Arrivederci!

Dinner at Palazzo Ranucci on Thursday with LDM

GIORDANO!  My cooking professor.  The last thing he said to us, "Don't stop cook.  Ever."

My new sister, Oleania!

Throwing my coin in the fountain!

Last time at the Caffe del Duomo

Last gelato from Bar Falleroni

API Farewell Dinner

Well it is officially time to say goodbye and leave Tuscania (in 3 hours and 38 minutes but who's counting!).  Tonight was the farewell API dinner which was a wonderful time.  After dinner, we went to Piazza San Marco where there was live music and a big party tonight.  We spent the night all together, and didn't want to leave!  We said our goodbyes, took a ton of pictures, and I walked home down those cobblestone streets for the last time.   I am all packed and ready for the day of traveling tomorrow (or today actually haha).  I will leave Tuscania at 5:45 am, and my flight to Chicago is at 10 am, and after about 11 hours in the air, I will be back in Illinois.  I haven't said goodbye to my host family yet, because I was gone all night and they said they would see me off in the morning.  Not really looking forward to that, because they have been absolutely wonderful.  They really do feel like my second family! When I was in the park this morning reading through my journal and reflecting on my trip, I made a list of things I was going to miss, and things that I loved about Italy/Tuscania.  More than half of that list are things relating to my host family.  I could not have chosen a more perfect host family.  I would not change one thing about my experience here, and if I could I would relive it all over again.  I'm am going to miss the students, my host family, the language, the food, the city of Tuscania, traveling, and just plain being in Italy.  I haven't even left yet, and I already cannot wait to come back!

Final Day!

Holy cow, there is not enough time left in the day!  I will re-update later tonight/early tomorrow before I leave about my last few days here but here's a quick recap (I'll put up pics later too) (I have to go get ready for dinner tonight so I don't have time now):

Final exams yesterday--cooking was a funny story.
Last lunch with the whole family.
Learned how to make gelato.  First thing I'm making when I get home.  Oh yeah, Mom, add ice cream maker to the list of things I want to buy when I get home along with pasta maker :)
Farewell dinner at the best restaurant in Tuscania with all of the staff, and students on Thursday.
Last Friday market in Tuscania, some gelato, last visit to the park.
Threw my coin in the Fountain so I'll come back again.
Manuela and Catie surprised me with some sweet treats :)  Gonna miss them so much.
Farewell dinner tonight with API.


Made my list of things that I will miss from Italy/things I've learned/final thoughts that I will post later.    This is harder than I thought to say goodbye, or rather "arrivederci" aka "We will see each other again." I leave for the airport in 10 hours and haven't packed yet!  Just keep denying that I'm actually leaving, and putting it off.  Off to dinner tonight and then saying goodbye to everyone :(

Last Week :(

Wow, wow, wow, this week has gone by soooo fast.  Since it is the last week, there has been so much going on with classes, getting ready to say goodbye, final activities, that I haven't had time to blog!  My apologies.  So to recap my week:

Monday was business as usual with classes, etc.  Mei, one of the advisors from the school, came over for lunch so that was nice.  It was kind of funny because the last time she came over for lunch was my very first day here, so she had to translate everything.  On Monday, she kept translating everything, even though I understood!  So I've learned a lot in the last 5 weeks.  She also asked me how I haven't gained weight since I eat so much!  I guess it's all the walking here.  For dinner, we had this frittata with prosciutto and cheese which was basically like an omelet, so Catie and I explained how that is like a breakfast food in America, and they thought we were crazy!  Made two kinds of gnocchi in class.

Spinach gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce, walnuts, and thyme

Gnocchi with mint pesto, pancetta, and truffles.

  Can't wait to try out all of these recipes at home!

