Cinque Terre

Last weekend three other girls and I went hiking and swimming in Cinque Terre. It was beautiful. I don't really know what else to say. It is kind of surreal that it ever happened. The water was warm the hikes were through vineyards and the towns were brilliantly colored. At night we ate delicious seafood and danced in the main square at a wine tasting festival. The best part: swimming in the ocean at Vernazza (cave pictured below) funniest: scaling a cliff to a nude beach, only frequented by old men.

Not So Big

For la cena stasera (dinner tonight) we had homemade pesto and tomato sauce on pasta or rice, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, greens, salad, cucumber, chicken and bread. For dessert fresh peaches in orange juice. The first picture is my amazing Signoria Maria Theresa. The second is my laundry hanging to dry. Here almost everyone hangs their laundry. Washing machines are smaller, and in general people are less wasteful. Cars are smaller, there are a lot of scooters and even some of the buses are electric. It is definitely different from the cities I know in the United states and everything feels just a little safer and a little less daunting because in the end its not so big.

Relics

Today I partook in the Italian ritual of "Passeggiare." Passeggiare happens during the time of day right before sunset, and before dinner, when many Italians take walks. So this evening I put on my running shoes and ran along the Arno alongside many other Italians, of all ages, walking, strolling, running, or biking. (The picture below is from my terrace after I returned from my run and was stretching watching the sunset before dinner.) What I discovered from my run were two things: 1. that even Italians' exercise is at a more leisurely pace then what I seem to find in the US 2. That people fare le passeggiate because it makes them more hungry and thus able to consume all three "piatti" that are served during "la cena" (dinner).

Apart from exercising Italian style today I also enjoyed a beautiful walking art history class to the church of San Miniato. The church is one of the highest points in the city and it is a beautiful walk to find it. The church itself is made of multi-colored marble and inside there are frescos, paintings, and sculptures. The picture below is a view from the front of the church looking down over Firenze. What struck me the most about this incredible church aside from its breathtaking beauty was how long it had been standing in the same spot overlooking the city of Firenze. There was something really powerful about knowing how many people had come to this church before me for some reason. As well as to know that this church with all of it's brilliance stood watching over Firenze. There is something special about the fact that this city is so old and in many ways has changed very little. I realized that the whole city feels special for this reason. In some ways I feel I can never be lonely here because there are too many relics of the past to ever be truely alone.

I like living in a city where I know what time it is based on the sound of bells.

Privacy

First I apologize for the name of this blog. I haven't blogged before and it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I have to admit I have never read E.M. Forester's book, but I hope to now that I am in Firenze where I have a room with a view! My host mother is the classic Italian Signora, with a small, slightly dated apartment and a great skill for cooking. From my room I can see il duomo and Fiesole, and from my rooftop terrace I can see all of Florence. I posted a picture of the Ponte Vecchio, me on my hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo (across the street from my house), as well as the view from my room.

I can't really believe that I have actually begun my junior year abroad. Each day has seemed like a week in a fury of walking tours of the city and the constant haze between english and italian. Neither of which I can speak correctly at the moment. However I am enjoying the constant babble between the two languages in my head. It is the main reason I chose to come to Firenze. To fully immerse myself in another culture. Learn the language, and attempt to assimilate. So far I have already come to appriciate many of the differences between Italian and American culture. Like the fact that Italians have imported our word for privacy, or in others words privacy does not exist here. Thoughts, health issues, money worries, and more are all things to share with everyone because by doing so Italians have created for themselves a society that loves to help each other. If you share, the support you need will be given to you. However sharing everything means a lot of talking, but what better way to learn a language then by listening!