Running Diaries: Perugia to Assisi

Let me just start off by saying did you notice the blogies new makeover?? I think she's looking pretty good.

SO. This morning I dragged myself out of bed, put 20 euro in the pocket of my running shorts and me and two of my friends ran from Perugia to Assisi. 14 miles and a little over two hours later we finally arrived in Assisi with sweaty hair and legs that felt like jello. It was honestly one of the most beautiful runs I've ever been on. We ran on both trails and roads, through sunflower fields and over bridges. We got to see what a legit Italian suburb looks like and small towns that tourism hasn't touched yet.

What it looked like as we were approaching Assisi

Half way through the run I had a moment of anxiety over the fact that we had no map, no phone, and 20 euro each. But it's kind of freeing just walking out the door with nothing but a little bit of money and a destination in mind. We followed road signs and asked directions only once (in italian!!) And we made it there! After glugging back a liter of water we walked (uphill. classic) to find a restaurant and ended up on a tree covered patio of this cute little place where the waiter gave us a pasta sampler for our meal since I couldn't decide what I wanted (oops).Then we walked to the top of the mountain because the view is amazing and we took the train home.

While we were walking back down the mountain the the train station we passed this old woman hiking up. She was probably 80 years old and was just cruising along with a big smile on her face.  I have thought on more than one occasion that people in Italy age more gracefully than those in the States. But after seeing this lady I don't think that's really the case. They are just happier. Old people in Italy are happy. In the US getting old is something that we fear and try to avoid at all costs. Here, they take it in stride, they radiate a sense of love for the life they lived. I don't know if it's because Italy is a more family orientated country and because of that elders and the head of the family are more respected? Maybe old people in Italy aren't viewed as useless like they can be in the States? I don't know. But they make me less afraid of getting old.

Anyways, now I am laying in my bed, listening to Tom Petty, waiting for Grey's to load on my computer. Can't wait to watch it. Actually too excited. BUT something I am more excited about is the place we are going for dinner tonight. According to my food teacher they have the best eggplant parm he's ever had. Ever. And I love eggplant parm. 

ciao ciao for now. 

a blessing or a curse?

For my photography class here I have to take 200 pictures of one object. It's due tomorrow. Of course in typical molly fashion I didn't start taking the pictures until today. Let me tell you, 200 pictures is a lot of pictures. Anyways, I chose to take all of my pictures of this old fountain at the end of the main piazza in town. This fountain has charmed me from the first time I set eyes on it my first week here (how dramatic) But really, there's something about it. It's elegant, but surrounded by bright flowers and small palmettos that seem slightly out of place here since we are smack dab in the middle of the country, not near the coast. Somehow it works though. And my favorite part is that there are always, always people sitting on the benches surrounding it.

So this morning when I strolled speed walked up to the fountain with dripping wet hair and a bag big enough to knock someone out filled with books to get me through four classes, lunch because I'm too cheap to buy it, water bottles, and probably a bunch of other stuff I don't really need and started snapping pictures in an aggressive manner I'm sure I was causing quite a scene. Oh well. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

As I was taking pictures I found that the most interesting part of my pictures was not the fountain, but the people in the background sitting on the benches. And then I started thinking about benches in the States. Who actually sits on benches and just sits there? I know my bench sitting usually only occurs when I am shoving down food or talking on the phone, and in most cases I am walking when I am doing both of these.

The more I thought about it the more I realized how much I had noticed people in Italy just sitting on a bench. Thinking. Talking to a friend. Reading. Enjoying the sun. Enjoying the day. My first week here I remember taking this picture of two old men sitting on a bench.

 

But this morning it wasn't just old men. It was business men and middle aged men as well. However, it was just men. The entire time I was there not a single woman sat down on one of the benches (this is a whole different topic) But how often to you see a business man pop a squat on a bench in America at 9 in the morning?

Never.

I can't get enough of these old men. Just love them.

