Domenica (la prima)

Today is Sunday, today is Sunday...
Sunday ice-cream,
Saturday chicken,
Friday fresh fish,
Thursday roast beef,
Wednesday soup,
Tuesday spaghetti,
Monday string beans ...
All you hungry children, come and eat it up!


Looks like I have to eat some gelato today - darn :) Today has been a beautiful day because it is actually quite windy, which has kept the heat away and made me feel whimsical and romantic. There's nothing like taking a walk on a quiet, Sunday afternoon in Italy with the sun shining down on you as a breeze whips your hair, skirt, and entire self down the cobblestone streets!

This morning I attended church at la cattedrale with Nicole and Chelsea. John Rose and Amanda were already there, but the three of us had arrived a little late so we sat a few rows behind them closer to the back. John Rose took our picture after church for posterity -


I wish I could have taken some pictures of the cathedral today, but one just doesn't do that during a service (frankly, I'll feel funny taking photos on a Sunday, period!). The inside of the biggest and most grand of the Sansepolcro churches is beautiful though - it's not a breathtaking beauty like the Sant'Antimo in Maremma (which is made of alabaster), but there is a calmness and simplicity to its cool stone walls that I love to just sit and take in while I listen to the service. The echo of the priest's voice made it hard for me to follow everything, but once again I was surprised at how much I was able to understand.

So far I've definitely noticed a difference in my vocabulary and conversation skills (I was much faster and had a greater selection of words in December), but the funny thing is, I think my listening comprehension has actually gotten stronger - sort of like all the things I learned last fall kept sinking in while I was away. I've also regained a lot of my speaking agility this week, and can already see improvement from Tuesday and Wednesday, which is both exciting and a relief!

After church, we walked back to the palazzo and killed time for a half hour or so before lunch. Sunday lunch is basically the event of the day, the biggest and most enjoyed lunch of the entire week. We ate at a pretty little restaurant just around the corner from us where we had two kinds of pasta (one of them with a goose sause!), roast beef and coniglio (rabbit), insalata, and pleasant outdoor seating. I got photos of the whole group in two batches (couldn't get the whole table at one without missing faces), so we have John Rose's half and Dr. Webb's half:

After pranzo we all parted ways, some heading back directly for a nap while others, like me, walked about a bit to aid in digestion before coming back to the palazzo to crash. Meanwhile, John Rose gave the Italians sitting at the table next to us (which we had befriended) a tour of the place, taking them in all the rooms and making sure they saw each of our many many bathrooms. We have a shocking number of bathrooms in our palazzo :)

And now, I'm off to participate in another Sunday tradition in Italia, "un pisolino il pomeriggio" - an afternoon nap!

a presto!

Bekah


P.S. I forgot to mention - last night we went to a horse exhibition in the main piazza and I took a few pictures and videos of that! So go check out my Picasa site and see at how Italians horse around :)

Ieri ed oggi ...

Yesterday and today ... very different days, but both wonderful ones. Friday was a short school day for the students (just Italian for two hours in the morning), so after lunch I ran errands with a few of them to the local COOP (co-op). After that, Dr. Webb and I worked on documents and to-dos for the school during the majority of the afternoon. I have really enjoyed working with her each day - we have so much fun working together, it seems almost dishonest to call it work!

Mid-afternoon John Rose brought us tea and cookies for refreshment mid-workday. I asked him if he would help me find a husband that would bring me tea and cookies in the afternoons, but he replied that unfortunately he was the only one - so I was out luck! Dr. Webb and I kept working until around 6 or so, but at that point John Rose came and said we needed to come and enjoy a little market that had been set up in the piazza, and perhaps an afternoon prosecco (a deliciously fizzy, white wine) as well :) So off we went to enjoy the cooler air brought by a light breeze, peeks at the wares of various vendors, and a pleasant hour of good conversation at the piazza bar.

Around 8 o'clock we made our way back to the palazzo for a community dinner of leftovers - it was wonderful! All the leftovers from our lunches this past week were pulled out for everyone to enjoy a second time; I ended up eating the rest of my calzone from Thursday's pizzeria outing and then treated myself to a helping of panna cotta, which was divine. Even after the eating was finished the group - which included most of the students, Dr. Webb, and John Rose - just sat around the table and talked in true Italian form. It was such a relaxing way to wind down on a Friday evening into the weekend mood.

