I fell in love here with everything.

We leave tomorrow. I'm ready, I think, to be home, in my bed, on my comfy fluffy couch, back into my routine, driving my car, eating chocolate chip cookies, doing all that stuff that makes a life a life. We had the option today of staying here at Casa Cares or going back into Florence. I'm so glad that I stayed, because you guys, this is what I'm looking at right now:
It's 66 Degrees outside (that's in fahrenheit!), a breeze coming in from outside, and the swallows seem to constantly excited about life and I'm sitting on my bed listening to Sufjan Stevens ("The spirit is right and the spirit doesn't change"- this line always gets me!).

I've changed the music to Nina Nastasia now. She makes me feel like I've been spinning around in circles, and that's so appropriate , because when I think about going home, that's how I start to feel. Going home ("home" is what I've been calling Casa Cares for the past two weeks) is going to be such a strange journey.

(From "Treehouse Song":
"Months and months we'd stay up high
Because all the climbing takes such time
And we'd live on the blooms carried in by the breeze")

To end this post, I'll show you what I saw out my window last night, while I was listening to Ryan Adams:



I love everything here. Especially the sky.

Things that were obviously going to happen.

As if everyone didn't know this would happen, I'm teaching a lot of my classmates to knit! Here are some pictures of my students

Mary, who started later than almost anyone else and finished first.

Alexis (she reminds me of Jena), who has been one of the most adventurous with her knitting.

Brie and Jessica, who are keeping me giggling with their knitting misadventures.

And Angie, who's enthusiasm seems to revive my passion for knitting!

There are, I believe, twelve or thirteen of us (and two crocheters) total. Even after these pictures were taken, I taught two more, and tomorrow, I'm going to teach another. It's all very exciting for me to share something I'm so excited about with my new friends. Everyone is doing such an amazing job and I'm so proud of them all, I think they've all got it in their hands naturally.

Additionally, tomorrow morning, I've got four people lined up to have their hair braided (including one faculty member) before we depart for our second trip to Florence. What does this say about me? I like it, whatever it is.

Dialoging via methods other than counseling (torture).

San Gimingano, I think, was a town built with one purpose: Torture. There were three museums dedicated to the act of torture. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail, because honestly, I really only went to the museum so that I could say that I went and it was air conditioned. We weren't able to take pictures inside, so all i have to offer are the pictures from outside.


There was also this AMAZING silver shop- the jewelry is all handmade and if it didn't fit you, the owner would make it fit you right then! I didn't buy anything because I bought an emerald gufo (owl) pendant literaly a few moments earlier at an alabaster shop, but had I not, something in that store would have been coming home with me. The first picture is just an example of some of the stuff that's available, but the second picture is a ring that was actually purchased by a faculty member, Dr. Christensen. I LOVE it, and I keep threatening to steal it (it's actually on MY finger in the picture), but I'm pretty sure she's stronger than me, so possibly I should just let it go.
Tomorrow, I'll post my pictures from Siena, and, as a very very very special bonus, a video blog of our whole group singing a song on the bus from Siena to Casa Cares. This is not something you'll want to miss. Trust me, people.

Rainbow

Previously, my favorite town had been Lucca. On Wednesday, we visited an unpronounceably named town next to a lake where we went to ceramic shops and ate delicious gelato (as if we don't do that every place we visit...) and then went to Assisi. You guys, Assisi is AMAZING. I think it might be my most favorite place in the whole entire world. It's up on a mountain and you walk from the top of it down to the bottom of it and go to little shops along the way. The shops are so lovely and the view is so nice. I thought there was a yarn shop and was told by several shop owners that there was one "just up those steps and to the left," but I was unable to find it. My new friend Sonya and I got separated from the group and found a delightful Pizza place and ate some delicious caramelized onion and cheese pizza
and then I wandered around by myself for a while (don't tell my mom). I found what I think has been my very favorite store so far, Rainbow, this little place run by a cute Italian hippie that knows very little English but can sing along to David Bowie. I think that I felt most at ease in Assisi, and I wish we were going back there, rather than back to Florence two more times, but whatever, I'm in Italy! We're going to Greve and San Gimingnano tomorrow, I'll let you know if I find any yarn shops! Speaking of Yarn, we went into Reggello today, as we heard a rumor about a Bar (coffee shop) that served coke over ice, and while we were there, I asked the owner if she knew where the yarn store was located (IN ITALIAN, PEOPLE!!!! DOVE, DOVE!!!), and she said YES! So, while in Reggello, I got coke with ice, yarn, gelato, and kisses on the cheek from an old man in a yarn store. I'd say over all, it's been a pretty excellent two days.

Oh, hello!

Since the last time I posted, we've visited Florence, Assisi and the ceramic shops of a lake town with a name I can't pronounce or spell. We had an authentic Italian cena (five courses!!) and I ate some of the most delicious pizza of my entire life. You guys, it's pretty amazing here, and I know on the first couple of days I was considering "getting stuck", but I'm almost ready to come home. We still have San Gimignano and Siena left on our list of places to visit, plus two more trips to Florence, so there are some experiences left to be had, but I'm slightly home sick. Tell me some sweet things to cheer me up.

No Razzismo

So far, one thing I've really enjoyed photographing is grafiti. I was surprised at how it's just... everywhere. On the autostrada, buildings, dividers, in Lucca. Here are some of my favorite so far.



