Ask and you shall receive

Yesterday, it stormed. And it was glorious! In the broken Italian of the American students here in Urbino, the event sounds quasi biblical: "Then, the big cloud came and gave us rain. Suddenly, it was cool." Suddenly, my room was bearable, or even better, cool! Leaving both the door and the window open helped as well. The bees are back, but with the window opened all the way, they seem to find their way out rather quickly. And the rain came just in time for the International Student party, a little thank-you from the ERSU staff (the people who run this student housing/dining company) for the American programs who are keeping Urbino a point of international encounters. Ironic, since they choose Urbino since it isn't international—walking around this town, it would be relatively difficult to find people to converse at length with in English. 

So, yesterday turned out to be a mental health day. Just relaxing, napping, watching the storm. And it was delightful. 

The hottest summer of the year

A few days ago, an Italian in the dorm posted a news piece on my Facebook wall saying the hottest summer in decades was almost upon us. I didn't read it. I was busy and tired, and besides, everyone knows Italy is hot. 40 degrees Celsius means very little to me (more than it did a few years ago, but still...). It would soon be even hotter. But how to distinguish when you're living in a dorm with no air conditioning that is already an oven?

Well, I am now a refugee. A refugee from the heat. I don't want to go outside. Ever. Yesterday, we went to the beach, and it helped a bit, but ultimately just lead to more cold showers when we got back. The beach at Pesaro is very lovely, but I was once again disappointed in the commercial aspect of Italian beaches. If you haven't been to one or seen it in a movie, it looks like identical rows of chairs and umbrellas (beach ombrellas, or ombrelloni) that you pay to use. Convenient, sure. But unique? Apparently not. The difference between the beach at Rimini and the beach at Pesaro was that the one at Rimini had more hotels behind it, and no mountain in the distance. Aside from that, not particularly exciting. The water was warm, so not much of an escape from this intense heat, and Gabriella got the sunburn of her life. I've had worse, but it's still quite bad. The others decided to go to Fano, another beach that is apparently prettier but farther away. Honestly, I don't understand what could make an Italian beach prettier. Are there fewer chairs? 

The heat is so intense, I think the giant bees have died. I am no longer afraid to leave my window open on the off chance a stupid bee will get trapped in my room, because I haven't seen one in ages. But unfortunately, it is hotter than ever and the rooms just don't seem to want to cool down, not even at night when the temperature becomes even slightly bearable. 

So, I am inside today. Either here at Tridente or at the Caffè degli amici, where there is air conditioning. I am thinking of making the trip back there in an hour or so. The trade: 5 minutes of walking in this heat for an hour of cool and refreshing drinks. Then 5 minutes back. Hmmm...maybe not. In any case, that is the situation here in Urbino. 

Yesterday, I played The Carnival of Venice for Luca and a bunch of African priests-in-training who speak French at the Caffè degli amici, and got two free spritzes! And that is all the news I have. So, back to my goals for today: 

1) Do my readings for tomorrow's class

2) Finish my essay for tomorrow's class (just 1 page left, unless I feel the need to write more than 2 pages)

3) Take a cold shower

4) Don't die of heat exhaustion 

5) Eat dinner

6) Avoid the sun as much as possible

7) Try to sleep despite the uncomfortable sticky heat. 

Question: How does anything get done in Italy? How has anything EVER gotten done in Italy? 

The guy who made my shoes is also an antique music fan!

Urbino is the cutest small town ever, apparently. And several events from this week have proved just that. 

First off, I should mention my scholarship donor from Johns Hopkins, Rosalind, came to visit me. Ros is an italophile (not sure if that's a word...) and has been ever since she was at Hopkins at wrote a thesis on Boccaccio. She spent her last year at Hopkins in Italy, traveling everywhere she could, and managed to get to some pretty obscure places apparently. For instance, she got here and asked if I had heard of the mosaics in Ravenna. I, of course, said yes, since we were just there. She said she was heading there after Rimini, and wanted to know if I wanted to tag along. Too bad I had just seen them. 

