le stagioni cambiano

Why is it that every year Mother Nature seems to flirt with autumn for a few days only to unexpectedly switch her attention to winter? After enjoying glorious mid-60 degree weather, the past week since our return from Milan has been bitterly cold. As much as I applaud the Italian government for making it a law that heat cannot be turned on until November first, I also curse them as I bundle up in two pairs of socks, heavy sweaters and a blanket inside our apartment. Luckily there are many things in Siena to help warm my spirit— colorful scarves, chestnut vendors, and the piano player next door who gives afternoon opera lessons.

The change in weather isn’t the only indication of the change in season. At the market, I went to hunt down the sunglasses I had put off buying, only to find that this summer accessory had been replaced with winter ones—thick wool hats, gloves and scarves.

The most brutal sign of winter’s arrival is midterms week. I’m almost thankful for the dismal weather because it makes it a bit easier to lock oneself up in the house all day to study. Blue skies aren’t distracting me from my books. Instead I feel like a prisoner of inverno’s inferno—winter’s hell. I guess that could be considered an oxymoron, but according to my Dante professor, extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, are characteristic of hell. Look at me! The studying must be paying off ; )

A welcome sign of winter is that the soccer season seems to flourish in the cold. I have been voraciously consuming TV highlights from the European Championship League matches; it’s becoming almost as bad as my caffeine addiction. My roommates have informed me that they can now tell when I’m watching soccer if from downstairs they hear my random celebratory outbursts or frustrated groans. In the next few days I hope to catch my first live AC Siena match, so that I can share my joy and anguish with fans around me.

Midterms and the coming of winter sadly inform me that the halfway point of my semester abroad has arrived. November is just around the corner and I bet final exams will creep up on me just as fast as the cold arrived. The next few weeks will contain fall break in Barcelona, a week with the family in Tuscany, a return to Cinque Terre with Rosanne, and the arrival of Josh in Siena just in time for my birthday.

I’m eagerly looking forward to sharing Siena with those I love, and I’m excited to stay in lovely Tuscany for the remainder of my trip. There is still so much left for me to explore.

Milan

Our second and last IES cultural trip was up north to Milan. Milano is a more modern and industrial city and feels much more like France than Italy—which is understandable because of its geographic location.

I enjoyed Milan; it is a great city. I think I would have liked studying there if I hadn’t been so intent on having a real Italian cultural experience like I am in Siena. It has a great metro system, which made me miss DC, and there seems like a lot of young professionals populate the area.

It is true that Milan is the fashion capital of Italy. It’s residents certainly dress that way, and the streets are lined with shops by Gucci, Valentino, and Dolce & Gobana.

We saw a lot of great sites. Milan’s Duomo is spectacular; we saw a ballet at the famous La Scala opera house, and even got a peek at DaVinci’s Last Supper. I would have liked to explore a bit more—done a bit more site-seeing—but I felt a bit burnt out from all my travels. So we spent our free afternoon people watching in the large square and doing some shopping.

Midterms are quickly approaching, so is November. I look forward to spending the next two weeks in Siena.

World Cup!

I don’t know why the Italian National Team would choose to play an international friendly at Siena’s tiny football stadium, but they did. And I’m not complaining. The 2006 World Cup Champions invited future 2010 World Cup hosts, South Africa, to play an international match last Wednesday night. I was in complete soccer heaven.

The city hosted a series of events to celebrate the match. The World Cup—as in the actual trophy—was on display in Siena’s Civic Museum. I couldn’t believe how close we were allowed to get to the trophy. It wasn’t enclosed in a glass case or behind any protective barrier. It was just sitting there, on a pedestal, in all of its golden glory for people, like myself, to stare at in wide-eyed amazement.

The morning of the match, a large part of the Campo was sectioned off so 12-15 mini fields could be set up for youth games. Boys and girls probably around 9-10 years old were running around having the time of their lives. I love how happy soccer can make people, especially kids.

The match was that night and we bundled up to see Italy take on South Africa. Most of the major stars were not in attendance—probably off playing with their professional clubs—but nevertheless the soccer was amazing. Italy totally dominated, playing most of the match in South Africa’s half of the field. In the first 45 minutes, Italy had some great chances whereas South Africa hardly got off one good shot on goal. The half ended 0-0, but Italy could have been up a few goals, especially if they had better executed their crosses.

