Last Week/First Week

Well, I'm back at home.  Which means that I'm writing on an English keyboard, so please excuse any bizarre punctuation because each time I use an apostrophe I need to search for it.
I left you at the end of my tour, so here's my last week in Italy, and my first week back home.

I got back from traveling completely exhausted, wanting only to sleep for a week or two, but it was not to be!  With my exchange twin about to arrive, my host mom wanted the house ready, which meant that I needed to clear out the closets.  So instead of a relaxing day after a hectic two and a half weeks, I frantically did laundry and started packing up.  It was a bit of a repeat from last September when I was packing to go to Italy.  My host mom would glance into my room, see me distracted by a book or a piece of paper, knee deep in clothing and knick knacks, and promptly say, "What on earth are you doing!?!?!  Look at this place!!"  So it was a little stressful, but by the afternoon I was essentially packed.  One must wonder, however, why nothing seems to fit into the bags you brought them in.  I went to Italy with one 50lb checked bag, and a lot of carry on, and I returned with two checked, and still a lot of carry on.
That evening we went to the country house, enjoying a relaxing day and a half there, before returning to Palermo, to pick up my exchange twin!  We were met by several of her friends at the airport, and we all waited with excitement.  When she did arrive, I was surprised by how normal it felt to be around her, almost like she'd been there the whole time.  It was strange to hear my name from her, though, as she said it without the Italian accent I'd become accustomed to.  (My name from an Italian has the i as more of an ee sound, and the ll's are emphasized.)
It was good that the closets were ready for her when she arrived, as she had brought a lot of clothing home.  As she said, "when I had money to spend on food while traveling, I didn't eat.  I went shopping." (I could be described as the opposite - I ate instead of going shopping.)
My last few days were excellent.  I went to the beach with friends, spent some time with the kids of the house I volunteered at, had a dinner with the other exchange student families, went out for pizza and gelato, bought some last minute souvenirs and gifts, as well as just hung out at home with my host family.  And I was really happy that I didn't have to worry about packing!  My friends and I organized an afternoon together, where they signed my flags, and I ate the largest brioche con gelato of my life.  Well, it was my last Sicilian gelato for a long time, so I went out with a bang - three flavours, whipped cream, smarties, pistachio sauce, cereal.
And then it was time for my last dinner with my host family, afterward exchanging gifts.  I was certainly pretty sad.

 

 Some of the kids I worked with this year.

 

Host family, from left to right: exchange sister, host dad, me, host sister, host mom.

 

Me and my brioche con gelato.  Yes I ate all of it.  I regret nothing.

 

My friends and I.

The next morning I got up prepared for my trip back home.  We left the house at 5am local time, to catch my 6:45 flight to Rome.  A tearful goodbye later, I was on my flight out of Palermo.  I had nearly four hours in Rome, and that ended up being pretty good, as the Rome airport is a bit of a sterilized version of Italy, so it didn't feel like I was leaving Italy on my flight to Philadelphia, because I'd left that behind in Palermo.  In Rome I caught up with Alexis, a girl from Nevada who'd had her exchange in Bari, Puglia.  I was happy to not have to fly on my own. 

 

With my host family in the airport, my face puffy and red from crying.  I'm also sporting the highly popular ill-fitting Rotary shirt.

My flight to Philadelphia was fairly uneventful, though I was shocked at how American it felt.  It sounded different, felt different.  I managed to get a bit of sleep, however, which I was grateful for.  In Philadelphia, Alexis and I were separated as I went through the non-American side for customs (which had a very large line up and caused me a great deal of stress, as my layover wasn't very long), then through security, then I ran through the airport, just in time for my flight.
And then we were stuck there for nearly three hours. On the plane.  So I arrived late into Denver, missing my flight to Spokane.  Alexis and I spent the night in the airport, then I saw her off on her 9:15 flight.  I had been booked for the 3:40 flight, but was hoping for the earlier flight at 11:20, so went to put myself on the standby list.  While waiting at the gate, I told my story to a fellow passenger, and he said "That is ridiculous!  People like you should get priority on the standby list!", and told the flight agent that he'd take the later flight, to free up another space on the earlier one.  It was an amazing reminder of how wonderful people are - if there's anything I've learned this year, it's that people are great.  So I made it on the earlier flight, making it to Spokane by mid day.
I was so happy to see my family again, seeing my sister for the first time in 10 months.  We drove home, where I was able to see many of my friends again.
This last week has been amazing, but at the same time very strange.  I am still feeling the effect of jet lag and my traveling (the first days I was so sore from sleeping on the planes that I couldn't lift things), so I feel tired a lot.  It's so weird to be in a place so familiar, that hasn't seemed to have changed, but then notice little things - a new coffee mug in the cupboard, a  new display in the grocery store.  It feels almost like I haven't been away, and except for some photos, some items, and some memories, I have no proof.
I tell everyone that I haven't changed at all, but I get the response of "Are you kidding?!? You're so different!!".  So I feel confused, a lot.  Sort of like my first weeks in Italy.
But it's really nice to be back.  My friend found me a job here at an Italian restaurant, so I get to practice my Italian, and eat amazing food, and get paid for it.
So that was my ten months in Italy, a beautiful place, with beautiful people, and somewhere I hope to see again.  Thanks for your interest!

On Learning Italian

Alternative Title: The Least Efficient and Most Frustrating Way to Learn a Language
(inspired by Lauren's at http://abiglongrunonsentence.blogspot.com/2011/06/on-learning-norwegian.html) )
I would say that I struggled a little (ok, a lot) with Italian. I know it's my own fault, I know I didn't study enough, so I can only aim my frustration at myself. 
Before I arrived:
Knowing I was going to Italy, I tried to connect with some Italian speaker in Trail. Unfortunately, we weren't able to work anything out, so I listened to loads of podcasts. I managed to figure out most greetings, how to get someone's attention, how to get by someone, and of course, the essential, "where is the bathroom?". I also began studying a few verbs. I would say that I didn't do enough (ok, I did hardly anything) to prepare myself. 
Arriving
I had to ask for directions in the Rome airport, so I said, "mi scusi, dov'è [gate - in English]". I rock. My host mom is alright in English, so translated a lot for me before my host sister arrived. I really wanted to learn Italian, and I would study all the time. Unfortunately, I wouldn't really get anywhere in time for my first rotary presentation, on my second full day in Italy. The other girls were all able to give short speeches in Italian, while I gave mine in English. I was embarrassed. The other students in my district had already studied Spanish, French, or Italian, and were far better than me and I was really frustrated. 
In the first few days, I learned the essentials - where I'm from, how I'm called, how to ask the meaning of a word, and how to ask the names of things around me. 
But I didn't use Italian enough. My host sister spoke English, and was able to translate for me. I would study grammar online and would try to say several phrases each day, but I was really self conscious and translating was exhausting. And so my Italian progressed really slowly. My grammar books were too complicated, online too interrupted (oh yeah, and Italian grammar is difficult). 
I continued, however, and over Christmas, got a new grammar book, greatly improving my understanding. I would study by translating, reading, and watching movies. In December, I remember the tipping point, when Italian sounded less like a mush of rolled R's and vowels, and more of an actual language. From there, words became words I understood, or could easily ask the meaning of. In the New Year, I began understanding films a lot better, and reading became much easier. 
Though I write "speaks Italian" on my resume and scholarship applications, I still feel like a beginner. Understanding still requires concentration, and when I read I still look up a lot of words. When I'm out and someone says something to me in English, I automatically respond in Italian, having to think twice to switch. But I still have to think sentences out once in a while, or ask how to say something. 
I used English less and less as the year wore on, even speaking Italian with the exchange student I walked to school with each morning (first because I really needed the extra practice, then because we realised that we only had one year to speak Italian, so we may as well). 
I've missed the ease of speaking and understanding, but one of my goals for an exchange was to learn another language, and for the most part, I'm happy with how much I've achieved. It's amazing to realise that I can speak two language.  But if I ever have kids, I'm going to do anything I can to raise them bilingually, because struggling this year has not been fun. 

