Imperfect Produce

I stuck my hands in dirt today. In my own kitchen.

Y’all, (Yes, I now say this. Thank you new friends from the south and old southern roots) the potatoes here are dirty. Most of the time I give my potatoes a little scrub, a little more if they are baked potatoes. Here, they are taking a bath. Right. Now. A bath. They are like filthy children after an afternoon in the yard. Clumps of dirt and roots covering the skins.

Back in California – I was about to say home, but that would get confusing because there are too many “homes” right now – my friend Rachel introduced me to Imperfect Produce. She loves them so much she wanted me to apply for a position on their marketing team. Their marketing team and their mission is incredibly creative. The essence is that every day, farmers grow food and it is wasted because it is “imperfect.” Basically, it doesn’t look pretty enough to go in the grocery store.

I was thinking about this concept at market day a few weeks ago. There are produce stands and cheese stands, places to get fresh pasta and just picked flowers. There is the fish stand which smells, and the garment stands and knickknack stands. You can buy your socks and underwear at the market, if you’re into that kind of embarrassment. I was thinking about it because I have to order my fruits and veggies by weight. The produce stand closest to my house has a sweet older lady that will let you order by number of pieces, but for the most part you’re ordering per kilo. And the cherry on top to this experience is that they pick which pieces you’re going to get. No touching!

You could end up with some really ugly, but edible, fruits and veggies.

The concept of imperfect produce doesn’t work here. They would look at you like you’re crazy, which let’s be honest they already think you are.  If you are savvy enough, you can be like the Italians and tell them you don’t want that one, you want the other one. But again, they look at you like you’re crazy because you’re American. Comes with living in a different country.

So, Americans, we’ve got to get our act together. Think about all the time wasted on sorting produce to make sure it looks pretty enough. Think of all the cleaning agents used to make the potatoes look less dirty. They came from the ground! Of course they are dirty!

This isn’t an issue with the potatoes or the farmers or the grocers. The problem is with our mindset. It is with how we think about our food. The good stuff that keeps us going.

Once those potatoes are clean and cooked, they are going to taste delicious. You shouldn’t know that they came from the ground and you won’t be able to tell that they were dirty when I got them from the farmer’s market this morning.  

Let’s try to change our thinking about how things look. I’m going to get back to cleaning potatoes for dinner from my new cookbook, Magnolia Table…

I couldn't resist...

Here is a review of some of the places in "my city." 

Enjoy!

 

NYtimes

Coffee Shop Time

The joy of the Lord has been so sweet this last week.  Yesterday was rainy and cold.  I was meeting up with a sweet girl and in our text conversation I asked her if we could cozy up at a coffee shop.  I got there a few minutes early to do some things on my own.  I love a warm beverage, the bible or a good book, and being wrapped up in a sweater.

The days of Italy came back to me.   I didn’t really take my bible and read it out in public when I was there, except for a few times.  It wasn’t because I didn’t want to talk about it, {which is a great conversation starter} but because my hands would get too cold while reading!

One of my favorite things to do was to make my own cappuccino in the apartment and curl up in a down blanket on my bed.  I would be in my grey wool knit sweater, and sweats with 2 pairs of socks covering my feet.  My room was always incredible cold.  I claim that that is the reason I spent so much time in the kitchen!

For a few minutes today I was transported back to Italy.

I love being in Slo, but I miss the places I’ve been.  I’ve left a piece of my heart in each place.  I hope that I will have the opportunity to go back, but for now I am content to enjoy my coffee and time in a little local coffee shop.

Adventures are a Big Deal {1 year}

One year ago today, I stepped onto a plane.  I was anxious and nervous and tried to look like I had it all under control.  I was excited too, but at that moment the butterflies in my stomach was the only thing on my mind.   It was a long day.   Through the 3 times of loading and unloading my laptop in airport security, the horrid blisters forming at my heels, and lugging around the {probably} overweight carry-ons I gain confidence to be a traveler.  I was no longer a college student with a plane ticket off to another place; I was a woman studying and experiencing Italy.  

I was looking for adventure.

This space was created to chronicle the adventures of that time, but it has become much more.  I see the adventures in life more easily now.  {Besides lifestyle blogging is taking ordinary things and making them a big deal}  Adventures are a big deal!

I am so excited to keep sharing thoughts, ideas, and ordinary turned extraordinary adventures in this space.  