Today is sabato, but my body still woke me up early! Just after 8 a few of the students and I accompanied Dr. Webb and John Rose on a long but enjoyable morning walk in the countryside just outside the city walls.


I put up more pictures on my picasa site, so be sure and check them out when you get the chance! The rest of the day has been laid back and restful, "full," but of "busy nothings" as Jane Austen would say, not of to-dos. Most of us had a late breakfast due to the walk or sleeping in, and then I spent some time in my room straightening up and getting ready for the day. After that, one of the students and I tackled the task of hooking up the DVD player, which was sitting sadly neglected in its cardboard box. The successful connecting of TV to player required that we "test" it out, naturally, so a handful of us curled up on the beautiful new furniture in one of the lounges and watched Casanova - a classic favorite in the school's Sansepolcro movie collection because it takes place entirely in Venice - and stars Heath Ledger :)

And now most everyone is taking it easy, working on homework, and, quite likely, also facebooking. I am waiting for a text from Sara that says, "Come over!" I got to see her and the kids briefly this morning when they stopped by to say hello, and I also got to see Sara's mother again, which was wonderful. I have missed that whole family so much! But it looks like this afternoon/evening I will get plenty of time with la famiglia Falaschi, and until then, I plan on catching up on some reading in my room over Tootsie Rolls ...

That's all for now! A domani!

Giovedi il primo

Today started with a bang as the students kicked off their day with their first Italian class. While they were occupied, I helped Dr. Webb, Sara, and John Rose with various things around the office.

Dr. Webb and I gave a tour of the palazzo to a morning visitor, who happened to be the supervisor of the language school the Italian professor is from ... he came with her this morning just to introduce himself and see our new "school." After that, John Rose and I had another computer lesson (this time covering the Start button and Windows Media Player with a review on email shortcuts) and then we rearranged the dining room tables and chairs to our liking. They had been split up into four separate tables, but we didn't like that segregated feeling so we lined three of them up to make one huge, long table and then used the other as a buffet on a different wall. Everyone approved of our improvements and the arrangement is here to stay until the student population exceeds 16 ...

That morning I also read over something Sara has been working on for her "Italy Today" Italian culture and history class. She's constantly worrying about her English even though it is amazing - I aspire to be as brava a student in Italian as she is in my language! I have absolutely loved getting to see her all the time again, and am really looking forward to watching the kids next week. There are plenty who think I'm crazy for that, but I don't mind! They can each be difficult in their own ways on certain days, sure, just as all children can be. But the truth is, I love each of them so much that I consider myself una ragazza fortunata to have this much time with them. I can't wait to show pictures!

This afternoon I began working on the student handbook project, and then later on in the afternoon Dr. Webb and I met to discuss this project and others as well, plus different logistical or housekeeping issues that had come to our minds. The students are doing great so far! The handbook will be the place the law is laid down, but both of us feel that this will not be a semester where many restrictions or reminders are necessary, and that's encouraging.

Earlier this evening all of the girls and I went down and ate dinner at the pizzeria located on the bottom floor of the palazzo - and it was fabulous!


For many of them, this was their first experience in a pizzeria, so it was fun to watch them take in the dynamics of an Italian eatery while they enjoyed the delicious food. I got a calzone sort of pizza with mozzarella, ricotta, and prosciutto stuffed inside, and it was absolutely delectable!

It was also incredibly filling, so half of it walked home with me in my tummy and the other half in a take home box (which, is a new phenomenon in Italy thanks to Michelle Obama's asking for one while they were visiting Rome - before, asking for a take-home box was unheard of!). I'm glad to have dinner covered tomorrow!

Whew, so after a full day, me and my full stomach are ready for bed. Tomorrow I'll hopefully get to run to the store and shop for a few things I need since that didn't happen today, and I may get a chance to take pictures too. I'm sorry I don't have palazzo pictures like I thought I would, but they will be here soon :)

Buonanotte!