A few more language notes
Italy was unified politically in 1861, 150 years ago, and before that it was a collection of kingdoms and states. So though Italian is the national language (based on Tuscan, I believe), there are many regional dialects and languages. Having one host parent from Tuscany and the other from Sicily led to some disagreements on Italian. More people speak Sicilian in the country than in town, and I'll admit, I understand about as much of Sicilian as I do French. Sometimes there are simply different words, other times the pronunciation makes understanding difficult. 

Some things I'm not going to miss/some inefficiencies

Though I've enjoyed my year here immensely, and even if I were to start my year again and choose where within Italy to go, I would choose here, there are a few things I'm just not the biggest fan of. This list reflects some of the different values between Sicily and BC, but nothing is set in stone. 

Obsession With Plastic
When I first arrived, I thought, oh wow, when all you drink is espresso, you don't need a "to-go" cup! Unfortunately I was wrong. Little plastic cups with lids and stir sticks are common. As are plastic plates. And, of course, whenever you buy bottled water, pop, juice, you get a plastic cup as well. 
And the bags. Coming from Rossland, I am used to the "take only as many bags as you absolutely need" approach, cloth bags are normally used at the grocery store. Here, bags of potatoes get another bag, it is weird to refuse a bag, one item gets you a bag. And they love shrink-wrapping vegetables - one avocado? Styrofoam and plastic wrap. 
Of course, all of this essentially disappears if you go to an outdoor or old fashioned market, where produce sellers form cones of paper, expertly wrapping so that apples and cherry tomatoes don't escape. Also, new laws are now in place, and biodegradable bags are far more popular, as are reusable bags. 

And with Water
As I mentioned in a previous post, according to Palermitanans, water must be bottled or filtered to be considered safe to drink. I find this especially bizarre, as one of the first things mentioned to me by my host family was to be careful with water use at home, as city water is expensive. No problems with buying bottled water, though?

A particular irony I find with both of the above is that there is the problem of garbage. Italy is a relatively small country, with a population of 60 million. Generally speaking, lots of people = lots of garbage. Efforts such as the differentiated garbage certainly help by recycling, but the first of the three R's is "reduce". 

City Living
It has plenty of great aspects - public transport, variety, the swimming pool among many - but I found the city alienating, overwhelming. And I have a strong aversion to concrete. 
Though surrounded by mountains, Palermo is flat. And though I live on the fifth floor, all I really see are other buildings. From the window of my school I see Mount Pellegrino, which is lovely, but communications towers really aren't the same as trees. It's not that there's no green in the city, it's just that there's a lot more cement. There is a park nearby where I live, but it is frequented by prostitutes and drug dealers, so I'm not allowed to go in. 
And I've really missed skiing and snow. The beach is not the best replacement. 
Also, I missed the small town feel. My friends laughed when I told them about the size of Rossland - less then twice the population of my school here. To them, a small town is restrictive, and don't understand when I say I miss the intimacy. 
So, though I feel lucky to have been in Palermo this year, I'm not sure if I would choose it as a place to live. 
 
Being Stared 
According to everyone, it is beyond obvious that I'm foreign. At first I didn't really get this, and I asked all my friends what I could do to blend in. "Michelle," they'd say, "there's nothing you can do about it. You just look foreign."   I guess even without speaking (which would give me away immediately), I just have a few too many non-Sicilian characteristics. I'm too tall, too pale, too blonde, my eyes are the wrong colour. And so, since I look a little different, I get a lot more stares on the street (and far too many guys think they can woo me with their "excellent" English...). I'm sure other people would feel flattered by the attention, but I just feel like I'm on display at a zoo...
I've eventually gotten used to the stares, and looking foreign (while still being able to speak half decent Italian) means that I'm forever getting help from people. 

But all in all, I've really enjoyed my year here. The amount that I dislike is far smaller than the amount that I like about it here. Canada is by no means perfect, either. 

On Travelling in Italy

I meant to post this when I was in Genoa, but totally forgot. 
You don't need a car to travel in Italy. Trains will get you there faster, and more comfortably, and are generally reasonably priced. Within cities, or between small towns, check out the busses. The main issue with trains is the other passengers, who can occasionally be smelly or very loud. (I'm on the train to Genoa right now, and the guy next to me does not smell good, AND there's a very loud family sitting behind me. I'm trying to remind myself that I was just like the kids not than long ago). But trains are far more comfortable that busses or planes: you get more leg room, you can see more, you don't need to worry as much about baggage restrictions, the stations line up with city bus lines, and you can generally also find the info centre at the station as well. However, if you are keen for a drive through the countryside, or if you're in a place such as Sicily, a car might be handy. 
Hostels are also nice to stay in, particularly while travelling alone. They cost at least €10 to €15 less than a hotel with shared bath, and you get to meet the coolest people. I've loved chatting with my roommates and other hostel stayers. Hostel necessities are: a towel (preferably quick dry), toiletries (because unlike in hotels, these generally aren't included), shower shoes, and a good attitude (a little bit of friendliness will go a long way). 

Some things I'm going to miss/some efficiencies of Italy

Although I sometimes laugh about how seemingly "infficient" Italy can be, Italy still has many, many strengths. Here are a few I'd love to see implemented in Canada.

Paying by Mass
At panificios (bakeries), bread, cookies, pizza and focaccia are all priced by mass. In Canada, we use this system for produce, meat and cheese, it makes sense to apply it also to bread products. No more "but the last customer got more!" and it works perfectly for pizza or focaccia "a taglio" (by the slice) as you can request the amount to fit your appetite. 

No Tipping
Restaurants charge a service fee - €1 to €3 - then all other charges are included in the price. The prices seem a little high at first, but you are able to see exactly how much it will be from the menu. Prices for dinner would be service fee (also pays for bread) + meal + beverage, all taxes and service included. (I also love the even numbers - I hate dealing with pennies.)
For bars (think: cafe), there are two prices: one if you order from the bar, the other if you order from a server (or plan on sitting at a table that is serviced - if you are unsure, tell them that you plan on sitting down). This additional fee is the service charge like in restaurants. As far as I know, being a server does not mean scraping by. 