Anyway, walking around Urbino, we ran into everyone I know here. Students, Luca/Davide from the caffè, Nicola and Michele, random other people. Ros is now convinced this place is the Italy she knew, and not the commercialized tourist trap it seems to be now. She enjoyed herself having conversations with random Italians everywhere about the university here in Urbino, and came to the conclusion that it is one of the worst in Italy, that none of the professors have published anything in the last decade at least, that the students don't attend classes, and that the quality is just pathetic. But, at least little Italian university towns are friendly, no matter how bad the school. 

On Tuesday, I got my shoes, and they are wonderful. Here is a picture: 

The guy fitted them right to my feet.

But the funny thing is, I just saw him again tonight! I went to a "musica antica" concert (there's a huge festival going on, and people from all over the world have come to see this ancient music being performed on reproductions of the old instruments) and there he was! Good thing I was wearing the shoes! 

Presents to myself

By the way, I'm writing these posts so late because the Italians were just partying directly above my room. Well, Italians and Americans. Very few Italians are left, and they are throwing parties for the Americans who are taking their place. Nice, but not right above my room. I went for a minute or two, then went back downstairs to work on the presentation I have to give tomorrow before getting out of town with Rosalind Resnick, my scholarship donor from Hopkins who has come to visit me! We're going to Rimini, a little beach town, and I'll write more about that once I see it. 

1) Shoes: An Italian man here owns a leather store and makes quality leather products. I bought myself a pair of shoes that he made for me. He measured my feet, let me pick the style and color, fit them on my feet, punched holes in so I could fasten them, and I walked out of the store with a new pair of custom-made shoes! Not bad, huh? Not too expensive either—just your shoe size plus 10, so 48 euros for me!

2) Earrings on the Ponte Vecchio: Yes, I wanted a pair of earrings, and yes I wanted to buy them in Florence. While I wouldn't ordinarily pay so much for earrings, I figured I can keep them forever (it's not like they will ever break, go out of style, or not fit my ears anymore) and I can tell the story of how I went shopping for them on the Ponte Vecchio. The price was 230 euros, but the lady gave me a discount because she was so impressed with my Italian, so 180. Then, she gave me the tax refund forms so I can get even more money back for them at the airport on the way home!

3) An official Uffizi guide: I waited twice in the line for the Uffizi, two hours each time, all to no avail. I hated that museum with a passion. Both times would have been impossible for me to make a reservation (the first was Easter weekend while I was studying in Paris, so no reservations) and the second was after graduating from Hopkins, and I took the train from Pisa to go to Florence just for a day with Justine. Didn't get there early enough. This time, Andrea Baldi, the program director, made a reservation for the students who wanted to go, and I was determined to spend 4 hours there to make up for my wasted time. I succeeded! And bought myself a lovely 18 euro book with pictures of all the art I wasn't allowed to take pictures of in this INCREDIBLE museum. 

4) Tickets to see Roberto Benigni recite the Divine Comedy. Fine...not a "present" in the sense that I can take it home with me, but I got pictures, and really enjoyed it. Plus, I can tell everyone how I saw an award-winning Italian actor recite Dante in front of the statue of Dante in Florence, the city where Dante was born and started writing this important text for Italian history/language/literature. 25 euros. 

5) A silk/cashmere scarf. Gorgeous, got a discount because I spoke Italian, and I just wanted it. 35 euros. 

But, I guess the punchline should be: A trip to Florence, priceless? Eh...clearly there were prices. But this was the first time I have really enjoyed Florence. We also went to Siena, where they have the most beautiful cathedral ever, and San Gimignano where they have the gelateria which has won Italy's contest for the best gelato TWICE! 

Roberto Benigni...I got better pictures on my camera. 

Roma

So, not this past weekend, but the one before, I went to Rome (Roma) with several other students from the program. The various ways in which this trip was carried out is a testament to studying abroad in general, and the types of students you come across here. 