Il nostro primo giorno

Our first day at the Palazzo Alberti has come to a close and everyone seems to be adjusting nicely to life in Sansepolcro. Clearly we are still a bit jet-lagged and thus more tired than usual, but aside from that the inhabitants of our beautifully restored home are all doing quite well!

We began the morning with an informal breakfast - some turning up on the earlier end while others had to drag themselves from bed for nourishment. After that it was time for orientation with Dr. Webb, who talked the students through some logistical details of life in the palazzo and in Sansepolcro as well. Her husband, John Rose, and I chipped in with our two cents as needed :) Next we had a bit of technology orientation that didn't go quite as planned, but everyone in the group was a good sport and the delicious pranzo (lunch) that followed was the perfect distraction to our frustration with the misbehaving printer.

As pranzo came to a close, a glance around the dining area led to a decision for some downtime. So from 1:30 to 4 everybody took it easy by napping, unpacking, catching up on emails, etc. I did a little of the latter, then got off the computer and finished putting away my clothes before meeting with John Rose for a computer lesson (he has a hate-hate relationship with his laptop). Then at four in the afternoon the group reassembled for a walk around the town of Sansepolcro designed to orient the students to their surroundings. It was wonderful to wander through old haunts and see shops, cafes, and landmarks that I hadn't seen since December!

After the walk around town Dr. Webb and I chatted over some vino bianco about artwork for different parts of the palazzo and general plans for this week. The students start classes tomorrow, Dr. Webb and I will be working to get things like chore rotation charts, directions for appliances, roommate agreement forms, etc written up and implemented by the end of the week. I won't be helping Sara with the kids until Monday, but I have already gotten to see them twice! Leonardo doesn't look too different (a little taller) since I saw in March, but Ginevra has grown both in height and vocabulary and Veronica is talking and walking like you wouldn't believe! Pictures to come soon ... I'm hoping to eat dinner with them either tomorrow night or the next :)

Tomorrow I'm also going to run some errands to get things I need, like an Italian hairdryer :) There were also things like body wash that I just opted to buy once I got here to save on space and weight in my suitcase, so I'll pick up those as well. And I really need to get a recharge on minutes for my Italian cell phone! When we arrived I had just enough time and battery life to call Sara, get in touch with Dr. Webb, and then call home to say I'd gotten there. I was amazed I had that much though - it hadn't been charged since I last used it in December because I don't have an Italian-to-U.S. converter for my phone charger.

Oh! And something else I'll start doing tomorrow which I am quite excited about is doing a photo shoot of the palazzo! It's mainly for purposes regarding insurance, but the upside is that I can post them on picasa for all to see - and maybe get some good shots for advertising the program to potential attendees back at Meredith.

Thank you much for your prayers and emails! The trip was extremely long, but I traveled with a great group of girls so all went well despite the delays.

Waiting for our first plane (RDU to IAD)

First there was a mechanical difficulty in Dulles: at first we were told it was an issue with the maintenance crew, which we interpreted as a housekeeping kind of problem, but it turned out that the temperature monitor of one of the engines (think: mini fire detector) was not functioning, so that was clearly a problem!

More waiting in Dulles ...

So we ended up sitting on the plane for three hours while the malfunctioning piece was fixed, realizing that if it wasn't resolved we'd be moved to a different flight and who knows what else ... but thankfully, that was not the case! We were at long last in the air and made it safely to Rome only an hour and a half behind schedule - turns out we had been scheduled to arrive an hour ahead before the delay, so in the end we didn't get there that much later than originally planned. In Rome Dr. Webb and John Rose were waiting for us with open arms and bottles of cold water, and then all ten of us hoped on a shuttle train to Roma Termini, the main train station of Rome and, consequently, all of Italy. Two hours and a delicious lunch later we were on another train bound for Arezzo, and then a fifty minute bus ride got us from Arezzo to Sansepolcro at last - it was QUITE the day, but all of us and our luggage made it in one piece so we were very grateful.