I am so intrigued by Italian street life. In their ability to walk slowly, to enjoy their coffee at a table outside instead of on the go, to sit on a bench and just sit there. I didn't take all 200 of my pictures this morning so maybe tomorrow morning when I go back I'll go earlier so that I can just sit there on a bench after I'm done and just sit there. But I'm already thinking that there are other things I could be doing instead. Get a coffee... finish my reading... do my Italian homework... Does this kind of thinking help you get more done? Or just cause you more stress? Is it a blessing or a curse?

ciao! i mean, hola!

This post might be a little lacking in the photos, (I know they are the best part and no one really wants to hear my rambling...sorry!) there is a reason for this though. I sat down in photography class on Wednesday night, turned on my camera, and guess what? The LCD screen is in only black and white and looks like a bird shit right in the middle of the screen. cool. I really want to spend money on a new camera!

okkkayyyy done complaining. I'll steal my friends pictures.

At approximately 5pm on Thursday night I hopped on the mini metro to the train station, the train to Rome, another train to the airport, a plane to BARCELONA, and a cab to a hostel. Six hours after leaving Perugia we were finally settled in a perfectly fine a very sketchy hostel. Let me just start by saying this was my first hostel experience. I wasn't expecting the embassy suites, but I also wasn't expecting to be led into a tiny room with 8 dirty beds by a greasy, middle aged Spanish man with so much gel in his hair he looked like Pauly D from the Jersey Shore and then to meet my roommates who, get this, were 6 weird ass french ASIAN MEN.

woah. sensory overload.

At this point I had 3 options. All which I considered very seriously. I could 1. cry 2. call my mom or 3. go get a drink and tough it out. I came to the conclusion that I hate crying so that wasn't going to work, I'm not 12 anymore so calling mom was a no go, and I'm in Spain so I'll go get some sangria and call it a night. Well that didn't end well. I'm not going to go into details, but long story short, something was put in our drink. Welcome to Barcelona! But hey, guess what? I survived. Crisis averted.

Friday morning we got up and beat cheeks out of that hell hole and went to my version of heaven: The Barcelona Mercato.

Unreal amounts of seafood

Fresh juices. I bought a blackberry banana one. to die for.

GROSS.

:(

I am just fascinated by this place. With the risk of sounding like such a huge loser, they truly display the food like it's art. I could honestly spend hours in there just walking around. If I lived in Barcelona I would not buy food from anywhere else other than this place. ever.

So after this we walked around and just explored the city. We eventually checked into hostel number two which was much nicer than the one the previous night. Thank Jesus. And then we met my friend from nova who is studying abroad in Barcelona for some tapas and sangria. Once again, no repeat of the previous night. Double thank Jesus.

Then we went to the beach for a while before we went out. It was such a beautiful night.

Then we went to this really cool club (sorry Perugia, but Barcelona's got you beat in that area) and then took a cab home. I'm sure our driver really loved us when Unwritten came on the radio and we insisted on turning it up as loud as it would go and singing at the top of our lungs. Bet he had no idea we were Americans. It's a great song. What can I say? One of my friends couldn't get a bed at the hostel and we somehow were able to sneak her in there, so guess who had to share a hostel bed? This girl right here. (love you tricia)

The next morning I woke up and had to escape from the hostel (they're just not my thing) so I had this great idea to walk to Starbucks (dkjvaoienvoi!!!!!) while my friends were still sleeping. Emerged from my cave of a room into the pouring rain. oh yeahhhhh. I got to Starbucks and asked for a plain coffee and the man looked at me like I had 10 heads and gave me an espresso with water in it. Uhhh thanks? So later that day when I went back (I like Starbucks okay?) I got a latte. With soy milk. Almost hugged the barista when he said they had soy milk there.

We walked around in the rain for way too long and then went to this non touristy part of Barcelona to get some authentic tapas (thank you Rick Steves, you are a mastermind). Okay so this one place we walked into and he gave us wine out of a keg and this little baby fish. It was amazing. Then we went to this street parade where these huge giants were walking down the street. It was the festival of Barcelona's patron saint, La Merce, this weekend so there were parades and fireworks all over the place.