Welcome to the adventure…

Winter Quarter Done

What a week. Finals
are done and it is spring break. It’s raining
and this morning it was hailing. It feels
odd to be done. I don’t have homework
due tomorrow. I don’t have a test next
week that I should be worrying about and start studying for…um, yesterday?
It’s done.
It’s out of my control.
And I’m letting go.
So here is recap of some highlights this week. It includes some things I’ve missed telling
you {those that read this}. I’ve missed
writing on this blog. I’ve been trying
to live in the moment. But I’m ready to
be back. I’m ready to share. So here we go…
Last Sunday Amazing Race aired the show that I got to see a
small taping of when I was in Torino, Italy.
And since I’ve had finals all week that is next on the list to watch. It’s my treat. I can’t wait to see my city again!
Pi day was the day I finished finals. So naturally I made apple pie. And I got gutsy and made a lattice top. It turned out and was yummy.
Thursday was dessert night with friends in Arroyo Grande. We had strawberry shortcake and it was
delicious.
Thursday and Friday I worked most of the day. I am loving excel and mail mergers. And unfortunately I’m not kidding. Excel is magical…
And today is Saturday.
And I had a wonderful morning in a coffee shop. Just taking the time to let go and
unwind. I got to journal and let
go. Do you ever find that you think
things through when you write them? The feeling
is not describable. I let go of so many
things this morning. And there was a
cheesy metaphor of the rain coming down and washing it all away.
So I’m going to leave you with my long week. And I’m going to watch and see teams race in
my crazy beautiful city. Oh how I miss Italy…
Enjoy your weekend, rain or shine!

Perspective

She let out a yell that was a mix between excitement and a war cry. It was a shriek at the top of her lungs. Everyone in the circle stood there for a minute and then we all recovered and stared at her. The little huddle groups all around the room turned and looked to see what had happened. To make sure that everything was alright. My friend Matt turned to me and asked “, Have you ever gotten reaction like that when you say your studied abroad?” “Nope, can’t say that I have.” And yes, this was all because I said that I just got back from studying in Torino, Italy.
I don’t think that we always realize the little things that make an impact on us. All I did was to mention a place and there was immediate reaction to a commonality this girl and I had. Whenever I hear Italian I get the biggest grin on my face {but it’s common now, I look like a kid in a candy store whenever I recognize someone that is speaking a different language}. It’s amazing that things can change our outlook and even our reactions after what to me seems like such a short time.
I was in Italy for 4 months. In international abroad, learn a new culture and way of life time, that’s nothing. In travel time that’s a long time. And in the college quarter system it’s a lifetime. After 3 weeks in Italy, I was no longer taking Italian for 3 hours every day but rather for 2.5 hours 3 days a week. I had not done much traveling, but I was learning new things. I had eaten pizza 3 times and cooked for at least 2 nights worth of meals. Here, in 3 weeks I have: taken many quizzes, done 3 cases in classes, chosen what project groups I will be working with the rest of the quarter, had a long weekend, done 3 interviews, 2 job fairs and I know the dates of every week until the quarter ends. Life is planned out for the next 8 weeks. I haven’t necessarily learned more in 3 weeks, but I have been busier. I have gotten less sleep {and I’ve drunk the same amount of coffee as 3 weeks in Italy}. But…my mindset is totally different. My perspective has changed. And I am so thankful, that I can see life from a different lens.

What is something that changed your outlook?

Doing my first "Link up" with Casey. No endorsement, just love what she writes!

Reliving Christmas Day

If you haven’t read about Christmas Eve scroll down and read that. Then this will make more sense. This will wait…

Christmas day dawned in Italy and we slept in again. Can you blame us when we walked home from Mass? After arriving we did a little skype session with some family members {ok, not my family members but I met Megan and Brenda’s!}. Christmas we went for a walk to the Pantheon because we were hoping to go in. They did not adhere to their hours so I didn’t get to see inside. Well that’s not true; I took a peek through the door.
We took lots of pictures {which I don’t currently have in my possession} because the lighting was excellent! And then we kept walking. We ended up by the Trevi fountain and enjoying the sunshine.

On our way back to the flat we had lunch at a trattoria, or small family run restaurant. It was so delicious. We enjoyed bruchetta and penne alla vodka. Yum! After our walk we had some down time to relax and enjoy the day.

It wasn’t long before we went on our “night walk” which we started at 4.45pm because that was when it was getting dark. We combined a path I had and good ol’ Rick Steve’s “heart of Rome walk”. Along the way we saw a fountain that was a face that looked like it was spitting at you and ran into a carnival. The carnival was set up in the piazza that they used to flood in the summer and use to act out naval battles.

