the sky was certainly a bit cloudy. Oh well! On went the sneakers and that was that.

Or so I thought. But somehow, from the time it took me to grab my keys, phone, and Burt's Bees and then get downstairs ... it started to sprinkle. By this time, I was borderline in ritardo and needed to begin my ascent, so since it was only misting, I decided to decline my desire to run back upstairs and apprehend the galoshes and umbrella.

That was a mistake.

By the time I was truly too far along to turn back it had really started raining, so I had to take off my peacoat to cover my head (wet hair in cold Italian house = miserable head cold) and then increase my velocity x2. By the time I got to Sara and Patrizio's I was cold and even more frustrated by my choice to leave the rain gear behind. What was I thinking? When was I going to learn to just LISTEN to my woman sense (having intuition only serves you well if you heed it) and WEAR the galoshes?!!

Tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. Unless I am met with fluffy, white sheep clouds and a Carolina blue sky in the morning, those galoshes are going to be on my feet!

In other news, the second session (quarter) of classes is in its second week and seems to be going along quite nicely. Next semester I plan to audit one of them - ENG/HIS 940: Justice and Liberty - where I will get to "read closely some of the works of Primo Levi, along with those of other Turinese Jews, namely Carlo Levi and Natalia Ginzburg, whose lives and writings were shaped, if not to say determined, by the rise of fascism [while we] examine autobiographies, biographies, historic accounts, poetry, fiction, and film as they begin to form a picture of Italy during WWII." Exciting! Because believe it or not, I really miss school. I miss classes and lectures and my English professors and even (sometimes) the homework too ...

Because I really loved Meredith, especially my beloved Joyner, where I spent so many hours drinking in literature from professors who love what they teach. Look, here I am hugging it:


Oh, and look what I had on my feet. See, that was clearly a more intelligent time of my existence! Maybe I need to cut back on the Nutella ...

On a less mopey note, next week is a two-day school week for the students and then they will begin their long travel breaks! Many are going to London, but others are going to Switzerland or even Morocco and another is staying in Italy to travel with family that will be visiting her during the break. I'm going to tag along and serve as a tour guide the day they go see Siena, and I am really excited about going back! It is also very special to share places you love with people that have never seen them before. As exhausting a role as it can be, being a tour guide offers rewards that are priceless! I loved introducing Sarah and Jamie to Sansepolcro, Anghiari, Citta' di Castello, and Firenze, and I will treasure those visits because seeing these cities anew with them made each trip uniquely dear.


Speaking of Sarah and Jamie, I want to thank them again in the presence of all who read this blog for transporting wintry necessities my way! I am truly relishing my expanded collection of long sleeves, my sneakers, my Birkenstocks, and the track jackets and hoodies ... and in immense proportions! Thank you!

Of course, at present I am holding a small grudge against my New Balance sneakers because both times that it rained I wore them instead of my galoshes and almost died in consequence. For you see, the traction on the sneakers is minimal and, clumsy human being that I am, this makes me a walking hazard, a show for all of Sansepolcro to watch and enjoy :)

And this is yet another reason why tomorrow, Lord willing, I will not leave the house without my yellow galoshes ...

Buona serata!

Scusami tanto! Here's a much-needed update ...

I have been extremely negligent - forgive me! October arrived with a bang and brought a series of visits, events, and to-dos that have kept me quite busy up until now ...

First, we had a lovely group come visit us for a week - friends of the college, alums, trustees, deans, even President Hartford herself - in celebration of the Palazzo's grand opening on October 4th. While our Meredith visitors were here there was no end of good food, conversation, and laughter, and I think it would be difficult to say who had more fun - our visitors or the students! And as for the open house that took place on the 4th, I am not sure what the final head count was, but it felt like half of the population of Sansepolcro came by to see the place - it was wonderful! Everyone was so excited, interested, and complimentary. Here they were, people of the town that had watched the restoration of this incredible building from the outside looking in, finally getting inside to see what was done to the place. It was overwhelmingly delightful to see how genuinely curious and interested they all were. And of course, there was lots of delicious food for everyone and students walking around all afternoon with big trays of prosecco. It was quite the event, and quite the success!

Of course, by the end, me and my introverted self collapsed in bed with a migraine to boot. The dynamics of crowds and playing hostess have always sucked the energy out of me (I'll never comprehend the idea of it actually imparting energy on some folks!), but just imagine doing so for hours and hours in a language that is not your primary one :) It was a terrific afternoon and evening of practice for me, but whew, it sure did take a toll on my brain!

The next week had me heading to Milan on Thursday to spend a lovely long weekend with Amber - and put me in position to pick up Sarah and Jamie from the airport the next morning! I hadn't seen Amber since March (see below), just before she left for her two-year sojourn in Milano:


Since then, I've graduated from college and made my way back over to Italy; meanwhile, Amber has picked up Italian so that we can now argue in two languages :) The two of us had a great Thursday doing some major catch-up and then got up bright and early to apprehend Jamie and Sarah from the train station the next morning.