The Italian squad continued their domination in the second half but it was only until late in the match when they scored their first goal—a scrappy garbage goal from inside the six. It happened so fast I pretty much missed it. But with less than five minutes to go, Italy put in another off the head of Lucarelli who finished brilliantly in the air from a cross.

I love soccer and I love it even more in Italy. It was so much fun listening to the crowd: hearing their chants but also listening to what words they use to applaud their team. Bravvisimo! It is such a beautiful word to describe the beautiful game.

Roma- weekend with family and GW friends

I arrived in Rome on Friday by bus (I’m getting to be quite the expert on public transportation). I met Luigia, my wonderful friend from GW, at the bus station and we went straight to her apartment. She is studying with IES Rome and lives right by the Colosseum. That night we rushed out and did a whirlwind tour of the city. I saw the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, some of the important piazzas and countless other things as we sped around the city on foot and by bus. Luigia was a great tour guide giving me history and background on all the things we saw. She loves being in Rome and really “owns” her new city.

Friday night we went to a birthday party being thrown for one of the IES students. I kept receiving awkward stares from the other students at the apartment. With a program of close to 200 people, Luigia told me that they were probably trying to figure out if they had seen me before in any of their classes—quite a difference from Siena.

Staying with Luigia made me realize how happy I am that I chose to study in Siena over Rome, or any other large Italian city. Everything costs so much more in Rome and the vendors are more likely to rip you off. Luigia’s friend bought herself a gelato and because the store was closing (and probably because she was American) the man charged her seven euro for her tiny ice cream cone. Ridiculous! I’ll take my overflowing cup of gelato at Siena’s Koppacabana for 1,70 euro thank you very much.
Another thing I didn’t like about Rome is that Luigia has to commute to school—1 hour by bus and metro. I guess it’s cool to live by the Colosseum, but an hour to school waiting for unreliable buses is not for me.

Finally, safety is a huge issue in Rome. Luigia constantly warned me about pickpockets and gypsies. Apparently one of her friends was mugged late one night at the train station and had to go to the hospital to treat his minor injuries. Also, there are gypsies in Rome that carry around fake babies. They will throw the baby at you, so you feel like you have to catch it. This distracts you while they take your money. Rome was exciting, but I like my quiet, sleepy town in Siena.

The next morning, Luigia and I woke up early to see the ruins of the Roman Forum. I saw the ruins of many old temples, arches, the old Roman senate, etc. We climbed up the Capitoline Hill to get great overhead views and also hung out in Michelangelo’s “perfect piazza”.

We rushed around that morning because at noon I was set to meet my cousin Luca Palatucci and his new wife Mariangela! We are all from the same tiny town in southern Italy, Montella. My family has been communicating through email with Luca for a few years now, and since my Uncle Tom’s last visit, I am the second person to meet him. Luca speaks some English, Marianglea none at all, but when Luca asked if it would be better if we talked in English I insisted that I use my Italian. It was rough at first, but they said they were impressed with how well I spoke. Mariangela spoke so fast, Luca a bit slower because he was trying to help me understand.

My family is amazing! Luca is 33, Mariangela is 32. Luca obviously comes from Montella, but Mariangela is from a small town close to Montella, called Lioni. They met in high school and were friends for a number of years. They had been married for only a week when I saw them after six years of dating/being engaged (Italians use the term fidanzato—like fiancée—interchangeably with boyfriend that it’s hard to tell). Anyways, they are so excited about being married. It’s cute to see how very much in love they are. Mariangela constantly scolds Luca for playing with his wedding ring and much of their conversation centered on choosing a new car to buy. She wants two doors because it’s easier with children, but he likes the sports cars. However, trunk space is also very important to consider.

Luca is a lawyer. He is not a criminal lawyer and from what he explained to me it sounds like he has more of a municipal job dealing with government contracts. He has been working in his office for only one year, because after graduation, in Italy, you have to apprentice for many years before you can get a job. Anyway, Luca attended Siena’s university to get his doctorate in political studies, but during his time there he commuted from Rome! A three-hour journey to go to school. Incredible.
Mariangela is so sweet. You can tell she’s really putting a woman’s touch on the apartment—like making Luca recycle. She became an archaeologist after studying in Napoli. She worked closer to her home in Lioni but two weeks ago she left her job to come live with Luca in Rome. Now she is searching for a new job here.

She confirmed what I have been learning from all my professors that finding a job is very difficult in Italy, especially in the south. She says jobs for college graduates are not guaranteed, and if a graduate does find a job the contract usually lasts only for a few months. Many of her friends from Napoli moved north to Milan or Bologna to find jobs, and even some moved outside of Italy to work.