Tuesday was a pleasant surprise when I came down for breakfast, and Manuela was already cooking up a storm!  There were pots and pans everywhere, and she explained how she was preparing a big lunch to bring to the farm that day.  She invited me to help, so after Italian class, I came back home and helped her cook.  She made 3 lasagnas, a huge pot of roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, and two cakes "ciambellone di pasqua."  She even let me have a peak at her secret recipe book from her mother so I could write down the recipe for the cake.  But boy did she take that back quickly and return it somewhere upstairs in it's secret spot, where even her daughter doesn't know where it is!  Manuela, Oleania and I cooked and baked and then ate our lunch, and packed up to head to their farm.  We picked up Georgio and Elisa on the way.  Now most of you know that I love children, and I think every child is just adorable, but you take a 3 year old that speaks Italian and that just makes them 100x cuter :)  When we got to the farm, we served lunch to the workers.  It was a big day at the farm, as there were a few men from New Zealand that work there for a few weeks every year, and it was the day that they shave all of the wool off the sheep, so there is no time for the workers to go home for lunch.  There were about 15 of them, so we served the lunch and talked with the workers which was fun because the ones from New Zealand were in my boat as they spoke English and only a little Italian, so we talked a lot.  Then when it was time to go back to work, Patrizio and Felice explained to me how they do everything, and what was going on.  It was fun to see them at work, and you can tell they really love it.  Felice was so proud to show off his farm, and said to be sure to explain everything to my father when I get home!

 I went to cooking class where we learned to make some more sweets.  We made tiramisu and crostadas, and I got to bring home the leftovers to my host family so they could try, and they gave them two thumbs up, and I even got a "Bravisimo!" which was exciting :)

Tiramisu 

Crostada with custard and bananas (my favorite one)

Crostada with nutella (yes, that is filled entirely with nutella but it burnt so it wasn't very good)

When I got back from class, I had coffee with Manuela, which was nice, because now that my Italian is getting better we can actually have real conversations.  She is a chatterbox too, and she really enjoys teaching about Italian culture.  She especially likes that I want to learn how to cook and bake, so she is always explaining what she is doing, and how to make things.  She let me help make dinner again to, which was.....RABBIT!  I was a little nervous, but it was delicious.

Today (Wednesday) I had my last regular Italian class, and then went back to the house and Manuela was cooking another lunch.  The "tosatura" or shearing of the sheep is a two day event, so she was preparing one more lunch.  This time it was insalata de riso (which is one of my new favorites) and meatballs and vegetables.

Insalata di Riso  

Some real Italian meatballs

Ciambellone di Pasqua  

She brought out her secret book again to show me how to make "Salame King Cake."  It is basically one big log roll cake full of nutella.  YUM.   She knows I love nutella!

Mi piace Nutella

In cooking class, we had our written final exam, and learned how to make GELATO! Finally!  It didn't turn out because we had to do it by hand which takes about 3-4 hours, so we ran out of time, but I will get to taste it tomorrow when it is ready.  Can't wait.  Tonight is my going away dinner with the family.  Thursday night I have one with the school, and then Friday with API, so tonight was the only day to do it at the house.  Then, all of my host family wants to skype with my family one more time.

I can't believe tomorrow is final exams, and then only one more day until I head home.  I don't feel the least bit ready to leave, and have so much to do to get ready in the next two days.  Not enough time!

Giglio Island and Roma!

The API group spent the day on Saturday at Giglio Island.  We left Saturday morning on a bus to Porto San Stefano where we got on a ferry to the island.  It was beautiful! 

the view from the top of the island 

When we got off the ferry, we took a bus straight to the top of the island.  That was an "adventurous" ride.  The roads were pretty steep and windy, and the bus was standing room only, so it was a little treacherous but the views were incredible.  We got to the top and explored the city.  That is the part of the island where people live, but even in the winter there are less than 500 people who live there.  Can you imagine?  Talk about small town.  If I were to try to picture Italy before I came, this town was exactly what I had in mind.  

Typical house in the city center

Love the streets!

