2 weeks down & 2 more to go!
Today marks 12 days here in Italy!
The last 12 days have been filled with going to class, walks around Paderno, field trips to Asolo, night trips to Bassano, lots of gelato, a weekend trip to Florence, and a pasta making class!
I am enrolled in two classes and am receiving six credits that will transfer back to University of Arkansas. My first class is Introduction to Marketing. I was very eager to take this class because I recently changed my major to Marketing. So far, I am really enjoying the conversations and content that is being presented. My second class that I’m taking is Italy Live. Italy Live is a culture and language class, where I have been able to increase my confidence in speaking and reading the Italian language. One of my favorite things about this class is that my “professoressa” (“teacher” in Italian) is a native speaker. She has a deep understanding of the culture and language of Italy and has a passion for teaching that makes learning fun!
Familiarizing myself with the town I am staying in has made me feel more at home. Paderno del Grappa is a small, isolated town in the northeastern part of Italy. The campus of our school sits at the base of Mt. Grappa, and it is truly beautiful. Adjusting to the dorm room was easier than I thought! However, I quickly bought a fan, as there is no air conditioning in the rooms! It’s been great to have my own place to study and to be able to rest from all of the fun things I’m doing.
Yesterday, my Italy Live class went on a field trip to the nearby town Asolo. I learned about the history of the town and ordered gelato in Italian. I ordered “un cono con uno palline di cioccolato” (a cone with one scoop of chocolate), and it was delicious. My favorite gelato flavor that I have tried is caffè (coffee); coffee is not served iced in Italy, so having coffee gelato is taking the place of iced coffee for me.
CIMBA is great about offering day and night trips to several of the nearby towns. Last Thursday night, I took the school shuttle to Bassano. It is a beautiful town about twenty minutes away from Paderno del Grappa. I ate dinner at a restaurant in the center of town and ended the night with the usual caffè gelato!
On Friday, I finished up morning classes and headed to the train station. Florence is about a three-hour train ride, and it was worth every minute to get there. Saturday morning, we headed straight to the Duomo, previously known as the Santa Maria del Fiore. The Duomo is recognized for its architectural achievements during the Renaissance and its size, as Brunelleschi built it to be the biggest dome in the world at the time. After seeing the Duomo, we walked across the Arno River and went to the Palazzo Pitti. This historically beautiful palace has expansive gardens and breathtaking views of the city. We also went to Piazzale Michelangelo, the Gucci Gardens Museum, Mercato Centrale, ate at View on Art, rode a carousel in the Piazza della Repubblica, shopped at some local stores, and crossed the Ponte Vecchio (the “Old Bridge”). It was a great first weekend trip, and I am excited for the next one!
To close out this very exciting week, I went to a pasta making class. CIMBA students got to observe, help, and eat throughout the process of making homemade pasta. Our instructor Luca told us that his parents opened the pasta restaurant fifty-one years ago and he has been working in the kitchen ever since; we learned from a true expert. We made both pappardelle style noodles with Bolognese sauce and gnocchi with a mushroom and cream sauce. It was all so delicious, and it was rewarding to be a small part of the process.
Two weeks down and two more to go!
Excited to keep sharing everything I do and everywhere I go!
Ciao!
Mary Jane