a well-deserved update: thursday, may 6th- wednesday, may 12th

weekend in amalfi - absolutely amazing. will post pictures later i swear. it was warm and sunny and happy and adorable and the best thing to end the year with. we ate so much lemon gelato and delicious fish.... mmmm.... definitely worth seeing! the ferry-ride to capri wasn't quite worth it though.... darn motion-sickness!!!! breana and i hung in there though! we had giovanna and victoria entertain us with charades and M.A.S.H. 

monday - my roommate allie from smith came to visit! we shopped and strolled all day, seeing nice things and snacking on gelato and due fratellini sandwiches for lunch. dinner was stuffed meat of some kind, potatoes, salad and baby onions, pineapple. then we went out to the old stove pub by the duomo for caitlin's last night - she is going home to graduate on sunday!!! 

tuesday - i went to pistoia to see alayna, lenora, claire and chrysanthe present what they did in the pistoia schools this semester. then i went to study with allie, victoria, anna, breana, etc. at chiaroscuro, this great cafè. we had delicious coffe!  dinner at the host fam's was yummmmmy lasagna with pesto, pecorino and silvia's pepper jelly and then my favorite apple cake!!!!! i then watched someone like you with the host parents - good movie!

wednesday - study time with vic. meatballs, bread, little puffy tort things made of creamed asparagus and cheese???? strawberries and creammmm!!!!!

did i mention that we have a new "electric broom" otherwise known as a small little chargeable vacuum for hard surfaces. its very fun = ) 

things to do, things to buy, etc. stress, bittersweet. the rest of the week.

thursday: oral exam!! done! meatballs, bread, sliced meats

friday: lunch, coffee and stroll with victoria, teatro del sale, out after

saturday: day with the host fam, chicken, potatoes, strawberries and cream, uffizi

sad depressing sunday turned good!

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i didn't forget to blog all this time, i swear. i have an "in progress" blog that i've been adding to since last wednesday. i think i am just putting off writing it because i am sad and depressed about going home.... so writing a blog about how great everything has been breaks my heart a little bit...... i will put it up soon, scout's honor. 


p.s. i think this is my 100th blog.... 

May 5th, 2010

Wednesday, May 5th


DONE DONE DONE!!! Well. Mostly. Done everything at the sede!! Just my little university exam and presentation and that's it!! Woohoo!! And we're off to Pompeii, Napoli and Capri tomorrow!! Until Sunday! How fabulous! Let's hope it doesn't rain the entireeeee time!


Tonight I was greeted by Enrico and Silvia (after sucking down a Snakebite at the Old Stove pub in Piazza Signoria) and a nice cold glass of prosecco! Yum! And chicken curry with rice! Delicious! And some of that crumb tort from last night. They were very happy that I was done exams and made fun of me all night about how tired my poor little face looked..... Humph. From here on out, I am going to relax and enjoy and do everything and anything I want to do. So there. Minus my university exam. But whatever, what's an hour of talking in front of the class when everything else is already done and Vermont and summer and relaxing and eating and sleeping await you!!!! 


Monday my lovely roommate Allie from Smith will be here! And Tuesday I am heading to Pistoia to see the presentations of some of the Smith girls here from their education internship-esque things. Time is flying.... See you all in two weeks! 

May 4th, 2010

Tuesday, May 4th
Tonight was not my absolutely favorite meal: Fluffy pasta balls with gorgonzola sauce (supposed to be gnocchi but the grocery store, Esselunga, makes a very fluffy, too sweet, strange version that expand enormously upon entering your stomch.....). That was the main part of the meal, and I was terribly full after about 7 bites.... but then we did have some amazing sauteed artichokes! And some baccelli which are fresh fava beans that you pluck from the pod and eat with peccorino. It took me awhile to like them but tonight they were delish! For dessert Silvia bought a torta briciolona which was just a plain tort-like thing that was very, verrrry crumbly (briciolo is a crumb... hence the name? A big feminine crumb?) 


Anyway, that's that! Tomorrow are my two exams at the sede, I am just about to finish my university paper..... and that leaves me with some university reading and my university oral exam a week from Thursday! THEN I AM DONE AND A SENIOR. WOW. 






Official countdown: 2 weeks.....

May 3rd, 2010

Monday, May 3rd.


Let me tell you something. I love roast beef. And Americans have no idea how to make it. Italians do. Especially my host mamma. Take a nice large beef tenderloin (or a "bicchiere" - still trying to figure out exactly what cut of meat that is since technically is means glass, as in the thing you drink water out of....), place it in a nice tall pot with a decent amount of oil and let it brown on all sides. Oh wait, first before all that, you have to wedge some sage and garlic cloves inside the meat and then tie it up nice and tight. Thennnn put it in the pot with the oil, let it brown lightly, turn the heat off, put the lid on the pan and let it sit for a few hours. Then take it out, slice it, and add more oil to the pan (full of delicious juice and oil), heat it up, and drizzle over the meat. Roasted potatoes are a must with this meal. Roasted yellow potatoes. With salt. And garlic cloves still in the paper. Lots of them. And sometimes a little rosemary if you're in the mood. And make sure you have delicious bread to serve with the whole meal. Finally, cut up some strawberries, sprinkle them with lemon juice and confectioner's sugar, and voila!!! Buon appetito!!!!!!!


I am going to miss this place..... 

May 2nd, 2010

Could someone please explain to me how it is May 2nd????? K, great, thanks. 

Today we had lunch at Enrico's mother's house. It was the first time I ever met her and let me just say, she is definitely an Italian grandmother. I had so much pasta (with ground boar???) and so much chicken (although not a chicken.... something different... and very tasty) and salad and avocado (although she kept saying papaya.... not the same thing, Signora!!) and coffee and wine and fruit thrown at me. Needless to say, I am stuffed! It was all very tasty but oh my!!!! Gotta love Italian grandmothers! 


Dinner was fantastic. Simple and fantastic. And definitely being made when I get home. We had these things, I believe we call them... coccoli? Something like that! Its pizza dough in little round flat discs that you fry lightly in oil and then stuff them with prosciutto and stracchino cheese, or gorgonzola, or whatever you like! They are SOOO good!! And Silvia made some big ones and turned them into little pizzas too! And we had good beer! And incredible strawberries and pineapple!! 


I've been dreaming about cooking.... I subscribe to this one amazing food blog called Smitten Kitchen and I've been saving all my favorite recipes that I get in my email. I took a picture of them!

Baci a tutti as usual!!! 16 days and 3 hours! 

Il Primo Maggio: May Day

Lunch: yummy spaghetti with onions, scallions and pancetta, vino bianco, bread, followed by un caffè!


Dinner: shish kebabs (pork, chicken and sausage), sauteed spinach, baby fried mozzarella balls, tomatos, salad with baby pickled onions, gelato with wild strawberries, camomile tea!