The streets were narrow and cobblestone, and there were women in their house dresses hanging their laundry and watering their flowers, and people walking to and from the market with their fresh produce.  We explored these streets and shops for a little while, saw the "castello" or castle, and even stumbled upon the village discoteca, and then headed back down the island.  

Discoteca

We got on the wrong bus so we had to go all the way to the bottom, switch buses, go all the way back up and then all the way back down to the other side again.  It was a little long, but we got seats that time, so it was fun to take in all of the views.  We had lunch at the port, and had a boat tour of the island.  Let's just say, that may have been one of the best events of the trip.  There were some pretty big waves, and we were in a smaller boat, so it was like a roller coaster ride.  The water was so clear you could see all the way to the bottom, and the view of the entire island from the boat was wonderful.  

You can see the bottom! That's like 20 feet deep!

We pulled up to a small bay, where there were some other boats and scuba divers, and got in for a swim.  It was a bit chilly (and by a bit I mean a whole lot), but it was so beautiful it didn't matter!  We swam for a while, and I was still in awe of how clear and blue the water was, and then rode around in the boat for a while and went to the beach. 

Catie and I on the boat tour!  Just a little windy :)

Taking a swim in the most beautiful, acqua colored water.  Yep, it was salty!

 We only laid on the beach for 20-30 minutes or so, but no complaints, cause I had definitely gotten more than enough sun in the last 2 days!  

Sunday morning, I went with my host family to Rome to their farmer's market.  We got to the market, "Roma Farmer's Market" and set up.  It was like any farmer's market you would imagine, with about 20 different stands or vendors.  My host family sells milk, eggs, yogurt, different meats, and a few different cheeses.  Manuela sells from this market, and then we headed to their other one to set up too.  The other one is by the Circo Massimo, and that is where Oleania and Patrizio work.  Oleania worked there, and I went with Felice on a tour of the city.  We went around the Circo Massimo, to the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum, and through Palazzo Venenzia and up the Vittoriano monument.  He talked most of the time explaining what things were and some history of the city (by the end of the walk my brain was exhausted from trying to translate!)  We went back to the Circo Massimo market and had lunch with Oleania and some other vendors.  Everyone we meet is so welcoming and friendly!  We had lunch, and Felice had me try "tripe."  Irene had told us about this typical dish before, but I didn't know exactly what it was.  I figured since the five guys at the table were all laughing as they watched me taste it, that it was something unusual, but I tried it anyways.  It was an unpleasant texture, but it tasted okay.  Ready to know what it is??  Part of the stomach of a cow.  YUCK!  They were all pleased that I tasted it even though I didn't like it, but they all love it!  So far that is the only thing I have eaten here that I would not want to eat another time.  After lunch, I went with Felice around the market to meet the other vendors (and not surprisingly, being Italian, they all made sure I ate something!)  I tasted marmalades, and cheeses, and biscotti, and wine.  You name it, I tasted it, and everything was so fresh and delicious.  You might be able to guess what my favorite was though.  Think you know?  GREEN OLIVES!  The best olives on this planet.  The vendor was so nice, and he gave us sunflower seeds, and these other bean like things, but when I tried an olive and told him they are my favorite, he gave me a whole bag and made my day!  We had gelato (made fresh with goat's milk) and headed back to Tuscania.  Tomorrow starts the last few days of class and it is dessert week for cooking.  My favorite!  We are learning how to make our own gelato (without a machine so we can do it at home...yesss).  Can't wait!

Palazzo Ranucci, Cheese Factory, Taylor's Birthday, and Lake Bolsena

This week just flew by!  It was so busy!  Tuesday, instead of cooking class, we went out to dinner at a local restaurant.  As my teacher would say, "we eat, we drink, we talk food."  It was at a nicer restaurant called, "Palazzo Ranucci" (i think haha) Giordano is friends with the chef (of course) since the chef was Giordano's first teacher.  So if he taught Giordano how to cook, we knew we were in for some good food. We walked out onto the terrace to eat oustide, and we greeted by one of the best views in Tuscania.  It was almost sunset, and we could see the Basilica of San Pietro, and all of the landscape.  We sat down, and did just as Giordano said. We ate (4 courses of some quality Italian cuisine), we drank wine, and we talked about food or "had our lesson." I will definitely miss having class at fine restaurants and bakeries when I get back in the classroom next semester.