We ended at the Spanish steps. Before this we took our time going past the Trevi fountain. Can you say crowded? It was fun though. I got to take a picture for an older Italian couple. They were so cute together! We also got gelato at the most famous gelato shop in Rome. They were busy and it was so cold outside! {we are so crazy and silly!}

After getting back to the flat we ate dinner which was Pho. It was a multi cultural day! I got to skype with my family and then we went for a last gelato run. My last gelato run in Italy I am sad to say. And yes you read correctly, I had gelato twice on Christmas. I joke {but am somewhat serious} when I say that it was my Christmas gift to myself.
I really truly am almost done with my adventures in Italy. We have 2 more episodes…the half day in Rome and getting home. Can you stick with me? How is 2012 treating ya’ll?

Reliving Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve day was amazing. We took our time getting ready and got up a little later because we were preparing for the late night and long day ahead. When we finally left the apartment we headed to the metro and the Vatican where we had been the night before.
We made our tour of the Vatican museum. The Catholic Church is considered a culture or people group and they have enormous wealth. The museum had statues and famous paintings. You could tell if they were created before the pope of modesty or after by the tactfully placed fig leaf. I think it was more distracting than doing its job. I love art museums
We saved the best for last. The Sistine chapel. Make an in awe face and you will know what it felt like to walk in. Have you been there? It is worth it! I love that I can appreciate the art and the huge sacrifice and effort it took to paint that ceiling. What a legacy that Michelangelo left. It also helped that I have knowledge of the Bible to fully understand the panels and sequence. I love that it wasn’t perfect.

The museum closed in preparation as we were finishing. It was setting up the anticipation of the night for me. We stopped at a little restaurant and ate a big lunch {at 3pm} to be used as lunch and dinner. After our meal we rounded the corner and found the line for the Christmas Eve Mass. It was already quite long and it was about 4.15pm when we got in line.
Throughout the in line process we made friends with the Canadian couple behind us and the English couple behind them. And then there was an American couple behind them that had taught at the Danish Institute. In front of us were a mother and two daughters from Poland. The daughters were so sweet and talked with us about their schooling system and how excited that they were to be here for this service. In front of them was a group of the men of the cloth. We met the family and couple in front of them as well. We made lots of friends!

This networking turned out to be crucial for us getting into the building as a unit. So many people cut in line. The nuns and the older people are the worst. I hope that I do not ever feel that I am entitled to something in that way. It is amazing to me that people who call themselves Christians {and yes they claim that they are Christians, they were asked} would be willing to cheat and lie to get into the basilica for mass.

During the line process we ate snacks and switched off to go the bathroom and changed clothes. We had quite the system going on. And then it was time 4.5 hours later to be like herded cattle going through the gates to get through security and hopefully {although it seemed highly likely by our place in line} to make it to seats in the basilica.

We made it and had good seats. We sat next to our new polish friends and could see the Pope as he floated down the aisle {no, he was not a bride, but I realized it sounded like that}. The entire service I could see the Pope and his address was done so well. He had people of many nations read passages from the bible. There was French, English, Portuguese, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, Spanish and few others. The basilica was lit up even more brightly than the day before. Half the service was sung by the choir in Latin. It’s amazing how close the Latin and Italian are so I could understand most of the service.After the service ended it was already officially Christmas in Italy! We walked home through Rome’s streets and got to see all kinds of fun lights hung through the main part of town. It was a late night but what an experience!
What is something that you would give up Christmas with your family to have the opportunity to do or experience? Would you give up Christmas?

*There are no pics of me because they were taken on my friend's camera. She also has a closer picture of the Pope that I will share with you when I can.

Getting Back into Writing

It’s been a little bit of a break. I hope you all don’t mind. My plan is to keep writing. I’m back in the States, but life is a little different now. I hope that you will stick around as there will always be everyday adventures.
The next few days are busy. I, like most school children around here, start school on January 3rd. Hello more school! So hang in here with me as a) we recap on Rome, b) talk about the journey to my home in the states, and c) a few observations of the first few days here. Let’s begin.
Roma. There is a feel to Rome that I wasn’t expecting that took me by surprise. It still has the Italian slow down and enjoy life mentality but it’s mixed with the fast pace of city life. Vespas screech around corners, fountains appear throughout the walk to the next destination, and little hole in the wall shops are the norm aside from the big chain retailers.