Paying Ahead/Not to the Barista
At many bars, you pay to the cashier, before getting your coffee/baked good/sandwich/gelato. The cashier will either give you two part receipt, or the barista will rip your receipt as you take your food. To anyone who says this is inconvenient, I'd like to point the obvious: I don't want whoever is handling my food to be touching my (or anyone else's) dirty, grimy euros. Also, digging for correct change while trying to manage a melting gelato is a pain. 

Public Transport
My friends think I'm crazy when I tell them how much I love the busses here. I live on a major bus route, with busses going by that go to the beach or centre every ten minutes, and busses to the airport every half hour. My friends complain that it's never on time, which I'm not sure I understand because there isn't necessarily a schedule, just a frequency. They also complain that it's too slow. Perhaps if more people took the bus there would be less traffic and the bus would go faster. 
To take the bus here, buy a ticket from a tobacco shop or bar, then stamp when you get on the bus. Regular tickets are €1.30 and are valid for 90 minutes from time of stamping. Unlike Rossland buses, you don't need to worry about incorrect change and you can ride several times on one ticket. Unfortunately there are some downsides as well. Many people don't stamp or buy a ticket, hoping to take as many rides as possible with paying, either stamping or leaving the bus immediately if a controller comes. (I'm one of the bizarre ones that pays for my bus ride.)

Differentiated Garbage
Palermo takes it one step further by separating not only paper, plastics, glass and regular garbage, but also "organics" - anything that will, at some point, biodegrade. In goes coffee grounds, kitchen scraps, leftovers gone bad. Since garbage is picked up a few times a week, garbage doesn't really have enough time to get really smelly. 
Unfortunately this practice doesn't really continue outside the home - recycling is pretty much unheard of at school in one the streets. 

A Greater Attitude of "Sharing"
In restaurants, or for parties, food bills are split evenly, and gifts are nearly always group bought. I rather like this. 

The Food - I think that's obvious
If I don't get my daily carb fix, I'll probably go into withdrawal. Gelato. Beyond amazing. I think it will run in my veins in place of blood by the time I leave. Pizza. Coffee. Desserts. Olive oil. Cookies for breakfast. The simplicity. The freshness. 
And also the attitude around food. Lunch and dinner are always eaten together, never rushed, always enjoyed. 

General Friendliness
People are always willing to help you out, or at least say a few words. Though I normally hate how much attention I get for being foreign, it certainly comes in handy at times. One of the "ten commandments of being an exchange student" was "ask, or be ignorant". I took that to heart, and always always ask questions.  While on the bus or train, I always confirm the direction, and usually someone will say "oh, I get off there, too. Follow me!". Bus drivers and other passengers are eager to give advice and directions.

I'm not sure how well I've explained how great Italy is. I'm not sure I'd want to live in Palermo, but my stay here has been amazing.  

Italian School

I'll admit, I didn't really fall in love with school here. (Not that I was in love with RSS). Daily, I didn't look forward to going to school. It got better toward the end, as I got better at Italian and closer to my friends, but January and February were certainly more on the depressing side, between the cold and the rain, no snow or skiing, and my lack of confidence and skills in Italian. 
I was placed in a great group of kids, aged 17 to 18. They were all very friendly, helpful and patient, allowing me time to think while speaking, and always explaining things to me. 
But classes themselves were either too easy, such as math, physics, or English, taught something I'd already learned, such as history, or was far beyond my ability, such as in Italian and philosophy. I also felt that the teaching style was such that it targeted all my faults and weaknesses. The blackboard was small and rarely used, notes were to be taken word-for-word as the teacher spoke (one teacher even read out punctuation), actual "note" taking nearly unheard of. Textbooks were used to a far greater extent, one teacher's lessons were essentially her reading the book out loud, but most others included a lot of reading and highlighting. Books are purchased here, which I didn't do because they would've cost too much, and I wouldn't have understood them. Marks are based on a few tests and interrogations. 
I would try really hard to take notes during lessons, but would get really lost, really quickly. I originally looked forward to interrogations, picturing myself debating the teacher in philosophy or religion, but ended up not doing any as I realised that the interrogation had little to do with debate, but a lot to do with memorisation. In fact, I found that many tests had to do with memorisation. In math and physics, we had to memorise formula and definitions - something I'd never had to do in Canada - where interrogations for other subjects involved the memorisation of one's notes or text book, to be spewed out, word for word. 
For the first several months of exchange, I would defend the Canadian system, saying that it was no easier than the Italian one. But as time wore on, I realised that I found the Canadian one easier based on level of understanding, teaching technique, and the capability to get a higher mark. 
In Canada, I felt that teachers would go out of their way to help students - staying in lunch hours and after school to give additional instruction - but here, I never saw that. It was also common in Canada for teachers to write full or partial notes on the board - a great help to me, a visual learner (here, it would be easier for acoustic learners - for me, trying to understand Italian was another part of the challenge).  As I mentioned earlier, marks are based on a handful of written tests and interrogations per year. I was used to doing assignments, labs, essays and projects at home that would all contribute to my grade, as well as in-class work, quizzes, and tests. Here, each test or interrogation is marked on a ten-point scale. But it isn't a "free" ten point scale. Teachers reluctantly give below a 5 1/2, or above an 8 1/2, so, from a North American perspective, marks are lumped in the middle, around a 7. A 7 is a good mark - like a B - and 8 a B+/A-, 8 and up an A. Percents do not match numbers exactly - an 88% would be an 8, for example. 
I don't necessarily see a problem with the ten-point scale (though I'll admit I didn't understand it in the beginning), though it doesn't compare well to the North American system. Another exchange student here will be using her 
grades here for credit in the US, and expressed concern in having to explain that an 8 should be considered an A. 
Schools here are separated based on subjects, then classes within each school represent further focus. I was placed in the experimental line at a classics school, so I took math, physics, art history, Greek and Latin (actually, I didn't follow them, my classmates did), history, philosophy, Italian, English, law, religion and physical education. Other lines had French, Spanish, economics, or weighed the subjects differently. 
Other types of schools include scientific, linguistic and artistic, as well as the technical schools that teach accounting, cooking, business, and trades. Classic and scientific schools are, for the most part, still considered the peak of education here. For a long time, only if you went to a classics school could you study whatever you wanted in university, as scientific schools limited you to only sciences in university. 
Something I rather like here is the importance of class representatives. Each class has two, and they are the links between teachers and administrators, and the students. They keep track of tests and who needs to be interrogated, discuss problems and organise meetings, decide whiter or not to protest, among other tasks. 
A final note on Italian school: Italian lessons. 
Italian class had very few similarities to English class in BC. Perhaps this is because English lessons might be described as a communications course as well - the study of literature and writing making up just a part of the curriculum. In Italian class, we had three topics: literature, novel study (The Brothers Karamazov), and the Divine Comedy. In literature we studied short stories, poetry, and authors. The Brothers Karamozov we're about halfway through. In fourth year, we studied "Purgatory", of Dante's work (in third year, "Inferno" is studied, and "Paradise" is in fifth year). Marks are based on interrogations, essays and the occasional long answer test. 
Compare this to my Canadian English class where I studied similar topics - novels, short stories, poetry, essays - but had to present my knowledge differently. Marks were based on research projects, oral and visual presentations, essays, analysis, short and long answer tests, and participation in class. 
Perhaps we're trying to stuff too much into one class in Canada, but I do feel like I learned a lot of very practical skills - planning and writing essays, research and presentation skills, as examples. (Though if my English teacher were to ever read this blog, she would probably cringe and disassociate - grammar and elegant writing are not my strengths.) In Italian class, much of the material was beyond my grasp, but I have enjoyed studying Dante. 