Class Photo :)

Wednesday, I had Italian class as normal in the morning, and we learned how to make pasta with bread crumbs, and cous cous with shrimp in Cooking class.  I had lunch with the family as usual, and Oleania and I made Insalata di Risso for the next day.  That is a very typical, summer dish here in Tuscania and it was delicious.  It was rice, tuna, olives, "wurstel" or what I would say would be hot dogs :), some vegetables, mayonaisse.  Wednesday night, my host family got to skype with my family which was very exciting.  It was also a lunar eclipse that night, so Felice took us out to the terrace to see it, and the moon was completely red!  It was so unique and like something I've never seen.  After skyping, I asked Manuela about some of the pictures on her bookshelf, and she brought out all of her albums and started showing me everything!  She showed me her family, and their wedding album, and the kids when they were little, so that was fun to see.  I showed her the pictures I brought from home too, so we learned a little about each other.

Thursday, I had another Italian test which went well.  The family was in Rome for the day, and Oleania went to the seaside in the morning, but her and her friend, Marina, came home for lunch and we had the Rice salad that we made the day before.   We went to a cheese factory in Montefiascone, a nearby city, for cooking class.  They showed us how they made Buffalo Mozzarella, which is quite an interesting process, and then of course we got to sample some.  

After we got back from the Cheese factory, we all met up to surprise one of the other students, Taylor, for her birthday.  Giordano baked some treats, and brought music, and we had a party for her at the school.  It was really nice, and she was so surprised.  We are such a small group of students, and faculty, and we have all become like a family since we got here, so it was fun to celebrate together.  We all went to the Duomo that night to celebrate too, and had a blast!

Friday, I went to the open air market in the morning, and then we all took the bus to Lake Bolsena for a boat tour to the Island, and then we got to swim at the Island.  Everything was so beautiful,  and the water was crystal clear.  After the boat tour, we got lunch and laid out in the sun for a little bit, and then we went to the studio of a local artist.  He showed us his current projects, and taught us a little about the techniques he uses, and how he composed a piece of art.  His art was so interesting, and it was cool to learn about the process of how he creates a piece from the beginning inspiration, to the planning, and the color mixing, etc.  

The island on Lake Bolsena where we jumped in to swim!

Some of the artist's current work.  I enjoyed how the people in the bottom corners look as though they are transparent.

This is part of his collection.  It looks as though the train is actually moving by, which I loved.

Tomorrow, API is going to Giglio Island for a boat tour, and on Sunday I will be going to Rome with my host family to help them at their market, which I am very looking forward to.  The days are going by so fast, I don't want to waste any moment!

Field Trip to Giordano's Bakery!

On Monday instead of regular class, we took a field trip to Giordano's bakery (my teacher).  It is next to my house, and I can see it from my window, and it is always busy.  The store and bakery was closed, so we had the place to ourselves.  He showed us all of his machinery, and taught us about the different methods and ingredients, and then we got started making our break and pizza dough. 

Ovens, fridges, and trays to store the bread and pastries

The big mixer on the left was for the bread, and the little one for pizza dough.

Years of culinary school with some of the best chefs in Italy, and yes he is using a box cutter :) but that's how he learned it from his father.

 After we made the bread, he said, "i not like to say this, but this bread win championship in Italy."  WHAT?!  He went on to explain how he competed against other Italian bakers (when he was only 25 years old) and this recipe won!  So he literally taught us how to make the best bread in Italy :)  

Yep, that's some award winning bread :)

 We also made pizza dough, and made 7 different kinds of pizza to try.  One with zucchini flower, potato and sausage, mushroom, margherita, caprese, one with arugula and cheese, YUM. 