I arrived on a train where I was not guaranteed a seat {oh and they are assigned on long rides like these ones} and every stop, every door to the car I was looking over my shoulder to make sure I didn’t have to move. Thankfully I didn’t. There were people everywhere in the train station and McDonalds was the popular spot. I waited for the friends I was meeting up with and ended having a pleasant conversation with a woman from Torino! What are the odds?! And yes, it was all in Italian.
After meeting up we headed to the metro and were greeted by gypsies who were most unhelpful. {Unfortunately this fits with the stereotype that they are known for} We made it to our little flat, and it was on a piazza that had a fountain. It was the best way to present Rome. My friend Megan and I had a gelato snack while Brenda had lasagna at a restaurant at the foot of the building.
We rested up and settled in and then it was off to the Vatican to pick up tickets for Christmas Eve mass. We went in circles around the Vatican trying to find the “bronze door”. We didn’t follow our directions very well and then the door was hidden. We got in and I got my ticket! I felt like Willie Wonka and the golden ticket.

Since we were there we figured we should have a look inside and hopefully we wouldn’t be as surprised or overwhelmed the next evening. That building is such a work of art! We headed back to the flat and went in search of dinner. We found a pizza place where you order by piece or get your choice of pasta. While waiting to order and pay I met two guys that live down the street. Neither of them is Italian, one was teaching English and the other gave English tours at the Vatican museum.

The people in Rome are friendly. I mean part of it is that half of them make money off of tourism and the people. The others though are just willing to help. It’s a little different than Torino.

Next I’ll talk about the Christmas Eve Vatican experience.

Flying Home

Today is the day of many hours. I’ll be back in California this afternoon!
Can’t wait to share more adventures with you all!

Buon Natale!

Bon Natale! Merry Christmas!

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty

will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9.6&7

Christmas Eve

Today is Christmas Eve and I’ll have been doing all kinds of site seeing in Rome.

Tonight I’m headed to the Vatican for Christmas Eve mass. I was fortunate to get a ticket, but we will see what the real story of the night was!

Hope you are enjoying family or friends today!

I'm to Rome!

I’m not going to have access to the computer while I’m in Rome, so be expecting the adventures of Rome when I am back in the states. The next few days are going to be light on the posts.

Hope you are all ready for Christmas!

I’m so excited!

Exhausted

I am sorry that I haven’t written much these days. So much is happening, and at such a fast pace. I have been trying to live in the moment. It’s been hard. I’m tired. Tired from the stress of finals and studying, tired from staying up to late enjoying the people here and tired from saying goodbye. I have friends that are in the states at home with their families right now. As amazing as that is, I haven’t realized that they are gone yet. I was supposed to be with them. I’m not regretting my decision to stay; I just am having a hard time internalizing the change. There have been a lot of goodbyes.
On a lighter note, yesterday I got to spend time downtown with my friends Rossella and Giulia. They are two of the Italian girls I met here to practice language with. We even ran into another Italian friend Martina. We went window shopping and grabbed coffee at Busters {the Starbucks of Torino}. It was so fun to laugh with them. Rossella is preparing me for the teasing of my brother at home. She makes fun of half the things I say! {But secretly I love it!}

After hanging out with them {and saying goodbye…still haven’t realized I won’t see their smiling faces} I got to celebrate my friend Seowon’s birthday. We made a “leftovers” dinner since we are cleaning out the fridge. I can’t wait to make the risotto we had. And I’ll think of my sweet friends when I do. We sang in 2 different languages and even tried to have a lesson in saying “happy birthday” in Korean. Don’t ask me how to say it, I’ve forgotten and totally butchered it when trying.

So it’s been a little bit of a down last couple of days. Lots of change, and change isn’t my favorite.
So now it’s packing and cleaning time…

Finish Well

Tomorrow is the day of exodus…well that’s what my nickname is for the 21st of December. Here in the land of study abroad students it is the day that most are getting on a plane and heading back to the States. I would be too, but to break the big news…I changed my flight. So I’m not leaving with the masses.
I just finished up school here in Italy. That’s right, that thing that I was coming here to do. It’s done. Over. Finished. The last paper turned in and the last tests taken. To be honest it means that I am exhausted from studying, my brain feels fried and I don’t really know what to do with myself.
I want to share a little more about this weekend before I forget…
Saturday was a day in Milan. Well for a few hours at least! We went and saw the duomo (the big cathedral). We ended up just walking through Milan and enjoying a different city. Milan is livable. It’s almost American-like which was odd for me. And the people! They are everywhere! I think I am now prepared for New York City.