Here they are with beautiful pre-departure smiles! I wasn't adept ... ahem, I mean, cruel enough to snap a photo immediately upon their arrival :)


We started to get worried after shuttle after airport shuttle turned up without any sign of them (and remember, they have no way of communicating to us!), so we split up - I stayed at Milano Centrale while Amber cut back to a Metro stop in case they had gotten confused and taken the "Malpensa Express" instead of the "Malpensa Shuttle." We knew the second we did so the girls would turn up, and sure enough, not 15 minutes after Amber had taken off, I hear my name being called and, whipping around, there they are running toward me, suitcases and all! It was quite a moment.

They were pretty out of it, giggly and loopy from the lack of sleep and the various comedic adventures that had happened along the way, but their spirits were high and their humor was in top form :) That's the key to maintaining sanity during world travel fiascos - laughter! When the unthinkable happens and it seems like there is no immediate solution and you don't speak the language so you're basically helpless and without a cell phone? Laugh, just laugh!

Later that afternoon, after some showers, naps, and food had been had, Amber gave us a delightful insider's overview of Milan. Here we are all post-recuperation:


We got to go inside the cathedral ...


Then we gawked at the beautiful Galleria ...



Disapproved of some Milanese fashion specimens ...


Walked past La Scala, which is the famous opera house of Milan:


And naturally, there was some gelato eaten and some shopping accomplished as well. I bought my first piece of clothing! I'm sure there is more than one soul reading this that has fallen out of his or her chair at this news, but it's true. I had steered clear of clothing stores and the keep-away method has served me well! Another thing that helped was telling myself that this trip to Milan was coming, and that I should just wait and take advantage of the stores and the companionship then. So I did! And it was worth it. The top I bought is unique, and quite beautiful in my own humble opinion, plus, it's the kind you can dress up or down ... and it only cost me 14 euro. The only problem is, the moment we got back to Sansepolcro cold weather hit! So I'm going to have to wait till spring to sport my new Italian fashion piece :( Oh well! I suppose that was why it was on sale.

Well, we were all sad to leave Milan that following Monday, but the girls were also really excited about seeing Sansepolcro at long last - this place I have talked their ears off about for over two years now. So we spent Tuesday morning touring Sansepolcro: the town center, the cathedral, the market, the park, the little shopping center (which reminds me of the old North Hills mall), and little nooks and crannies I've fallen in love with over the years. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to finally get to share this part of my life with family and friends from back home!


After lunch we took off for Anghiari, the little jewel of a town that sits high on the Tuscan hills and woos every visitor - it's love at first sight every time.


From there on out the rest of the week was crazy - but wonderful fun. On Wednesday we made a day trip to Firenze (Florence) ...







It was quite the day!

On Thursday we dropped in on Citta' di Castello, a town comparable to Sansepolcro in size that is about thirty minutes away by bus ...


Citta' di Castello's charm is superseded solely by the beauty of its views. Guarda ...


And then, we stumbled upon a truly delicious find and ate a fantastic lunch at this delightful little hole-in-the-wall local eatery ...


It was one of those afternoons that can only be referred to as "magical." Maybe it felt so because of the hurried, crazy, walkathon kind of days we had just had with Florence the day before - but I don't know about that.

Friday we had another such day because we attempted (and succeeded, I might add) the impossible: Rome in a day. Crazy, yes, but they wanted a glimpse of it so we did the best we could! Jamie wanted to see the Vatican and Sarah the Coliseum, so we made those two sights our top priorities and took in the rest in double-time (as we ran by!). Since I had already seen the Vatican the last time I was there, I used that time in the morning to return to a different (gratis) site: the Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus). Journal in tow, I hopped on the Metro and then plopped myself down on the grassy hills that remain and drank in some sunshine - it was lovely. Then it was off to meet the others at the Coliseum!


Now, seeing as this is probably hands down my favorite place in Rome ... I paid to go inside again :) And it was worth it ...



After that, it was time to run back to the bus station and head home. It was a crazy day, and we came back to Sansepolcro exhausted (utterly!), but they were glad we had done it, so I was pleased.

Sadly, the very next morning I had to see them off to Milan again so they could catch their Sunday morning flight back to the States. Just before they left, the three of us ran up the hill to Sara and Patrizio's house so they could give one last hug to each of the bambini. We had gotten to have dinner with them three or four times that week, so all three of the kids were quite attached to Jamie and Sarah - and in no mood to see them leave!




Case in point: this morning, when I got to the house to watch Veronica, there were immediately cries of "Jamie!" and "Sarah!" ... someone was not pleased that it was I that had come to watch her, not Jamie or Sarah. Even after I had been there for an hour, she looked over at me and just said, "Jamie? Jamie?"