We also learned how to make his pizza sauce.   The flavor was like nothing I've ever tasted!

Zucchini Flower (one of my new favorite foods) and Mozzarella 

Rucola (what we call arugula, but in literal translation "rocket," so it always makes me laugh when he says to add some Rocket to our ingredients list

Pizzas and break in the oven! 

Definitely going to miss this when I get home.

It was such a fun field trip, and it was so obvious that Giordano was beaming with pride to share his passion with us.  The bakery has been around for 3 generations, and it was so cool to be a part of for the day.

A Beautiful weekend in Sorrento and Capri!

What a fabulous weekend!  I am honestly running out of adjectives to describe things.  I just don't know how to explain how beautiful everything is!  Sorrento might be my favorite city so far.  It was a perfect mix between the small town feel of Tuscania, with beautiful views, and a bigger, tourist city like Rome and Florence.  I am having trouble narrowing down what pictures to post, so there are quite a few :)  From the beginning of our journey (I went with two other girls from API, Courtney and Sydney):

First, we met at the school to get our ride from Tuscania to the train station in Tarquinia, about 25 minutes away.  We got our train in Tarquinia which went to Roma (Termini).  My first train ride in Europe!  I was a little nervous to start out, because I've never traveled on my own before, but Courtney and Syndey and I managed perfectly well!  It was actually really fun to adventure on our own.  We got off in Rome and got our other train to Napoli, and then got on the Circumvesuviana (another train) to Sorrento.  We met so many people throughout, and it was fun to hear everyone's stories about where they were travelling, where they were from, etc.  When we finally got to Sorrento, we were starving, so we had lunch, and the waiter gave us free limoncello since that is something Sorrento is known for.  There were lemon trees EVERYWHERE!

Even our bed and breakfast had their own lemon trees.

We found our bed and breakfast, "Sweet Home" and got our room, and then went out to explore the city.

The views were magnificent.

Sorrento

 We walked around for a long time just taking in each view, and then had dinner. Best gnocchi I've ever had!  We found a good spot, and sat and watched the sunset.  Breathtaking.

OMG!

It was a long and busy but beautiful day!

On Saturday, we woke up a little early to go to the port and get ferry tickets to Capri.  We got on the first ferry, and arrived in Capri.  We bought breakfast at a cute cafe, window-shopped a little, and bought a map so we could explore the island.  We took a lift to the middle level of the island (we didn't have enough time to take the chair lift all the way to the top) and we walked around a lot.  We found the Arco Naturale, and then we went to Augustus Garden's which was so pretty.

El arco Naturale

 We had lunch, and then took a boat ride around the island.  Best decision.  We went all the way around the island, and it was unreal.

After the rain in the morning, there was a rainbow during our boat tour.

Look at the color of the water!

We wanted to see the blue grotto, but it was closed because of high tide and weather (it rained in Sorrento while we were in Capri, and we somehow missed the rain when it got to Capri).  We found a beach after the boat tour, and relaxed.  It was my first time ever laying out on a beach :)

Just going for a swim in the Meditteranean.  No big deal :)

We took the ferry back to Sorrento and spent the night there, had dinner, and gelato (the best gelato in Italy so far!)

Sunday we had breakfast at "Sweet Home" which was so nice.  We paid for our room, and headed out to see Sorrento for the last time.  We found a cute cafe and sat there journaling and writing postcards, and enjoyed a lemonade until it was time to catch our trains.

HAD to try lemonade in Sorrento since they are known for their lemons.  Delicious!

 We took the Circumvesuviana back to Napoli where we had some time, so we got pizza in the train station so we could say we had pizza in Naples :)

Then the train to Rome, and then to Tarquinia, and then we got our ride back to Tuscania.  What a busy, fun weekend.  It was so worth it, and I'm so glad I got to see it!

Capri