Leonardo Da Vinci walking to the Duomo

I people watched. This cute kids was chasing pigeons.

I was waiting for the other girls at one point and went looking for a bathroom. I walked into the Burger King {yes they have fast food restaurants here…so odd for me!} and hit a wall of people. Then I had to walk down 3 flights of stairs. Yes down into the basement. The line was so long for the busy bathroom. There was a man that was there trying to clean the bathroom so he literally stood there and cleaned when space became available. And then I had to finds my way out! Who knew that finding a restroom could be so complicated?

We saw the castle in Milan, which was bigger than I was expecting. It was really funny because when you think of Milan it is usually because it is a fashion icon of the world, not for its medieval castle!

the arch out the back

There was a Christmas market going on at the train station. It was fun to walk and see what everyone was selling. Christmas markets while they sell items often sell food of the season as well. This one had an abundance of food items and not so many gift items.

We headed back to Torino and not too long after that I went to a potluck dinner at a friend’s place. Picture taking, foods of all origins were eaten, and good byes were avoided. Saturday was the day of student good byes, there was big get together at a club downtown. I went and hung out with friends and more pictures and avoiding goodbyes ensued.

the dinner group photo

Sunday I went to my last church service in Torino. It was such a joy! I spent time meeting new people and saying goodbye to new/old friends. I pray that I can come back and enjoy this community. I have some new friends that I can’t wait to write to and share life with. I walked away {2 hours after I thought I would leave!} feeling refreshed and so thankful!
I then headed to the local pub to watch the calico {soccer} game! We won!!! I didn’t realize how much I miss watching sports, and yes, I love watching soccer. Then it was time to do some studying, so my friend Vickie and I found a café that was extremely expensive {we were in classy part of town though…} and we studied away.
For dinner Robyn and I headed across the street to a pizzeria that is so yummy! We had delicious pizzas. I got the same pizza as I got the last time that we were there. There is just something about Italian ricotta on pizza!

those snow covered tops are the Alps!

There you have my last weekend in Torino. I was a little busy, could you tell?
This experience has been so truly unique. There are new discoveries around every corner {and on every bus as I found out Saturday night!} I can’t wait to share the rest of my adventures with you!

Italian Style

Today I was going to do a day trip to Milan. I haven’t been to see anything other than the train station and the airport. It is the fashion capitol of the world. It is only 2 hours away, and that is taking the slow{=cheaper} train.
So I got up early with some of my friends. We knew that there would be a bus and metro strike so we wanted to ride the metro while we could. We got to the train station and looked at the board and this is what it looked like:
So much for a day in Milan. So glad I didn’t get the tickets for the Last Supper that are time blocked. So glad that I had a good attitude about the day. Tomorrows plans were mostly executed for today, and tomorrow, well, hopefully I’ll make it to Milan…

This brings me to “Italian Style” or “Stile Italiano”, a phrase that is used when something is distinctively Italian. It is why the bus and metro strikes are published and even run during the hours that people are going to and from work. It is why the train conductors said, “hey why don’t have a strike today too?” And it is why there is constant honking from double parked cars. Italians do things differently. There’s something that can’t be explained by anything other than saying “Italian Style” and moving on.
It’s the reason that you can see cars parked like this:

It’s reason that businesses usually close from 12.30-3.30pm every day.
It’s why some people seem to not work because there are honestly laws on the number of hours a shop can be open.
It’s the reason that cappuccinos can’t be ordered after 11am and that walking around with anything other than foccacia or a gelato is frowned upon.
It’s the reason that people stare at everyone that they pass on the street.
It’s the reason that politics and religion are not a taboo topic.
It’s the reason that if you go back to restaurant or are friend s with the owner you may get a discount.
It‘s the reason that people travel farther to purchase bread or vegetables from the shop that they have ‘always gone to.’
It’s the reason that fast food does not exist, and meals are elaborate.
It’s the reason everyone says bonjourno or ciao as they walk past.
It’s the reason that they always try to speak in English, even if you are trying to practice your Italian {and they don’t know very much English.}

It’s just the way that Italians do things.
Italian Style.