We drove to their quaint little apartment to drop off my things and then we rushed off to lunch. We went to PizzaRe (Pizza King) and had the best pizza I’ve had since being in Italy. During lunch we talked about all different kinds of things: Siena’s Palio (which Luca says I must come back to see), Montella, Westfield, our families, their wedding, the weather, and even Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (of which Mariangela is a huge fan). The best discovery I made was that Luca and Mariangela both agree that I look like the girls from Montella. That made me quite happy.

After lunch they showed me more of Rome and then we returned to the apartment for a little siesta. Mariangela showed me pictures from their wedding. She looked absolutely gorgeous and the ceremony took place in a beautiful old church right in her town. After a nap, we went out to dinner that night close to where Luca works and then we walked around Campo dei Fiori, a busy nightlife spot. Returning home close to midnight I almost fell asleep in the car. I was exhausted.

The most exciting part of the day had to be driving around Rome. It was like being on a roller coaster ride and more terrifying that driving with Dad in New York City. Italians drive with complete disregard of lane designation (when by rare chance there are actually lines painted on the road). Driving is like a big game of chicken, two cars racing into one narrow lane, the first to back down loses. All the while, however, mopeds are zipping in and out of the cars like a maze. With Luca at the wheel we were speeding down a one-way street when all of sudden we lurched to a stop. Before I could realize what was going on we began speeding backwards. Before panic mode could fully set in, Luca zipped into a parallel parking spot, one that must have opened up after we had passed it. It was quite the thrill ride.

Anyways, the next morning Luca took me to the Vatican while Mariangela stayed home to prepare lunch. The Vatican was amazing! It was huge. The basilica was beautiful. We even went down into the tomb to see the resting places of St. Peter and St. John Paul II. It was an unbelievable site to see. We returned home for lunch where Mariangela cooked us a fantastic meal. We had thick spaghetti-like pasta with pancetta and then for second plate, veal. It was delicious. I can’t believe she doesn’t think she is a good cook!

After lunch I had an early bus ride back to Rome. I was sad to say goodbye to my family. We had such a wonderful time together. They were so warm and welcoming, even inviting me back to stay with them again whenever I wanted. I can’t wait to see them again!

London

I left my apartment at 4:30 pm Siena time. A train, plane, bus, and cab ride later—for a combined total of 10 hours of travel-- I arrived at my final destination of LONDON, ENGLAND! It was 2:30am and I was completely exhausted, but I made it. I was there. My first European excursion successfully executed!

Josh was waiting for me when I arrived at the steps of 16 Bedford Place, his “flat” right by Russell Square. He shares his apartment with 4 other students also enrolled in Syracuse University’s study abroad program. Unfortunately they were all sleeping/traveling and therefore I didn’t get to meet them. Anyway, we caught a few hours of sleep and woke up early the next morning to start our first full day of sightseeing.

The weather the first day was beautiful, fall weather! It was sunny and crisp outside, a bit uncharacteristic for London. We began our day taking London’s underground system, the Tube, to Buckingham Palace to try and catch a glimpse of the changing of the guards. Unfortunately, they weren’t performing for the public that day, but we did see some fancy guys on horses trot past.

Instead, we walked to the Thames River towards Tower Bridge—the famous bridge that many mistakenly call “London Bridge”. The views of the city from the bridge were spectacular. We made our way across the bridge to the Tower of London on the opposite side. We explored the Tower for a few hours checking out the White Tower museum, arsenal, armory, torture museum and the crown jewels.

After our visit to the tower we walked a long way down the opposite side of the Thames to St. Paul’s Cathedral and the more modern Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian’s bridge. We crossed the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern Art Museum. Now I know I said after my visit to the MAMbo in Bologna that I will never understand modern art, but I have this new mission (one that even I don’t quite comprehend) to visit modern art museums each country I visit. However, while the MAMbo was a pleasant surprise, the Tate Modern was a huge disappointment. The website advertised collections of Warhol, Lichtenstein, Matisse and Picasso! But the museum in reality featured only one or two pieces by each artist. The rest was just weird. For the size of the museum (seven huge floors) there was little to see. At least we didn’t have to pay an entrance fee.

After the museum we caught sights of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and went off to explore the neighborhood of Covent Garden. Here we discovered an outdoor market and shopping area that was packed with people sitting at cafes, watching street performers, and listening to live music.

At the end of the day we went out to dinner at a Thai food restaurant—a nice departure from all the pasta and pizza I have been eating—and went to sleep early.