We could not find a hostel to stay at last night because the city was so crowded because of the festival. If anyone ever wants to know what its like to spend the night at the Barcelona airport just ask me. It actually wasn't too bad. Cleaner than the hostels that's for damn sure. Our flight back to Italy was at 7 this morning. We did our train charade back to Perugia and finally made it back here around 3. Overall it was a great weekend despite our minor mishaps. You live and you learn right?

Oh and guess what! When I got home I washed my sheets and look look look! They are on the clothesline!

And then it rained for the first time in two weeks. So those babies better dry relatively soon because it's already 10:00 and I'm trying to go to bed soon.

Until next time biddies.

stream of consiousness

i feel like i have more than one home.

my house in north carolina is home. villanova is home. perugia is starting to feel like home. going to my beach house is home. being anywhere with my family is home. going on a run first thing in the morning is home.

listening to celine dion's christmas cd is home. sorry i had to. i'm itiching for Christmas season. 

so really home can be anything. but what defines a home? ...comfort? security? a place? a feeling?

g2g

first italian quiz in 15 minutes. going to have to run up the mountain now. good thing italians are always late.

going to Barcelona tonight! now i wont have to listen to the neighbors literally drilling into 800 year old stone next door. why are they doing this? dont know. does it make me want to shoot myself? yes.

even really loud billy joel won't block out the sound.

okay i really have to go now.

Running Diaries: Sorrento

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart"

I was sitting down to write this post last night when I got back from my weekend trip to Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, and Naples when I realized that I left all of my camera stuff on the bus.

Typical.

So I walked up to school early today to get it (thankfully someone turned it in) and now I am sitting at my favorite cafe drinking a cappuccino made by may favorite barista who is starting to remember who I am (success).   This girl works the espresso machine like nothing I've ever seen before. Teach me your ways. And guess what? This is the most exciting part. After a night of raging North Carolina-esque storms I woke up this morning to a beautiful 55 degrees. Thank you sweet baby Jesus. I am actually wearing a denim shirt right now and not sweating and could not be more happy about it. Anyways, enough about that.


So. The weekend. We departed from Perugia at 6:00 am 6:30 am (gotta love the Italian sense of time) good thing i love standing outside waiting for a bus at 6 in the morning. After a long, but very pretty ride we arrived at Pompeii around noon. It was really cool and I love looking at old ruins and stuff but let me just say, riding in a bus for 5 hours and then hiking around some ancient rocks in the 100 degree heat was not necessarily a cup of tea. I know it's not kosher for me to be complaining since I am in Italy and all, but it was HOT AS AFRICA.

some ruins that are 2000 years old... no big deal

Original Pottery that had been preserved in the volcanic ash.

The volcano that has killed thousands of people and preserved the ancient city of Pompeii for roughly 2000 years

 After the sweat-fest we continued along our merry way to Sorrento where we would be staying for the next two nights. I loved Sorrento and went on the most beautiful runs there. I took a bunch of pictures on my ipod so expect a post later with those (I'm thinking I'll name all of my running posts "the Running Diaries" so lame. but really I love running here. You get to see things you otherwise wouldn't see).

One of the many beautiful views

Fashionable old man and a citrus tree. What more can you ask for?

See that green hammock? Ask me one place in the world where I'd want to be at any given time and that would be it.

Welcome to the South ragazzi!
Peppers and citrus.
Everywhere.
Love it.








On Saturday we went to Capri for the day. It was beautiful and reminded me very much of Bermuda. I think we may or may not have walked about 200 miles and went from one side of the island to the other. It is extremely rocky and mountainous and someone counted that we roughly climbed up 400 stairs at one point. The views were amazing though and so was the shopping. I saw this Missoni dress that I will dream about every night. One day when I can spend 720 euro on a dress it will be mine.

After our trek up one side of the mountainCapri

Mediterranean

Trying to be artsy? Look at those gross feet. ew.

On Sunday morning we left for Naples. Pizza originated here along with eggplant/chicken parm, pasta with tomato sauce, cannoli, and many other stereotypical Italian dishes. Most Italian Americans had ancestors that immigrated from southern Italy, hence why Italian food in the US is a reflection of what they eat here.