Exploring History {Saluzzo}

As a child you are taught to learn from your mistakes. I love the Anne of Green Gables quote where Anne tells Marilla “the great thing about me is I never make the same mistake twice”. The point of learning history in school is to pass the traditions and knowledge of what has been done in the past to make the future better. But there is the common phrase of “history repeats itself.” As Europe is struggling I am praying that they are learning from their past. I pray that they use the things that have divided them throughout history and use them for the further integration and unification of Europe.
I am a lover of history. You’ve heard me talk about my love of too many things and ‘history’ makes the list. Growing up I was a reader and my favorite genre was historical fiction. This weekend I got to live a history class. It was the ultimate field trip.
I visited the Santa Maria Abbey {built in 1154… wow!} and learned that this covering right here {in the picture above} is rumored to be the spot where the Italian bank San Pablo was started. It was started back when monks were living in and running the abbey. We didn’t go through the abbey, but just seeing the outside was enough. Abbeys were built along the pilgrimage routes, so I was on the path of religious history. What is even more impressive is that this was a way to spread ideas along these routes. Monks that lived in the Abbeys are what we can attribute the studies of Socrates, Aristotle, and others to. Their job was to copy the books to be passed on. They not only copied the Bible {remember this is by hand} but the works of philosophers and thinkers.

The buildings in the area that are authentic have a certain style and are made with brick. {It makes my heart happy to see the rustic history} The house that I stayed in was also made of brick and had an outdoor oven and a chapel on the property. Yes, this little farm had a chapel where services used to be held hundreds of years ago. The oven would have been a meeting place for the whole community to come and back their bread. It is rumored that a religious community probably lived on the property hundreds of years ago. This place of hospitality for me had also been a place of community in the past. {Again, makes my heart happy}

inside the chapel When we walked around Saluzzo we saw the old town that still has the walls and gates. We went to the castle and church on the hill. My hosts got married in the church and they showed us how the place has changed from when it was built in the dark ages to now being a hotel. It has been a converted to a hotel because that is the only way that the church will have upkeep. Since the church staff has become smaller and the attached quarters are no longer used the nuns and priests are not up keeping the building. The church still has original fresco paintings from when it was built.

the gate
the church lit at night
the ceiling in an attched building being restoredagain, orginals being restoredThe castle nearby was a jail for awhile. It was just closed in the 1970s when all the fancy technology came out. Before the location of the jail was moved, it was known to be one of the tightest on security. It is almost within the city, but apparently the citizens preferred being able to converse with the inmates. {Italian Style}


up by the jail, it's authentic. can you tell?!?The town of Revello that I saw on Monday morning, while dropping the kids off at school, was originally the retirement city of the queen and her court from Saluzzo. How crazy that a court would be so big to create a new town! From this town if you look up at the mountains there are the ruins of a castle that was also a fort. The French chancellor had it demolished {I don’t know how, but there may have been different country boundary lines then?} because it could see the entire valley and was on the trade line. This meant they not only had the military advantage, but could tax the trading. Big problems for the French!

oh yeah, I was there too...All this history not only backed up my historical fiction readings, but also brought back of everything I learned and memories from Mrs. Richardson’s and Mr. Burrell’s classes on European history. I did learn {and remember} some things, I promise!
See history can be fun, especially if you get to experience it!

Weekend Recap {Saluzzo}

This weekend consisted of: history lessons, discussions, trying to understand Italian, eating Piedmonte style, amazing views, flexibility, churches, and staying with a very lovable family

I actually did quite the little tour of the area around Saluzzo, a little town situated at the base of the Alps. I went on a train to Saluzzo and then drove to a farm in Revello. On Saturday afternoon I drove through Pra Piglerio and then on Sunday I spent a few hours in Cuneo. The farmhouse I stayed at has been renovated in the last 10 years and is lived in by one of my professors and his family. A few generations ago his family bought the property with a farmhouse built in the 1700s and rented the land out for farming. And then a few years ago he started converting the stables attached to the house into livable rooms. There is a rock quarry that his father runs right next to the farm. The first morning I woke up hearing little voices downstairs and then a rooster. This family has a rooster! It was so nice to be in the country and I feel like I experienced true Italian culture. We ate Piedmonte style, which means good meat and cheese. It’s a northern thing. And I had raw meat…again.

In typical Italian fashion I was asked to stay until Monday {today} instead of figuring out logistics for coming back Sunday. I feel like I am still processing the whole weekend, so hopefully in the next few days I can organize my thoughts. Bear with me?