The smiles we had on our faces when we saw the palazzo (meaning, the end of travel and carrying luggage) grew even wider as we actually got inside. It's an amazing place! So much hard work had been lovingly put into this place in preparation for our arrival, and it really shows. The palazzo is big enough to accommodate up to 23 students, but since we only have 9 they are happily spread out, mostly in sets of two. I have my own suite, which was a surprise to me! I had thought I'd been sharing a room with at least one student, but it turned out that I not only have my own room, but my own bathroom! And until more Meredith faculty arrive in October, I have an entire wing to myself - Dr. Swab and her husband will be staying in the other room/bathroom suite in this section of the palazzo.

I will try to put up pictures tomorrow evening! Until then, buona serata!

Siamo arrivate a Sansepolcro!

WE HAVE ARRIVED! More to come later ... orientation commences :)

Arrivederci!

CIAO!

The countdown has come to an end and the big day has arrived - I'm off to the airport in just a matter of hours now! We'll be going from RDU to Dulles (Wash. DC), then on to Rome from there; arrival time is 8:50 am Italy time, 2:50 am EST. After we get through customs, Dr. Webb, the program director, and her husband, John Rose, will be meeting us to help direct us to the train station in our zombie-like state. We'll go from Rome to Arezzo via train then wrap up the journey with a bus ride to beautiful Sansepolcro!

It's going to be a long trip, but it's comforting to remember what's waiting for us on the other side. I am so excited to see what they've done to the Palazzo Alberti - the last time I saw it (in October), the transformation had only just begun. I'll take photos and post them on Picasa as soon as I can so you all can see where we're living! I will also try to update this blog Tuesday evening if only to let you know that I have arrived safely. After that my plan is to update this blog a few times a week, so check back for new posts when you can. I'm thinking that since this will be my first time in Italy without homework (!), I will consider this blog my self-assigned homework of sorts. If nothing else, I hope to do far better than my all too infrequent scribbles from last semester ... which won't be hard :)

I covet your prayers! I will have five of the students under my charge for the journey, so please be praying for any anxieties they may have regarding travel and that we would all have good attitudes and be flexible whatever happens.

Grazie mille! A presto ...

Venti giorni!

Yesterday marked exactly three weeks and today only 20 days to go! Also, on Sunday I was busy cleaning my room and decided it was time to pull out the big international suitcase so I could start dropping things in bit by bit these next few weeks; it's now cozily situated in its own little corner of the room next to my dresser - and its contents are now free to grow a little each day. Crazy! Oh, speaking of crazy ... the girls and I have had some crazy fun together these past couple weeks!


This is my last week with the girls, and I'm getting quite sad. Yesterday morning I thought, "So this is my last Monday with them," and this morning it was the same rainy thought, except it was Tuesday. Last week was the best yet, and it seems that instead of the natural course of things (which is to gradually get more tired of being around the same people all the time, and more ready to leave), I am growing more and more sad about not having all this time with these precious little girls!


Thankfully, this week I'm getting to watch them longer than usual because Uncle Tim's on a business trip ... and we have all sorts of plans. We're having a "sisters and cousins sleepover" (only girls allowed, as Ashley says), watching The Aristocats for the fiftieth time, going to and from the pool as often as we can, and baking our very own sugar cookies then decorating them with chocolate icing and sprinkles (that's coming tomorrow - I'll have Mary around for back-up in case the chocolate gets out of control!). We also have plans to make a library run because we've read our current stock many times over, and there is talk of a grocery store run later for "supplies" and a potential movie theatre visit to see Ice Age 3 ... in 3D! We'll see how much fun time allows for :)


Now, don't let all these mopey words make you read me wrong: I'm eager to return to Italia and see all of the folks I've been missing on that side of the pond, and I'm also excited about all the little fun happenings between now and then! This weekend we have dear friends coming, the next weekend Sarah returns from Asia, I'm helping throw a party for an engaged friend, another friend is celebrating a birthday, and then my own birthday rolls around that following Monday. Talk about a full few days! And after that it's really time to pack and get in those last minute goodbyes, because my birthday marks a week from departure ...

But look at me! There I was thinking I wouldn't get another post written before the farewell entry, and here I am finishing another :) So in light of this unexpected frequency, I make a toast to similar unexpectedly frequent posting when in Italia - or at the very least, to posts that appear FAR and AWAY more often than they did last fall (blushes)!

Ciao a tutti, ed a presto ...