I took this on the bus ride from Rome to Regello, so it's a little blurry.



As you walk into the little market place outside Pisa, this is on a wall. it means No Racism. I love it.



This isn't exactly grafiti, but I love this bike. There's a little bit of grafiti behind the bike, so the picture is acceptable for this post.



Because I know very little Italian (enough to order a gelato or ask for the bathroom), I have no idea what this means. I hope this isn't offensive. I found it in Lucca. The unfortunate thing is that it was written on the wall of a building that is at least 100 years old (and could possibly be more than 300 years old!).



I love these guys. I don't know what's going on, but I love them. Also found in Lucca, also on a really old piece of architecture. Heavy but amused sigh.



I saw this a few times in Lucca, so I think it's a tag.


There was another tag I kept seeing out side, but it was too big and colorful to capture from the moving bus. I really like it- all it said was "HOT BOYS" over and over again it big, bright swirly letters. Hopefully HOT BOYS aren't just based in Rome and I can get a picture of their tag in Firenze (Florence) tomorrow.

Pisa and Lucca

Today, we went to Pisa (leaning tower of) and Lucca. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was not, in fact, as leaning as I had imagined it to be, but perhaps I'm being too hard on it. Rather than taking the obligatory "holding the tower up" picture, I took the slightly less obligatory "pushing the tower over" picture. You are all really lucky to even be able to see this picture for several reasons. First, I generally don't do full body pictures. Second, I generally frown upon trends. Third, we got yelled at by the guards for being on the grass as were taking our pictures. Lucky, lucky readers!

After Pisa, we went to Lucca. Can I just say, I LOVE Lucca. That place is ridiculous. It's exactly what I imagined Italy to be. The little cafes, the shops, the bikes... I don't even have the words, which is unfortunate for you, my dear readers, because with out words, I have no post. Unfortunately, this was our only trip to Lucca. Maybe I can come here again one day when I grow up.

Can you imagine anything lovlier...

than a Tuscan sunset?

Items of interest, so far.

It's so amazing here, I don't even know what to write. This is probably going to be random stuff about what's happened and what I've seen so far.

We arrived in Rome at about 8:30 AM and took a bus to Regello (say it like this: ra-jello) around 11, and arrived at Casa Cares, where we're staying around 4 PM. I tried to take pictures from the bus to stay awake, but my drooping eye lids got the best of me and I eventually dozed off. I did manage to stay awake long enough to watch the landscape turn from city to country, from flatish to mountains. The transition was beautiful and amazing. The tour bus up the winding road on the mountain? Not so amazing. :)

Some... towns? Neighborhoods? I'm not sure what to call them, but they're built into the side of hills and mountains. Closer to larger cities and towns, the houses and apartments are squeezed together and farther out, the houses and apartments, as you can imagine, have more space. The architecture is, obviously, so so beautiful. I wish there were a word that were more emphatic... beautiful doesn't seem to do it justice. The thing I really like about Tuscany is that even though some of the buildings and homes were built recently, the architecture is in the style of the older buildings, which I really appreciate. If American Ranch-style homes were ugly to me before, I might not be able to look at them when I return home.

Casa Cares is the best ever. It is, I think, about 500 meters up (Is that a lot? I'm not really sure. My ears popped while driving up the mountain, so it's at least a significant number.). There is a vegetable garden, chickens, solar panels, a litter of kittens and what I assume to be a dad kitten (cat). He is beautiful and looks like Soy Sauce (appears to be black, but in the light is actually brown). He has a lazy eye and I am in love with him. There are olive, plum, apple and fig trees. Right now, figs are in season and we had fig preserves on our bread this morning.

Poppies grow wild here! I can't even tell you how thrilled I am about this! They are the most vivid, saturated red color and really pop in the sunlight. I want to cut them and take them home with me, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get through customs. Oh well. :)

For dinner last night, we has salad (grown here) with homemade cucumber and dill dressing, vegetarian (hooooooray!!!) pesto lasagna, and delicious homemade bread. I don't even have the words, you guys. Oh yeah, the coffee here is SO GOOD. SO SO GOOD.

I've found at least two "official" walking trails. I'm almost tempted to skip some of our days in the city and spend time by myself in the woods...

More later, I think I'm going to take more pictures.

We made it!!

Ok, you guys. We are in Italy. I'm too sleepy to really say a lot, but please enjoy some pictures. The first one, by the way, IS THE VIEW FROM MY BED.

So soon!

So.

I leave for Italy in four days. Three days and thirteen hours, actually. I'm freaking out a little, but I'd be a fool to not be a little nervous, right? Nervous, excited, on the verge of not being able to sleep... I'm so thrilled to have this opportunity, but at the same time, I keep asking myself what I was thinking. I'm such a neurotic traveler! I have to have a certain pillow to sleep! What if I forget something? What if I get stuck in Florence forever (if only!)?

Despite my brain being overwhelmed with conflicting thoughts, I did take the time (duh) to Google yarn shops in Florence, so no matter what else happens, I WILL be knitting in Italy. How awesome is that?

I was gifted some Euros (!!!!) and guide books- armed with money and informational books, I feel like I'm set! Obviously, there's a lot more to do:

*Make copies of my important documents (Passport, etc.)
*Call my bank (so I can buy yarn)
*Pack (check the weather!!)
*Buy a battery operated alarm clock

...I'm sure there's more, but for now, I'm going to leave it at that.

Till tomorrow...