Italian Newsletter #1
Ciao a tutti!!! So...... where do I start? I am already a week late in my writings... I was up in the mountains where I had little time to use a computer. So here is a shortened version of my week since I left the wonderful country of America.
My plane from SF left an hour late...therefore I had 4 minutes to RUN my sweet ass to the other side of the Washington-Dulles airport...I get on the plane all sweaty and the person next to me says, "Do you think your luggage made it?" Thank you very much missy....now the for the next 8 hours, I will be contemplating how in the hell am I going to survive without my 51 pound suitcase ( I know, I packed too much). We get into Malpensa (Milan) and THANK THE GOOD LORD ABOVE that my luggage was there!!! I figured out how to get a bus to the Milan train station and I was on my way. I buy a ticket there to Domodossola and Stefania my cousin comes to pick me up.
So what happens from there ??? I arrive in Domodossola and IT IS RAINING! Did I bring any clothes for cold weather? Of course not-just one pair of jeans and a zip-up sweater----both of which by the way, I wore all week long! So do you all know what we ate for breakfast every day? Special K with warm Italian milk and YOGURT! It was by far the grossest thing I think I have ever tasted...but I ate it...because I didn't want to offend family. So the next few days consist of waking up, having breakfast, going on a walk around town, going to a church, coming home for lunch, and then finding some national park or monument to tour (IN ITALIAN of course)...after a while I got sort of bored because I wouldn't really call myself a mountain person, but alas, there I was in the mountains, listening to Stefania tell me everything there is to say about each thing. Plus, I was only with her, all day long. But i! t was fun... except for when we drove to Switzerland for a few hours and it was a narrow winding road the whole way...I thought I was going to puke! Anyway.
Here comes the fun part: In the Valle Formazza, we did the typical tour of my cousins (I am related to everyone in that valley--I think there is some inbreeding going on...that would explain some things now, wouldn't it?) :) We said hi to everyone and they gave me some chocolate and presents for my grandparents and stuff... But the fun part comes when we go to Poldo's Pizzeria for dinner. It's me, Stefania, our cousin Alma, and their friend Paolo. We go, eat our pizza, have some dessert, while talking about how I don't want to marry an Italian because I don't want to be in the kitchen all my life... :) Paolo was talking about some "squadra" that was playing music and singing at his house when he was taking a shower before he came to dinner. I didn't really understand the conversation, but I was okay with that. So....then.... 7 seemingly drunk old men come into the Pizzeria with their instruments. There were 2 clarinets! , a trumpet, a tuba, a saxophone, an accordian, and one person just singing. It was sooooooooo hilarious!!!!! And they played and sang songs for two hours straight!!! It was soooo fun. I guess that is your entertainment when you live in a mountain town...
Here is an even funnier occurance that Sarah heard first hand over the phone...Stefania and I were driving down from Formazza to Domodossola and there is a car that flashed its brights at us. We stopped and asked if they needed help. They said no, but to watch out for the ________. I don't know what the heck he said, but Stefania pulled over the car in a driveway and stopped the motor. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN..... 100+ goats, sheep and horses come clomping up the road with their bells a-ringin' and a few dogs helping direct them. OH MY GOD!!!! IT WAS SOOOO HILARIOUS!!!!!! I couldn't help but laugh the whole way home! It was quite possible the funniest thing I have ever seen!!! (Ok, I can tell it doesn't sound that funny, but trust me--it was!)
For those of you who know him, I ran into Paul Farris from high school in the middle of the Milan train station. He is doing the same program that I did two years ago in Florence so perhaps when I meet Carly, Maura and Grace in Florence, we'll hang out. It was totally random--I took a double take and said, "Paul Farris?" We sat together on the train-- he had just come from the police station because on his night train from Heidleberg, Germany (where he was visiting Felix Deutsch--that is a name from the past!!!!), his bag got stolen so he was asking me where all the good shops were in Florence to buy clothes...sucks for him. Anyway, I don't think I talked to him in high school for more than two minutes, but he was cool.
So now, I am in Perugia for a few days. I was so tired from all the walking around for a week and traveling, that last night I just crashed and didn't really talk to anyone in my hostel. This morning I woke up, had a cappucino and a croissant (I'm getting accustomed to the Italian breakfast) and then walked around the town. Or should I say I walked UP AND DOWN the town. My hostel is right near the cathedral which is on top of the hill so anywhere I want to go, I have to walk down a hill and back up again. I guess its good to burn off all the calories I'm eating... :) I am going to try to go to Assisi for a bit today and perhaps have lunch there. Don't know...
Tomorrow I make my way to Ischia. I am sooo excited for hot weather. I can't wait. I miss you all a lot and I have a cell phone so if you feel like calling internationally, please do. The number is 039 338 864 5226. There is a 9 hour time difference from the west coast and 6 from the east coast. So stay in touch! I arrive back in the US on August 6th. Love you all!!!! Ciao!!!