So now, life has returned to normal. I'm watching Veronica again in the mornings and enjoying it anew - although I am still adjusting to watching her in cold weather instead of warm! For instance, today the weather said cold but not rainy, so I did not wear my wonderful yellow galoshes so very kindly brought over by Jamie ... and it rained. Not happy. Now, the good thing is, it was not a real, good, hearty rain, and frankly, had I actually worn the galoshes that might have been more disappointing. If I'm going to make a fool of myself with these lovely things (the Italians are going to be a bit appalled at them I think), I want to do so in a decent torrent of rain that in fact merits their use! Is it odd that I am dutifully checking the weather forecast for rain? Yes. Will I keep doing it until it actually happens? Absolutely!

So send your rainclouds my way - I want them!


A presto (I hope!),

Bekah

Translation complete!

For those interested in a translation of the video, I added it to the end of the post below. Enjoy!


Bekah

Our first "happy" Monday

I am very pleased to announce that Veronica did not cry today - and on a Monday no less! Those are usually the hardest days! But no, we walked around town, had to make a run for the palazzo mid-walk so she could go potty (I was so proud of her!), continued on afterward to the park, played with the pigeons, then went back to the palazzo for a snack and brief visit with Alessandra before finally heading back home to meet up with a nonna. I was thrilled.

I was probably even more thrilled because the way the morning began seemed to imply that a tempest was imminent. Here's what happened ...

I left the Palazzo a tiny bit in ritardo (late!), but knew that a quicker pace would get me there in time. (As a side note, it is funny to me that I still "worry" about being late, when I am in Italy and the people I am running "late" to are Sara and Patrizio, who are not high-strung or worried about such a thing ... ever. ) Anyway, there I was, beginning my morning climb up the mountain, when I noticed that the woman walking her dog in front of me looked like ... Patrizio's mother! Nonna Graziella! And it was her! (Another side note: This is the nonna that got all of the bloodstains out of my beloved aqua sweater after Ginevra's tumble down the palazzo steps. It was amazing! I didn't think such stains were possible to be rid of - but I digress, again!) So I called out a cheerful "Buongiorno!" to get her attention, we exchanged pleasantries, and then she offered to walk with me and stop in to see the kids. On the way up, we talked about Veronica first, then cycled through discussing Leonardo and Ginevra as well. It was interesting to hear her take on the kids, and to even get the chance to talk with her for longer than 30 seconds without interruption!

When we reached the house Nonna Manuela (Sara's mom) was there with the kids and they were working their way towards the door. Each one seemed in their own state of uproar: Veronica, who was on her hip, took one look at me and, grabbing her shoulder, said, "No!", Ginevra was saying over and over, "I don't want to do to school today," and Leonardo too was expressing a distaste for leaving home - "Why can't I go play at (the other) Grandma's house instead of school?" Oh dear! It was quite the picture of chaos. Each of the grandmothers kept exchanging glances with me and each other as if to say, "What is wrong with them today???"

We finally got them out the door by the divide and conquer method: Manuela coaxed Leonardo out the door, Graziella had Veronica and puppy, and I took Ginevra to my hip and cuddled her in the nook of my neck to try and calm the crying. We were quite the parade! The comical procession got even more ridiculous when Veronica refused to get into her stroller and wanted to walk the dog ...

Needless to say, with this as my introduction to the morning, I was certain the parting at the bottom of the hill (when Nonna Manuela and I trade places and I secretly take over the pushing of the stroller without Veronica's immediate knowledge) was going to be ... eventful. But it wasn't! She was tearless and amiable and quite playful all morning long - it was lovely!

And to top it off, I got a great video of her chatting away:

TRANSLATION ...

Me: Veronica, do you like the "caccia" (Foccaccia bread)?
V: Yes.
Me: Yes. Yes a lot, or yes a little?
V: (No answer)
Me: A lot, right?
V: (Points) GINEVRA!
Me: Where is Ginevra?
V: (Baby mumble)
Me: Ginevra’s going … to school!

V: School …

Me: And Leonardo? He’s where?

V: At school.

Me: At school! Good girl! And Veronica, where is she?

V: I …

Me: You?

V: Stroller …

Me: Stroller, yes! You are in the stroller.

V: I want to get down …

Me: You want to get down?

V: Yes!

Me: You don’t … don’t you want more bread?

V: Yes …

Me: Yes, ok, but how do you ask?

V: VORAY! (her way of saying per favore, which means please!)

Me: Please! Good girl!

V: Please …

Me: Say bye!

V: Bye …

Me: Bye!

Pesto alla Genovese

This is a pesto recipe Sara's father got for me - he heard me mention wanting one at dinner Thursday night and found one for me! Such a sweet man ...

I've translated it below - enjoy!


Ingredienti:

- 160 medium basil leaves
- 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 100 grams of shelled pine nuts
- 10 pinches of granulated salt
- 10 tablespoons of grated Pecorino cheese
- 10 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil (to taste)

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and mix until well blended; add more olive oil as needed. Serves 20 normal people (17 if I am one of the dinner party).

Buon appetito!

*Note: One ingredient I know Patrizio uses to add extra flavor is walnuts ... I will post Patrizio's version of this recipe as soon as I can get it from him!