Italy has taught me many things. What I believe has been the biggest lesson, is to love my family and friends until it hurts, kiss them on both cheeks, and share a pizza.
This is the first Christmas in a long time I have felt such a Christmas spirit. It comes from being away from home, and knowing in just 2 (1.5) days I get to see them again. I am like a child, and cannot wait for Santa to bring my family back to me. Ok, so actually me back to my family.
I do have to say, I am enjoying the holiday season here. My friend and colleague, Elenor, and I have been decorating the school for about two weeks. This is our last week before going home, so maybe we get to enjoy the finished project on the last day. Being here for Christmas has really been great. I do go home for the actual day, but this season has been surrounded by friends I want to keep forever. They make me laugh, talk to me when I cry, make me laugh again, give me rides home, take the complaining I lay out, smile when I sing to them, and they do not get annoyed when I say for the gazillion-th time that I want to be like Carrie Underwood. So after pizzas and wines. Cookies and champagnes. Operas and toasts. Jokes and funny faces, I would like to show you a video of the people in Italy who have made it special. Ti Amo Amichi!
Cosa e' un blog molto fantastico! I happened upon this quite accidentally while searching for the definition of "Esselunga" (which I tried to explain to family members to no avail, so I figured Google would help... not). I spent two wonderful, altogether too short months of my sabbatical in Pavia in the fall (and yes, there was an Esselunga there, of course- I brought home three of theyellow bags you can buy for a Euro each- they don't break!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you've visited Pavia, but I highly recommend it. It's not too far from Pisa on the Frecciabianca, via Milano Centrale. It's a wonderful university town that's chock full of Romanesque churches and everything else that makes Italy what it is. Most of the travel books relegate it to a day trip from Milan- as my wife said, "phooey". It deserves much more time than that- she visited for a week and still wasn't anywhere near done.
Anyway, I so enjoyed reading your blog- I assume you're continuing after you go back, and I look forward to re-living my time in Italy, if only vicariously!
Ciao, ciao, e grazie mille! E Buon Natale!!
Thank you very much! Yes, I do plan on writing when I return, so keep reliving Italy. I have not been there yet, but in the future I will.
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