And that has been my experience in Italian school. 

Genoa and the Cinque Terre

I was totally exhausted my evening in Genoa, so I stayed close to my B&B for dinner I rounded the corner and ate salad and pesto pasta, getting the "for your own good, we will not serve you tap water" look (there was even a tap in the square I was sitting in where two people filled water bottles for the house). I opted for the B&B over the hostel, though it cost more, because the hostel was really far outside of the city centre and I wad there on a Sunday, when busses run less frequently. Fortunately, my B&B was right in the city centre. Unfortunately, my B&B was right in the city centre. In the alleys of the town, prostitutes were common, but it certainly wasn't an issue. I never felt "in danger" necessarily, in Genoa, though the tight streets can be a little uncomfortable. 
In the morning, I ate my way though the huge breakfast left for me by the owner of the B&B, before exploring the city for a bit longer. I bought a pin, more focaccia, and pesto before taking the metro to the station. 
Unfortunately I missed the train I originally wanted to take and had to wait a half an hour for the next one. I'm not too bummed about it though, on the platform I met a couple from New Zealand doing a European tour. And so I met some train buddies. And here I thought it would be difficult to find people to chat with on my trip! 
I got to the town I'd be staying in in the Cinque Terre, Manarola, the second one, and hauled my luggage up to the hostel. After check in, I headed to the water. Though there isn't a beach, I had a great time swimming among the rocks. It's pretty sweet to be able to swim in this really clear, blue water, and have tiny fish swim around you. Afterwards, I explored the town, grabbing breakfast and lunch food. I had pesto pizza for dinner (what can I say, I'm in Liguria - I have to get a lifetime's worth of focaccia and pesto in), then chatted with three of my roommates, a set of sisters from Australia. They had finished a month of study in Florence and were planning a European tour. An early night for all of us, though, as we all wanted an early start on the trails the next day. 
I had originally wanted to be on the trail for 7:30, but that didn't work out, and I started 15 minutes late. I had been planning to do the blue trail, which links all five towns, but a part was closed, so I started on the red trail. The red trail is a bit longer and goes into the mountains a ways, but really nice. The first two hours were the best for me. It was still cool (ish), and I didn't meet anyone on the trail. I walked though olive trees and grape vines, past rosemary and basil plants the size of small trees. I saw many local farmers picking fruit or working the land before it got extremely hot. The path was narrow, on the side of a steep hill. The villagers had built terraces and rock walls into the earth, creating the pathways. A more modern addition are the lines of a type of track for a cable car that would climb up and down, carrying a person and their fruit. (Ok that was a terrible description, I have a photo). 
After about two hours I reached the third village, Corniglia (I started on the second). I briefly explored the town, had a snack, and continued onto the blue trail. It was starting to get warm by that point, and I considered not reapplying my sunscreen, but I'd seen enough very sunburnt tourists to decide otherwise. In the fourth village, Vernazza, I enjoyed some of the focaccia I'd packed for lunch, and wandered around the town. Then the last leg of the trail on that end. The trail was getting more crowded by that point (I felt bad for those who were just starting), and even hotter. I arrived at the final village, Monterosso al Mare, where I enjoyed the other half of my lunch, and had a quick swim.
Despite reapplying sunscreen frequently, doing my best to avoid the sun, and drinking lots of water, I was not feeling 100% - a cold granite really helped, and I took it easy for the afternoon. 
I took the train to the first village, Riomaggiore, where I walked around, before taking the Via dell'Amore (way of love) back to Manarola. The Via dell'Amore was certainly the easiest part of the trail, it was smooth and paved while the others were certainly more... Rugged. Many people have left locks along the path, symbolising their love. 
Back at Manarola, I went for one last swim before I went back to the hostel for a shower. 
I was in bed early, hoping for an early start on my last day. If you are ever in the Cinque Terre, start early. You can wander the village and be nearly alone - except for the locals. You'll smell bread baking, see neighbours greet each other - it's really nice. 
I confused the train schedule, so I hung around Manarola a little longer, before taking the train to the middle village. I climbed the four hundred steps to the town, explored the city, then took off for the fourth village. I walked around there for a little while, eating a focaccia con pesto, before going back to Manarola and getting my bags from the hostel. Then on the train again to Monterosso to do a little souvenir shopping, then the train again to Riomaggiore for a quick break before catching the train to La Spezia, where I'd connect to Pisa. 
My host mom once told me that flying out of Pisa to Palermo is usually pretty funny - you can tell the flight is going south, the people on it are usually from there. I was quickly conversing with a pair of women going to Sicily for some sun. 
These last days I've been looking forward to going home, to Palermo. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed, use a non-communal shower, to eat simple, homemade food. But it's strange - Palermo is only "home" for about a week - then I'll be heading back to Canada. I'm having a bit of a difficult time picturing it. 

