One Month Later

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Tomorrow will mark exactly one month since my arrival!

This week has been pretty calm. Mostly I have been home working during the days, with the exception of taking a few hour-long walks/runs and getting very lost. I found a beautiful little street in the hillside and have had fun exploring the area. It runs along Forte Belvedere and winds down towards Porta Romana, which is one of the old doors to the city, and not too far from our house.

Porta Romana

My goals this week were to buy a bike, and to call Mamma e Babbo.


First, the bike. I went to a few places, but couldn't find anything ugly or cheap enough. I have been told that the uglier and older your bike is, the better, because it will get stolen at some point. Great! I found a few cute ones with some character that just scream, "Steal me!" So I am waiting for something uglier to come along.


Second goal: Mamma e Babbo. When I studied here five years ago, I lived with an older couple, whose names I do not remember as I always called them Mamma e Babbo; Mom and Daddy (Babbo is a very Florentine version of Dad). I just loved them. They didn't speak any English excpet Babbo's nightly, "Cheeeeese pleeeeease," at the dinner table. Or using the word, "dork," which I taught them. But Mamma at times let me cook with her (best. food. ever.) and Babbo once invited me to sit and watch his Formula One racing with him. Not that I cared about the cars, but it was a great bonding time. They each told me that no other student had been invited to do those things with them. On my last night in Florence, when my real mom and dad were in town, Mamma invited us all to a wonderful dinner. I walked away from the house sure that I would never again see my Florentine parents and was heartbroken.

Five years ago: Kristin (roommate), Babbo e Mamma, Me. 

When I arrived here, the first thing I wanted to do was call them and invite myself over dinner every single night. However, I had great fear that: 1) We wouldn't be able to communicate because my Italian was very poor. 2) They would not remember me because of the number of students they have stay with them. 3) That something may have happened to one of them, or they possibly don't live there anymore.

So Tuesday afternoon, I took the phone number for Giovanna Giaccherini that my mom still had written down, and dialed. I was calling Mamma. She answered and right away I said that my name was Sally and I lived with them five years ago... Mamma said, sorry, but I've had a lot of students... I told her I'm tall, blonde hair, from Kansas... She said, "Ohhh SARAH!" I completely forgot they called me Sarah. She started going on about how she did in fact remember me and the dinner with my parents and what I gift I was for them. I told her I'm back, hopefully for a year or so, and that I would love to see her. She couldn't wait to tell Babbo (still don't know his name) I'm here and that it was a gift that I called her. She invited me to dinner tomorrow (Monday the 6th) and said that as long as I'm in Florence, I'm welcome to visit them anytime! I couldn't have been happier. And I'm studying up on my Italian today in preparation. I couldn't be happier.


In other news, Courtney and Dave Vetter (my sister-in-law's sister and husband), visited this week! They arrived Thursday afternoon and left Saturday morning for Rome. Thursday we met for a drink before they hit they hay and got some much-needed sleep. Friday evening, after their rushing around all day, I met them in my neighborhood, Santo Spirito for some drinks along with my roommates and my new great friend, Leticia. We ended up visiting a few local places including Blob. I love it for the name but that's about it.

At Blob with Dave, Leticia, Andrea and Courtney

Today, Andrea finally gave in to my pestering and made his famous pizza for Nancy and I. First was mozzarella, provolone and mushrooms; second was mozzarella, provolone and sausage; third was grilled eggplant, ricotta, tomatoes and mint. Of course there was wine too. Not bad for a 1 p.m. lunch but now I am certifiably comatose. Thank goodness I got up and walked this morning.

Eggplant, ricotta, tomatoes and mint

Tonight I am going to attempt to make dad's chocolate chip cookies without "real" brown sugar and without chocolate chips. Oh, and without an electric mixer! We shall see how that goes. Tomorrow I go on a wine tour with Todd at Tuscan Trails and can hopefully get going with them soon. Tomorrow night is dinner with Mamma e Babbo!!!! Tuesday is yoga with Leticia (Letty) and then not much the rest of the week. This weekend I am hoping to get to Milan to visit Molly and Derek (good friends of my good friend, Laura Schuler).


All-in-all, everything is still going great. But I think about my dog everyday and really want to get her here as soon as I have more money coming in the door from different jobs. The goal is to stay. I feel good here right now and am very happy. SO START PLANNING YOUR TRIPS TO VISIT! :)


Ciao for now. - Sally