My plane from SF left an hour late...therefore I had 4 minutes to RUN my sweet ass to the other side of the Washington-Dulles airport...I get on the plane all sweaty and the person next to me says, "Do you think your luggage made it?" Thank you very much missy....now the for the next 8 hours, I will be contemplating how in the hell am I going to survive without my 51 pound suitcase ( I know, I packed too much). We get into Malpensa (Milan) and THANK THE GOOD LORD ABOVE that my luggage was there!!! I figured out how to get a bus to the Milan train station and I was on my way. I buy a ticket there to Domodossola and Stefania my cousin comes to pick me up.
So what happens from there ??? I arrive in Domodossola and IT IS RAINING! Did I bring any clothes for cold weather? Of course not-just one pair of jeans and a zip-up sweater----both of which by the way, I wore all week long! So do you all know what we ate for breakfast every day? Special K with warm Italian milk and YOGURT! It was by far the grossest thing I think I have ever tasted...but I ate it...because I didn't want to offend family. So the next few days consist of waking up, having breakfast, going on a walk around town, going to a church, coming home for lunch, and then finding some national park or monument to tour (IN ITALIAN of course)...after a while I got sort of bored because I wouldn't really call myself a mountain person, but alas, there I was in the mountains, listening to Stefania tell me everything there is to say about each thing. Plus, I was only with her, all day long. But i! t was fun... except for when we drove to Switzerland for a few hours and it was a narrow winding road the whole way...I thought I was going to puke! Anyway.
Here comes the fun part: In the Valle Formazza, we did the typical tour of my cousins (I am related to everyone in that valley--I think there is some inbreeding going on...that would explain some things now, wouldn't it?) :) We said hi to everyone and they gave me some chocolate and presents for my grandparents and stuff... But the fun part comes when we go to Poldo's Pizzeria for dinner. It's me, Stefania, our cousin Alma, and their friend Paolo. We go, eat our pizza, have some dessert, while talking about how I don't want to marry an Italian because I don't want to be in the kitchen all my life... :) Paolo was talking about some "squadra" that was playing music and singing at his house when he was taking a shower before he came to dinner. I didn't really understand the conversation, but I was okay with that. So....then.... 7 seemingly drunk old men come into the Pizzeria with their instruments. There were 2 clarinets! , a trumpet, a tuba, a saxophone, an accordian, and one person just singing. It was sooooooooo hilarious!!!!! And they played and sang songs for two hours straight!!! It was soooo fun. I guess that is your entertainment when you live in a mountain town...
Here is an even funnier occurance that Sarah heard first hand over the phone...Stefania and I were driving down from Formazza to Domodossola and there is a car that flashed its brights at us. We stopped and asked if they needed help. They said no, but to watch out for the ________. I don't know what the heck he said, but Stefania pulled over the car in a driveway and stopped the motor. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN..... 100+ goats, sheep and horses come clomping up the road with their bells a-ringin' and a few dogs helping direct them. OH MY GOD!!!! IT WAS SOOOO HILARIOUS!!!!!! I couldn't help but laugh the whole way home! It was quite possible the funniest thing I have ever seen!!! (Ok, I can tell it doesn't sound that funny, but trust me--it was!)
For those of you who know him, I ran into Paul Farris from high school in the middle of the Milan train station. He is doing the same program that I did two years ago in Florence so perhaps when I meet Carly, Maura and Grace in Florence, we'll hang out. It was totally random--I took a double take and said, "Paul Farris?" We sat together on the train-- he had just come from the police station because on his night train from Heidleberg, Germany (where he was visiting Felix Deutsch--that is a name from the past!!!!), his bag got stolen so he was asking me where all the good shops were in Florence to buy clothes...sucks for him. Anyway, I don't think I talked to him in high school for more than two minutes, but he was cool.
So now, I am in Perugia for a few days. I was so tired from all the walking around for a week and traveling, that last night I just crashed and didn't really talk to anyone in my hostel. This morning I woke up, had a cappucino and a croissant (I'm getting accustomed to the Italian breakfast) and then walked around the town. Or should I say I walked UP AND DOWN the town. My hostel is right near the cathedral which is on top of the hill so anywhere I want to go, I have to walk down a hill and back up again. I guess its good to burn off all the calories I'm eating... :) I am going to try to go to Assisi for a bit today and perhaps have lunch there. Don't know...
Tomorrow I make my way to Ischia. I am sooo excited for hot weather. I can't wait. I miss you all a lot and I have a cell phone so if you feel like calling internationally, please do. The number is 039 338 864 5226. There is a 9 hour time difference from the west coast and 6 from the east coast. So stay in touch! I arrive back in the US on August 6th. Love you all!!!! Ciao!!!