The Tuscan Fairytale

This weekend was full imerssion weekend with our host families. Yesterday Alyssa and I decided to explore the area around our house, we got lost for 2 hours but let me tell you Florence is not a bad place to get lost in. Finally we made it back home and were able to go for a run which is so nice to do because our neighboorhood is at the foothills of Fiesole. Today we went to some small villages in the Tuscan hills outside of Florence. The main town was called Fiesole and it has the most amazing views of Florence. There was a flee market and then we were able to climb up to the church and monastery of Fiesole. Driving up there you see the countryside scattered with olive trees and hidden villas and sometimes even horses roaming the countryside. We then stopped in a tiny litte town named Cambottini where we had potatoe chips and Proseco with our host parents overlooking the countryside, it was so peaceful and quiet. Back at the house I am getting frusterated that I do not know Italian. The little boys Pietro and Dario play with us constantly but we cannot understand them. They sing, dance and tell us stories and all we can really do is smile or make hand movements. Today we attempted to play cards with them but who knew that in Italy the Ace is the lowest card and not the highest. My host mother Caterina made homemade pizza for us tonight. There were four different kinds some with her own housemade mozzarella others with prosciutto and basil, all which tasted amazing. I am slowly learning to cook... mama you will be proud. Caterina has shown we how to make spinach gnochi, homemade pesto sauce and this tradittional Tuscan torte with Uvas (those are grapes in Italian). Tomorrow is my first day of class and I am thrilled to finally start them. I have Italian every morning at 845 but then I finish my day early so that I can explore the city. I am also trying to plan my trips so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Buona Notte,

Tania