Torino and Genova

I arrived at Torino completely disorientated. I had fallen asleep for fifteen minutes, waking up the station before mine when a loud family came on, just totally confused. I stumbled to the info centre, grabbing a map, then buying a bus ticket. On the bus I asked for directions, then hauled my luggage up the hill to the hostel, wondering why on earth I had brought so much stuff. After checking in, I went back to the centre. 
I'll admit, Torino didn't wow me at first. The buildings were beautiful, the streets wide and comfortable, but it felt closed, cold. Italy is currently celebrating 150 years of unification, and Torino was the capital for a brief amount of time (oh dear, at least I think so), so there were several events as I walked around, but I wasn't super interested. I made it to the castle, then the cathedral, where the famous shroud is kept. There were approximately one hundred tour groups and a wedding at the church, though, so I didn't stick around to see the copy for very long. 
Then I stumbled upon the market. I knew I wanted to find it, but by then I was pretty turned around and confused. Torino was the birthplace of the Slow Food movement (the name is in English because it started out as the "anti-fast-food" movement), and the market is amazing. Narrow corridors between a maze of carts selling fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, meat, eggs, nuts and more. I was laughed at as I bought individual items ("one peach? Are you sure you don't want one kilo?"), as I stocked up on veggies and fruit for the next few days. I then wandered back to Via Accademia delle Scienze for gelato at the slow food affiliated Grom. I'll admit, it was the best gelato I've ever had (second place to the chocolate place in Milan, third to either Alba, near my house in Palermo, or the place I went to in Agrigento). I got extra dark chocolate and crema di Grom - both amazing. I then wandered to the Mole, planning to climb it. But the wait was at least an hour, and my time in Torino was limited, so I took off to see the Egyptian museum. It was nice to see old stuff that wasn't Roman or Greek, the mummies were super cool, and I enjoyed seeing the ancient texts and sarcophagi. After the museum, I walked along via Po, then circled Piazza Vittorio Veneto, before stopping for dinner. I went the aperitivo route in Torino, paying €10 for a glass of local wine and buffet. Aperitivi are great. Sometimes you pay for a drink, and they'll have something available to snack on, other times you pay something like €6 for the buffet, then more for a drink. I feasted on fresh salads, cooked veggies, pizza, foccacia, fruit and dessert, but there were also meats, fries, pasta and risotto. After dinner I walked along the river and back to my hostel. 
At the hostel, I met my roommates, a Polish girl and a pair of young Irish women, then struggled with my door, then went to bed. 
In the morning, I slept in (till 8:15), then breakfasted, then searched for somewhere to find a bus ticket on a Sunday. At the train station, I got on my train to Genova. I'll update later from Genova. 
My day in Genova can be described in one word: confusion. I got off the train and I was immediately confused. I got directions to the info centre, the took the metro. The info centre was closed, though, so I did what I always do: got out my guide book (a prop, the maps in there are useless), and the information on the b and b I'd be staying at, looked confused, and began asking for directions. A note on Genoa: it is not like a normal city. Most of the streets are narrow, steep passageways. The third person I asked said, "Do you have the phone number, I'll call them". And I decided I liked Genoa. The owner of the b and b picked me up, let me leave my bags, showed me where we were on the useless map in my guide book and gave me directions. Then I went back to the info centre for a real map, and took off. I walked along a street designated as a historical sight, enjoying the architecture. It seems that most of Genoa is in chiaroscuro - painted to seem like sculpture. 
I had one museum in mind in Genoa - the Museo delle Culture del Monde - and had to take an elevator to get there. (This sounds stupid, but I was pretty excited to use the elevator. It was essentially a bus/gondola that went straight up). The museum is actually in the house/castle of Capitano Enrico D'Albertis - an explorer that went out and stole a bunch of stuff so when he died they made it into a museum. So there were all kinds of things from all over the world - stuffed animals, native art and clothing, sand, weapons. I was essentially the only one there, so one of the museum workers always showed me random things or showed me around. There was a totem pole (a very small one) from British Columbia, which I was pretty excited about. 
They also had a statue of Christopher Columbus overlooking the port. I should mention, Italians are very proud that their son "discovered" America. I have told many people, many many times, that in fact, Vikings inhabited Newfoundland for a period of time some couple of hundred years before Columbus came along, and that the Americas didn't need any "discovering" anyhow - there were already people there. But I can't win. All the text books say that Columbus discovered America, and I think that Italians rather like that he gets the credit. 
After the museum, I wandered more of the caruggi - the tiny streets - stopping to buy some focaccia (one of my two food goals for the town), before continuing to the port. I saw an old ship, then headed up toward the cathedral. 
I'm taking a break before dinner at the b and b before I head out to find dinner (second food goal: pesto). Tomorrow mid day, I'll be going on to the Cinque Terre, so I'll have a few hours in Genoa tomorrow morning as well. 

Trento and Como

Trento is actually really nice. It's in the mountains, the streets are clean, pedestrian friendly, the buildings are really pretty. As soon as I got there, I ate my packed lunch in a green park, next to a bunch of ducks. 
After I checked into my hostel, I explored the city, seeing the cathedral, the underground city, the castle, and the galleries. I wanted to take the cable car, but it was closed due to wind. The galleries were in two old transport tunnels, where they had information about the region, which has changed hands several times, including switching into Italian control after the first world war. There was also an incredibly powerful photographs of war exhibit showing pictures from wars in Yugoslavia, the Suez, Israel, Africa, Cambodia, and more. The galleries also included a museum with information about the history of the region. Then I went back to the city, looking for a pin for my jacket, and a recommendation for dinner. I ate early, around 7:30, trying to eat my way through a plate of gnocchi (I failed, it was so good, but so much food). I wandered around the city a little longer before going back to the hostel to go to bed. 
The hostel I stayed at got fairly low reviews everywhere I looked - nothing higher than a 6.5 out of 10 - but it was only €16, so I took it. The reviews said that the atmosphere was cold, breakfast pathetic, and there was a lack of customer service. I'd agree for the most part. The hostel was large, but it was rare to meet anyone outside of your room. The breakfast was coffee, juice, a bun, jam and margarine, but I wasn't expecting much more considering how much I paid. The service was fine, they helped me find somewhere to eat and gave me a map. Like in other hostels I've stayed at, I had to make my own bed and bring the sheets down when I had finished my stay, and no toiletries or towels were provided. The room itself was very bare. I shared my room with seven other women - a pair of German bike tourists, another pair of women, and three others travelling on their own. Generally very polite and friendly. 
I saw many Germans while in Trento, and it was normal to see menus and signs in Italian and German (rather than Italian and English that I've seen). I also saw more sporting goods stores, and people wore semi athletic clothing for every day - I didn't stand out as much in my quick dry shorts and sweater like I normally do. 
I could picture living in Trento a lot more than I could in Palermo - the city is less chaotic and noisy, cleaner, I'd be out hiking in the mountains all the time. It sometimes makes me wish that I'd been placed in a northern city. But then I remember why I went on exchange. Trento reminds me of Rossland, or maybe Nelson or Fernie. If I wanted to spend a year in a place just like where I'd came from, I could have stayed in British Columbia. I went on exchange to immerse myself in another culture, another life. I did it to step outside of my comfort zone, to learn. And I think Palermo and Sicily have done that for me. I hated the noise, the heat, the trash, the cityness, but I dealt with what I hated and found things to love. I will miss the energy and friendliness among much more. 
Como was another nice city. No cars in the centre, next to the lake and between mountains, lots of green space. I saw the war memorial, the cathedral, the two basiliche, ate my lunch on a bench facing the lake, then went to find the railroad to the city on the hill above. The railroad was closed for repairs, so I climbed partway before giving up (all those gelati and cannoli weighing me down, and that Palermo is flat and I'm out of shape). Then back down and to a photography exhibit that I stumbled upon. The artist took polaroids, then while the photo was still developing made impressions and drew lines, shifting the ink. Then to the cathedral again to see inside. Then I ran back to the station to get my luggage and haul it across town to the bus station (without stopping to think about whether the bus would stop at the station - it did). I was unable to find a spot to stay in Como, so I'm staying in Menaggio (hence the bus ride). 
The hostel I stayed at was really nice and friendly. I met two other young women as soon as I stepped off the bus going to the same place, so we immediately started chatting. I stayed in a room with two English girls, an Australian and someone from New Zealand - all in various stages of Italian or European tours. I ate dinner with an American girl who was teaching in Parma and travels each weekend. After dinner we watched fireworks from the railing of the dining room. 
My shower in the morning was cold for unknown reasons, but breakfast included fresh bread, and that made up for it. 
I said goodbye to my companions, then bussed back to Como, where I'd be taking the train to Milano, then Torino. It was easy to leave Lake Como, despite its beauty, because it was a lot like BC, and I'm going back to BC so soon. 
And that was my day in Como! Next stop: Torino!