Ceiling of an old opera house in Naples

Opera house in Naples

Our waiter liked us

 So as you can tell it was a fabulous weekend! Expect the running diaries later this week and I will be leaving for Barcelona on Thursday woot woot. Ciao ragazzi! Buona giornata!

back back to class class

I am currently sitting on the back steps of the church in the main piazza looking out over vendors selling beautifully painted ceramics and shopkeepers meandering back to their various shops signaling the end of siesta... something that I still find puzzling. They are just so relaxed here! Let's all just take a 2 hour break in the middle of the day... it's cool. no worries.

so I started real live class this week. It's funny how even though I have not sat through a class since May 5th how easily it is to fall right back into being a student. My classes here so far have been so interesting. I am literally hanging onto every word my professors say (nerd alert). They have been great so far (it's really only been two days).  They don't just talk at you. It's so interactive which works well for me since I tend to be the daydreamer type if I'm not 100% paying attention and that amount of attention doesn't happen very frequently for me. 

My favorite class so far, shockingly enough, is my History of the Culture of Food class. My professor is this quirky little older Brit with a big bald spot in the center of his head and curly black hair (thank god my dad shaves his head or this might be what he would look like. yikes). The best thing he said all class while going over the syllabus was this:


"Let's say your in Florence for the weekend and you meet two beautiful Italian men. You have a dreamy Saturday night with them and a lovely Sunday. Sunday night you're thinking "oh man I need to get back to Perugia so I don't miss class tomorrow." If you leave and come back here for this class you are a moron. yes, I will take points off your grade, but if you come back you're just dumb. Being here is about having experiences."

Coolest teacher award so far goes to Simon Young (yes, that's actually his name)

We get to go to wine tastings and restuarants for class #idonthateit #atall 

So far I've learned that Italian food varies greatly depending on the region in which it's being made. Since the North has huge dairy farms, they use butter as a staple while the South uses olive oil since the climate and terrain lends itself to easier growth of olive trees. The North has huge wheat fields which allows them to make soft pasta made with eggs and flour while the South eats hard, eggless macaroni. Since the South often has hotter temperatures than Texas, their fruits and vegetables are violent in color and rich in flavor. Fish from the Adriatic Sea is said to be some of the best fish in the world because the salt levels are way less than other seas and oceans as a result of fresh water flowing into it from the Alps. Cities that are a mere 20 miles apart have completely different cuisines because of how separate the regions of Italy used to be from one another. 

This is your food lesson for the week. Quiz next Tuesday! ..... jk jk jk 

Clearly I'm very into this kind of stuff. Hopefully I'm not boring you!  Alright well the heat from my computer combined with the shockingly hot temperatures over here is making me sweat my ass off right now. Something that happens on the reg here. Do Italians believe in AC? nope. Do they believe in ice? uhhh nope. 


on that note I am going to try to go buy an ice tray before class. and a pigeon almost just flew into my face. time for me to go. until next time biddies. 

casual weekend. mediocre.

Portonovo in Ancona, Italy

This is where I got to go this Friday.... casual. 

My friends and I had mentioned to people all week about taking a day trip to the beach on Friday. I honestly thought no one would really show up and it would just be us. Imagine my surprise when I showed up at the fountain to find 25 people waiting and ready to go... No pressure at all... I totally know what I'm doing I have no idea what I'm doing. But shockingly enough, we made it there and back uneventfully and had an amazing day.

As if this wasn't cool enough for one weekend, today we were driven out to a farm 30 minutes outside of Perugia where we visited the Orsini family farm. We spent all day learning about sustainable farming (love love love), eating grapes straight off the vine, making pasta with the women of the family, and being served a 5 course meal.

The Orsini villa

cutest woman alive

just some grapes right off the vine

Overall it has been a great weekend
- I didn't get sunburned (yay me)
- I didn't mess up our trip to Ancona (and who said I wasn't street smart? get at me)
- I had the best mozzarella I've ever had in my life tonight
- I've decided that I think old Italian people and Italian kids are the cutest things in the world. Don't be surprised if I come home with one of each.

oh.... and just so you know... this is was what I got to look at while I was walking home from the grocery store tonight..... casual.