And it was. I found myself shaking hand after hand, saying "Ciao, piacere" over and over again. A few of the cousins and one uncle knew English and were eager to speak to me -- probably to practice. But other than that, it was 6ish straight hours of Italian. I couldn't have asked for a better way to learn. While chatting, I learned that one of the cousins will be in London the same weekend as me and we might meet -- a great opportunity to speak Italian even in an English speaking country!
We had wonderful weather, despite the forecast for rain. There were showers for about 30 minutes but the sun was out, creating a gorgeous view from the balcony of the valley below.
And of course the food was delightful (and plentiful). While I could not indulge in the meat dishes, I was more than satisfied with the countless antipasti e secondi sans meat. These included little sandwiches with countless spread including olive, artichoke, smoked salmon, a spinach and ricotta bake, squash tortettes, fresh ciaccino (a type of italian flatbread), etc.
Francesca preparing the antipasti
One Aunt brought a little lamb figurine made of marzipan, which she cut during dessert (followed by screams of "no! poverino agnello!" as she severed the head).
Despite being quite nervous, everyone made me feeling very welcome. I am so fortunate to have met such wonderful people here.
As for the rest of the week, it is starting to feel a bit more like Spring (finally). I can finally go running in a t-shirt, and Piazza del Campo is the perfect place to soak up the sun. Only one negative comes with Spring -- the tourists. They are everywhere and will only become more numerous. While reading in the Piazza today, I moved where I was sitting as I was swarmed by a mass of American students eating gelato and complaining that it did not compare to American ice cream (PS - are we really THAT loud?).
Friday I leave for London -- I cannot wait! I am crossing my fingers for decent weather as I am looking forward to a weekend of a self-guided walking tour. It can be chilly, but please let there be sun!
a dopo,
Martha :)
Everything looks so wonderful, especially the view of the surrounding countryside. Dad and I can't wait to visit!
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