Naples and Bologna

(Please ignore the bizarreness of tenses, I wrote this in several parts)
We haven't actually finished our day in Naples, but we're taking a break in the hotel, so I thought I'd get started. 
Yesterday, we arrived at the station, then walked to our hotel, nearby. We had an hour before dinner, so some of the group went out for a walk, coming back and saying that they felt uncomfortable here - like everyone was watching. I pretty much ignored these comments - they sounded like Sicily. We stand out - we're too blond/tall/accented/etc - and so we get a few stares. In Sicily, I've mostly gotten used to the stares, they don't bother me the same way they used to. I'm not sure the students from Sardinia had felt the same. 
We ate at the hotel, including champagne and a cake for the Japanese student's 18 birthday. We also had to say goodbye to our previous chaperone, he was returning to the north, and we'd be meeting our new chaperone in the afternoon. I'll admit, our chaperone was good. As long as we were on the train or with the guide at the right time, he let us do whatever we wanted. 
In the morning, we were on our own with the guide. So we saw the cathedral, the streets, underground Naples, and much more. We were also informed of how to drink coffee in the Napolitanan way - first cool water, the boiling hot coffee all in one shot. The guide told us that you can essentially play soccer in the underground city, but I felt a bit of claustrophobia inside the narrower tunnels - particularly when one of the pranksters blew out my candle (oh yes, we were using candles). We also saw photos and items from the war when people hid during the bombing. After the underground part, we saw a part of an old roman theatre. When the Spanish were in Naples, they told the citizens they couldn't build outside of the walls, so the people built up, covering up the old buildings. Some of the places we saw were being lived in as short ago as six years, others had been discovered just six months ago. 
Then time for some pizza (we're in Naples after all, the birthplace of pizza). Probably the best pizza margherita I've ever had, the crust chewy and flavourful, tomatoes so sweet, basil fresh and slightly peppery, lovely mozzarella. After our lunch, we saw the gallery, and several monuments. We said goodbye to our guide, who had been awesome, staying longer than he was originally booked for. We had time for a walk to the sea, before we met up with our new chaperone, a young woman from Trieste. 
Now we're back at the hotel, hanging out and avoiding the strong heat, so we'll be ready to go out again a little later on. 
I'll admit, I've been telling all my friends that Naples is just like Palermo, but that's not really true. It's dirtier - the garbage problem is evident. The driving is a combination of the north and the south - crazy like Palermo, but impatient like Milan. The people selling things on the street are more aggressive. It's a different feeling, perhaps because I don't know the city as well, but I don't feel as comfortable. The garbage problem is a real pity, because it should be an absolutely gorgeous city.  
Tonight we'll be finding souvenirs before dinner, then afterward finding a way to celebrate our friend's birthday. 
Well, I couldn't connect to the wifi in Naples so I'm tacking Bologna on the end of this:
Our last night in Naples, we stayed in, borrowing a guitar from the hotel, and hanging out in the lobby. The next day we left early for Bologna. The train stopped in Rome, so we spent the ride to Rome signing flags for each other. We said goodbye to Azmon in Rome, I cried. I was sad that we hadn't met each other sooner, that we (probably) won't meet each other again. 
The rest of us continued to Bologna. Bologna was hot. So hot.  We ate piadini, then met our guide. We saw the university, including a room where they performed autopsies to learn more about the human body, many other notable buildings, enjoying the architecture and style of the city. We then went to the two towers - one unfinished due to a lean - where we climbed the tower. Five hundred steps, worn and wooden, leading to a small space at the top where we enjoyed the panorama of the city. 
Then back down, when we had free time.  We got ice-cream from McDonalds (McFlurries here are so strange. I got "brownie" which meant dry brownie mix dumped on top of soft serve). We got souvenirs, then met up for coffee with the exchange student in Bologna. Then dinner, our last dinner all together. And then out. 
In the morning, I mixed up the time we had to get up so was ready early, so I simply harassed everyone into signing my book. Unfortunately, we had bus problems, so we ended up running to the station, so our goodbyes were brief (but tearful, in my case, I solidly established myself as the cryer). Six students went back to Venice, my train to Trento leaving a few minutes later, while another student went to Rome and the remaining three leaving from Bologna later in the day. Trains are inherently more romantic to me. You wait until they blow the whistle, walking through the carriage as it starts moving, watching out the window until the final wave. 
They were an amazing eleven days, with eleven amazing people. I will never forget how great it was. In the beginning, we didn't know each other well, our train rides were quiet, conversations more about simple topics. By the third day, we slept heads on each others shoulders, holding hands in long lines through the streets. I feel closer to these people than I do to many of my classmates. It was hard to leave, knowing we will likely never see each other again. 
But it's time to move on. My train is about to arrive in Trento where I'll be spending tonight. It already looks so much different, even with respect to Bologna. We've been riding through forest covered mountains, orchards - I've missed that. 

Pisa and Rome

Our last night in Florence, we had gone out to a disco, so we enjoyed a nice sleep on the train to Pisa, where we'd be spending the day. We met the guide at the station, walking through the town towards the tower and cathedral. Pisa isn't quite as cute or pretty as Siena or Florence, but it has several notable buildings, such as the science school, several churches, and we saw one of the three possible buildings that Galileo was born at. We finished at Campo dei Miracoli, seeing the inside of the duomo, before hanging out on the grass in front of the tower. Unfortunately our tour didn't include climbing it, and we were unable get tickets for early enough, but we still enjoyed our few hours in Pisa, lazing on the grass. 
Then we went back to the train station, taking the train along the coast to Rome. In Rome we got settled in our hotel, meeting another exchange student there, before going out for dinner. After our meal Azmon, a student on the tour, took a small group of us for a quick tour of Rome. He had been living about 20 minutes by bus from the city centre, and knew it very well. We saw the colosseum, the Vittorio Emmanuele memorial, some of the ruins, and the Trevi Fountain, before heading up to the Spanish steps, enjoying the warm night. 
We woke up early, meeting the guide to go to the colosseum. Unfortunately, our guide in Rome was not as good as our others have been. He was very knowledgable, but something between his accent and his way of speaking made him a little difficult to understand. He also gave us way to much information and after the third or fourth emperor, we got a little lost.  After our tour, some of the guys wanted fast food, so we went to burger king, where I had some of the most disappointing onion rings of my life. 
The afternoon, I wandered around Rome with a few of the others, checking out piazzas and fashion stores. I felt very out of place in Prada in   Then back to the hotel for a nap before dinner. After eating I went out again with Azmon, going to Castel Sant' Angelo and San Pietro, as well as piazza Navona, among others. 
In the morning we went to the Basilica di San Pietro. Once again, I was amazed by the scale of the building. It doesn't really feel big until you look closely. In other churches, there are more archways inside (I've forgotten what they are called - they divide the church into three parts), but Saint Peter's has five (I think), so it feels smaller. I loved seeing La Pieta again, as well as the wonderful mosaics and paintings. Outside we saw the castle again, then piazza Navona, then the church San Luigi dei Francesi (to see the Caravaggios - wow amazing a must see), to the Pantheon, and the Trevi fountain. After the tour, we split up, three students going to the Vatican museums, while the rest of us went for pizza a taglio and a nap in the park. 
All in all, I'm happy I'd already seen Rome, because the tour and walking around for two days didn't see as much as it should. But I loved hanging out with a local, and my exchange student friends. 
Today we got to Naples, looking forward to our tour tomorrow. Some of the other students are a little nervous about Naples - everyone says it's so dangerous. Perhaps Palermo has toughened me up a bit though, I'm not sure there's much to be afraid of. 
That's all for now! I don't want this tour to end, but now it's just Naples and Bologna left. (Trying not to think about it).