On day two we woke up early again and walked to Parliament. In addition to Parliament we saw Big Ben and went inside Westminster Abbey. Inside Westminster we saw the tombs of many famous Kings and Queens as well as the Poets’ Corner where writers like D.H. Lawrence, Lewis Carol, Robert Browning, and Chaucer are buried. We also got to see the Isaac Newton sculpture that was featured in the DaVinci Code. The cathedral was beautiful, the courtyard very Harry Potteresque.

After our trip to Westminster we had lunch at a great London Pub, the Bag O’ Nails. We feasted on delicious fish and chips (Josh’s first) while watching London defeat Australia in a nail-biting quarterfinal match of the Rugby World Cup.

After lunch we walked back to the apartment where I took a nap. Afterwards, Josh made me dinner and we went out later that evening to a Blues Bar to hear some great live blues music. This tiny hole in the wall is the only full-time blues club in all of London. Josh is a huge music fan and comes here often. We had a pint and stayed for hours listening to a great band. It was a fantastic evening!

The next day was a travel day. I left around 11:30 London time to catch my 3:30 flight. I was sad to go but I had a wonderful weekend. London was even better the second time around. Unlike my last visit, it wasn’t crowded allowing us to take our time at each place we visited. We walked all of the major neighborhoods, taking in the sights. It was a great trip.

Weekend in Paradise - Cinque Terre!

If there were heaven on earth it would be called Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre are five little towns nestled into steep hillside of Italy’s coast—the “Italian Riviera”. The five towns are connected by railroad, but it is possible to hike between each town through steep trails and along picturesque paths. Along the way you can catch spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea—absolutely breathtaking. The towns emerge as the finish line of each trail, the buildings—painted in hues of yellow, orange, and pink—glow in the sun. This qualifies as the most beautiful place I have ever visited.

I almost didn’t go on this trip with seven of my IES companions. The weather in Siena had been rainy all week, which put me in a bit of a sour mood. I wasn’t feeling up to a long trip to a coastal town just to have it rain. In the end I am so happy I did not make that mistake!

We arrived to Cinque Terre by train, to the first town of Riomaggiore. Stepping off the train we walked right into the Mediterranean-- beautiful blue water and waves greeted us. Although clouds were rolling in and it was a bit chilly, we decided to be adventurous and go hiking.

We took the train to Monterosso, the furthest town from where our hostel was located. The clouds seemed to follow us on our short train trip, but we forged forward onto the hardest path of the five towns. It took us about 2 hours to go 1.5 miles up and down hills and steep stairs to the second town called Vernazza. After a short rest in Vernazza we ventured on to Corniglia—a 2-mile hike taking another 1.5 hours to complete. Exhausted, yet with feelings of great accomplishment, we reached Corniglia at sundown and took the train to Riomaggiore for the night.

The surprise of the night came when Connor, who is not much of a hiker, met us at the Riomaggiore train station, informing us of a train strike. In Italy, rail strikes are actually common and usually last for 24 hours or other set periods of time. We made frantic phone calls to John who regretfully confirmed that a train strike was planned starting at 9pm that night to 9pm the following evening. Our train tickets would be valid until midnight on Sunday so we hoped there would be a chance to make it back to Siena.

We were all very quiet at dinner that night and afterwards although I was worried about the strike, the day’s hike had left me exhausted and I fell right to sleep.

The next morning we woke up to good news. The train strike was only in the northeast regions of Italy and would not affect our trains! Our spirits brighter, much like the weather, we set out to finish the hike where we left off the previous day.

We rode back to Corniglia and experienced a more leisurely stroll from Corniglia to Manarola. Along the way we stopped to spend time on a rock beach. We skipped stones into the Mediterranean waves, climbed up on the rocks, and enjoyed the sun. The water was beautiful. I have never seen water so blue and the ripples sparkled in the sun like a million flashbulbs going off at once. We could not have been luckier with the weather.

We had lunch in Manarola where I sampled some excellent seafood and delicious pesto— one of the many locally produced products that Cinque Terre is known for. After some gelato and postcard scavenging we headed out again on the trail, the last leg back to our starting point in Riomaggiore. Day two was great—relaxing, sunny, warm, beautiful. 4.5 wonderful miles travelled, we left Cinque Terre that night so satisfied with successfully planning and executing our first trip outside of Siena!

Check out the pictures. Words cannot do this place justice! I hope to go back someday!

Ciao!