Florence and Siena

We got to Florence two nights ago, and had our guided tour the first morning. I had already seen many of the places but I enjoyed learning more about the history and the specifics of the city. After lunch I climbed the dome in the cathedral, getting to see the paintings right up close. The scale of the paintings on the ceiling of the dome is ridiculous. The people are several meters tall. Then up to the very top where we saw an amazing panorama. 
Walking home after dinner, we came across a street performer. He had pulled volunteers from the audience and did a comedy show, totally hilarious. It was fantastic understanding both the Italian and the English parts of the show - he would speak in English to the mostly tourist crowd, but would add comments in Italian, usually poking fun at American tourists. 
The following morning we went to Siena for the day. Our guided tour was in the early afternoon so we spent our morning wandering around, snacking and relaxing. The tour brought us to the church of San Domenico where we learned about the story of Saint Cattarina (?), then around the city to the cathedral. I loved the music room in the cathedral as well as the amazing marble. They had wanted to make it even larger but a plague hit the city and so they were unable to continue. They got as far as some parts of the walls. Then to Piazza del Campo where they have the horse races. 
After our tour, some of us went to the torture museum, which I'll admit was mostly just really gory. Not sure I'd go back to that one. Then a walk to the train station to get back to Florence. 
Tomorrow we leave for Pisa in the morning, then from there to Rome. 
It's been really amazing being with the other exchange students. It's validating in many ways. There is more than one exchange experience, something that I frequently forgot in Palermo. It's ok to look forward to going home. It's ok that you struggled with the language, making friends, or getting along with your host family. I felt often that I was doing something wrong - that it was all my fault that I'm not the best in Italian or that I wasn't as close to my Italian friends as I wanted - but many others had the same experiences. My examples of exchange came from people that weren't necessarily like me - they spoke the language or learned quickly, or had a host family that they got along with immediately, or were better at making friends. So meeting the other students has helped me to feel a lot better about myself, knowing that others have experienced the same challenges, the same joys. 
Anyhow, that's all for right now, I'll update again as soon as I can. 

Venezia, Verona and Milano

I had my first tour day today (13 June). The multidistrict organised a tour seeing Venice, Verona, Milan, Florence, Siena, Pisa, Rome, Naples and Bologna, and though we're a fairly small group of just 12 students, I already feel like we've been friends for ages. The students came from Sardinia, Rome, Bari and Sicily, and we represent several countries: Canada, Sweden, Germany, Japan, USA and Argentina. Minus the student from Argentina, we all speak English, but we speak Italian most of the time, because we value including everyone. 
Kaley and I flew from Sicily, landing the evening of the 12, and we stayed at our team leader's house (where his wife essentially force fed us fresh fruit and gelato when we got there. I suffered.). This morning we met up with the other students and took of for our of Venice. 
We wandered the streets, crossing on the small bridges. I noticed just how silent it was - without cars (and their horns, alarms, etc), the city is very quiet. We met our guide at Piazza San Marco, seeing the cathedral (wow - that's all I can say about the cathedral... Just... Wow.), various buildings, such as the leaning tower, the fallen (and rebuilt) bell tower, and many other places. Unfortunately we did not have the time to go on a gondola ride (and it was raining), and we were a little disappointed to miss out on that experience. 
Then back to the hotel for dinner, and to go to bed. This morning we took off early for Verona! I'll try to update again as soon as I can. 
Ok so I didn't find wifi, so I'm stuffing Verona and Milano on this one as well. 
At Verona we saw the old city walls, the arena and Juliet's house. The arena is the second biggest after the colosseum, and we had a great time climbing the seats. They still hold operas and plays there, and the cheapest seats, those highest, are actually the best, and the acoustics are so that the sound rises. The house of Juliet (from Shakespeare) was packed with people, and you can tell as you approach because you see the signatures and messages of love on the walls. Inside the courtyard we got pictures with the bronze stature of Juliet, then we went to piazza delle Erbe. We had the afternoon free so we wandered around. 
In the evening we rode to Milano. We had a great evening out, then up early for our tour of Milan. We saw the castle, the galleria, then the cathedral. Again, we had the afternoon off, so we did a little shopping, getting gelato at a chocolate shop, and saw a church with a room of bones. Our guide in the afternoon was a South African student living outside of Lecco on exchange. We even managed to meet up with the other Milanese students  just to quickly chat and exchange information. I felt that had we lived in the same city, we would have instantly been friends, and I didn't want to say goodbye to our guide in the afternoon, promising to send letters, and keep up to date with each other through facebook and email. 
Then onto the fast train, heading to Florence! We have three nights in Florence, seeing Pisa and Siena during that time as well. 
I'll update as soon as I can!

On Being an Exchange Student

This is the first of several posts I've been writing on Italian life, life as an exchange student, learning Italian, what I'll miss/not miss, etc. I leave today for my tour and I've realised how much I've been ignoring my return until after I get back from my tour. Pretty much "I don't go home until after the tour, and since I hadn't left for the tour yet, my return date is not approaching, and therefore I don't have to worry about saying goodbye". But I know the end is near, less than a month left, so I've been trying to organise for my departure a little. 
Anyhow, here's something I wrote on being an exchange student. 

I'll Miss...
The built in excuse
Anything, from language, to clothing, to cultural no-nos, is usually forgiven after a "sorry, I'm foreign/an exchange student". Brilliant. Of course, this is not to be abused, but it is handy for learning the culture or pronunciation. 

Conversation Starter
Once I got better in Italian, I found myself chatting with so many people I would normally never say a word to - simply because they noticed I was foreign and asked where I was from. Before long I'm conversing, mentioning some differences between Italy and Canada, and they're telling me how much they want to go to Toronto - they have family there - and so on. On one hand, this fits into the "how do you know someone's an exchange student?... They'll tell you" category, but it's also an expression of the confidence I've gained through this experience. 

Explaining Canada
Most people here don't know a lot about Canada... We mention the USA in English and history classes, but Canada rarely gets a mention. Fortunately that means I get to tell everyone all about it! Well, anyone that will listen...

Being Part of a Club
It's sort of elite... (kidding)... But it is really fun. You instantly have something in common and you can laugh about language issues, faux pas, all with someone you had just met. 

But it's also really difficult...
Good friendships take time and energy to develop and when half of that time is spent speaking at baby level, it's even more difficult. 

I'm not sure how normal this is, but I felt emotional extremes here more - one day I think of calling my family to send the rest of my stuff over, I'm living here forever, the next I'm wondering how soon I can get on a plane. I think I'm looking forward to having things cool down a bit. 

Palermo

We flew from Pisa to Palermo, taking the bus into town. We stayed in an apartment building just steps from the mercato ballarò. In Palermo, we visited with my host family, making a "Canadian" dinner of salmon with soy, ginger and maple syrup. We also went to Mondello for a walk on the beach, and Monreale to see the cathedral, as well as exploring the city. We saw a few of the churches, the cathedral, the botanical gardens and the archaeological museum. 

Il Duomo at Monreale

Inside il Duomo at Monreale.

Cacti at the garden.

I think my mom was jealous that things actually grow here...

In front of the cathedral in Palermo.

Ballarò

Mondello

Gelato

[Sorry, I sort of became less inspired by these posts as I wrote them]

Florence, Siena and Chianti

We took the train to Florence, arriving midday. We stayed again at a B and B, close to the station. Breakfast at this place gets a big thumbs up, as it included fresh fruit and baking, and really good yogurt. I was slightly disappointed by the coffee - good, but American style. Our host was more than happy to make us Italian coffee on request, however.
Saturday we saw the Galleria dell' Accademia, which is the house of Michelangelo's David, among other works. I was confused whether "finito-nonfinito" (finished-unfinished) was an actual style or not, as it seemed to me that Michelangelo just ran out of time or switched cities, leaving his statues behind.
I liked the Galleria degli Uffizi a lot, though I made a bit of a fool of myself, confusing a Botticelli for a DaVinci. I enjoyed seeing as art progressed, adding in perspectives and scale. We got kicked out before I could see all the rooms, though. (I missed the Caravaggios - I was not impressed)

Sunday we went out to Siena, taking the bus. We had been told that if we had just one day for a trip out of Florence, to go to Siena, not Pisa. Other than the Piazza dei Miracoli (where the leaning tower and cathedral are), there isn't really much else. Whereas in Siena, much more if the style is preserved, plus it's fun and interesting to walk around.

Il Campo

The Cathedral

Il Campo, near the end of the day.

From Fortezza di Santa Barbara, looking toward the city

Monday we did a bit of shopping at the Market downtown, buying scarves and leather items, before going on a wine tour in the Chianti region. We learned about wine and olive oil production, before sampling cheeses, wines and olive oils.

Wine

For our last day in Florence, we took the bus to the sight seeing spot above the town, before walking back down and seeing an exhibit of sketches.

Above the city

Local cuisine includes:

Crostini Toscani - unsalted bread topped with a purée of chicken liver, capers, and onion. My host mom makes these when we have guests over, but I'll admit, I am not the biggest fan.
Ribollita - literally "reboiled", bean and bread soup
Bistecca alla fiorentina - Florentine steak, comes in two sizes, large and huge (500 g and 1kg, no joke). We wanted to know if we could get 250 g, not an option. However, we still wanted to try it, so we ordered the 500 g for all three if us, plus side dishes. (Unlike in North America, it is unusual for secondi piatti, main dishes, to come with vegetables, salad, potatoes, etc. If you order steak, veal, chicken, etc, that is all you get.)
Cantucci, or cantuccini - known as "biscotti" to North Americans, these dry, twice baked cookies are usually flavoured with almonds (mandorle), and served with vin santo. After trying one dipped in the strong, sweet wine, my mom said something along the lines of "I've been eating biscotti wrong my whole life".

Parent visit - Rome

My mom and step dad came to visit me for two weeks, which was certainly a lot of fun. We planned a three city tour, Rome, Florence and Palermo, as well as several guided tours. First stop: Rome.

Goodbye Sicily, I will miss you.

Hello, Rome! It actually looked really small from the air, I thought I'd taken the wrong flight.

Due to my parents missing their flight, I was in Rome by myself for the day. I walked around, visiting a few churches and sights nearby to our b and b. We stayed near the station, for its accessibility to the metro and trains, at a renovated older building, run by a really great pair of brothers.

The next day, early, my family arrived, and we revisited many sights that I had seen the day previous.

Tuesday we went to Vatican city for a guided tour. We splurged and got the "skip-the-line" as well, so we didn't have to wait outside for three hours. I learned a lot about the history of the Vatican, as well as all the art. Our tour guide was a young Irish woman taking time off from her Phd in archaeology, with a fun and energetic style.
Highlights included, well, a lot of things. In particular, Raphael's School of Athens, the Sistine chapel, Michelangelo's La Pietà, and St Peter's. I liked the stories associated with each place - how Michelangelo was known to throw things at people who bothered him, how they made St Peter's seem less big from the inside by using scale, how painters would being themselves and other artists into their work.

Our tourguide.

The hall of maps.

School of Athens.

La Pietà. Mary is shown as young and rediculously tall.

After lunch we saw some more of the sights including, but not limited to: Castel Sant' Angelo, the Spanish steps, a DaVinci exhibit, and Piazza del Popolo.

The Da Vinci exhibit had a 360° mirror...

Spanish steps.

Wednesday we went to the colosseum and Roman forums, again with a guided tour. The site was possibly busier than the Vatican so I was very happy to skip the line here.

Outside the Collesseum.

The colosseum has seen some better days, it lost a lot of its stone to other buildings, and the pollution of Rome hasn't helped for its colouring. I wouldn't have minded seeing below, but it's open only during the summer.

Cleaned, vs uncleaned.

The Roman forums were interesting, but very difficult to visualise. They had been covered by dirt after a flood, and they are still excavating, and, like the collesseum, many pieces are missing. I was trying to picture the average roman standing where I was, as the forums were the centre of daily life during ancient Roman times.

Arch of Constantine

After lunch we went to the Trevi Fountain, the pantheon, Piazza Navona, stopping to buy strawberries at the Campo dei Fiori, and seeing Michelangelo's Moses at San Pietro in Vincoli.

My mom and I throwing our coins into the fountain.

Apparently Michelangelo threw his hammer at the statue when he had finished, yelling, "But why don't you speak?"

For our last full day in Rome, we saw more of the sights, ending up far above the city, enjoying the lovely day.

Circo Massimo

Food Highlights from Rome:

Classic roman dishes include Pasta Carbonara, and Carciofi (artichokes) alla Romana, both of which I was sure to enjoy. Pasta carbonara is pasta tossed with a mix of egg, pancetta (bacon), and cheese, usually Pecorino Romano.  The key is freshly ground pepper.