1) "The Princeton Girls" — I am not considered a Princeton girl, even if I go to Princeton. The three Princeton undergrads together (Caroline, Joan, and Andra) stick together like glue, and the rest of the students have taken to calling them "The Princeton Girls." I complained about not being included in the nickname, and Luca (from the caffè) has decided to call me "La Princeton girl francese" or the French Princeton girl. Thanks Luca. Anyway, Caroline, Joan and Andra all knew each other well, reserved a 3-person hotel room at a nice hotel reasonably far in advance, and planned on spending a nice weekend in Rome seeing the sights. Caroline is especially privileged (her family takes trips to Europe every summer) and has been to Rome many times, so she was planning on playing the tour guide for the others. 

2) Jennifer, Becky, and me — We don't know everyone in the program perfectly, and decided to see when everyone was going to Rome to plan around that. When everyone said they wanted to go two weekends ago, we all had a meeting at which most of the others decided they preferred to stay in a hostel rather than pay 80 euros for 2 nights in a hotel. Jen, Becky and I decided to book a last-minute triple in a hotel that wasn't quite as nice as that of "The Princeton Girls." 

3) "The Wolf Pack" — Unfortunately, when studying abroad, you get students who came to partake in underage drinking (since they are legally old enough to drink here), party every night, and who view the academics and cultural immersion as a side effect. They don't tend to learn much from what I've seen, but they have a good time. In the Rutgers program, they have called themselves "The Wolf Pack." I don't know how they do it, but I'm impressed by their stamina. They found a house to rent in Rome, and fit 4-5 people in each room and shared 3 bathrooms. They had no wifi, and had a hard time communicating with the rest of us. Two of them got their cell phones stolen on the metro, and several of them got lost on various occasions. They enjoyed their weekend, but I have a feeling I wouldn't have with them.*

*I just want to specify: these are all nice students individually, most with Italian roots who are interested in being in Italy and learning about their heritage. They are just more interested in other things. They're an eclectic bunch, and very bright. I just can't keep track of them on an average day, and I'm starting to become a bit sleep deprived because of them. 

Anyway, my weekend in Rome was spent with groups 1 and 2, obviously. We saw the sights, ate gelati, and I made my first Italian joke! At a restaurant, I wanted a traditional, spicy Roman chicken, but some guy named Marco had ordered the last one. When the waiter suggested I yell at him, I laughed it off and said "Marco mi ha rubato il pollo. Marco Pollo" (Marco stole my chicken [pollo]. Marco Pollo." Not bad, and making jokes in a new language is a clear sign of progress!

Here are some pictures:

Tossing a coin into the Trevi fountain at night, dressed as a Venetian apparently, even though the shirt is one of the Marinières I bought in Paris. Salvatore told me I looked like a gondolier when I was leaving Urbino, and asked if I knew which city I was going to...

Because Marco stole my Pollo, I got this lovely fish that I had to debone myself. Turns out, I'm a pro! Joan got a bone stuck in her throat...

Becky, Caroline, and me. 

Me in front of the Colosseum

Me eating a delicious granita which you can't really see since Jen apparently didn't understand why I wanted her to take a picture with my ice cream. There is a glass filled with napkins in front of the ice cream!! Oh Jen...

Italians and Internet

First, apologies for everyone who has been waiting for a blog post. I would have written several, given everything I've done since the 11th (going to Rome, participating in fun Italian parties, visiting Urbino's ducal palace, seeing priceless works of art, etc.), but in that time, I have learned something very important about Italians: they are slow. Thursday, after visiting the Palazzo Ducale, I actually decided to do my work and write about it later, but unfortunately there would be no later, since I left for Rome on Friday after class, and when I came back to Urbino Sunday night, I was informed that the Internet was out. How long had it been out, you ask? Well, starting Saturday night when there was a big storm. If I were at Princeton, it would be back almost immediately. Americans can't function without Internet, as you all must know. But here, their reaction is: well, we'll have to wait until regular weekday hours (which, in Italy, include a 2 hour break every day for lunch). I figured it would be back up on Monday. It is Wednesday night and it's still not back. We have a somewhat unreliable connection in the common area, which is where I am now, but that is it. Yesterday, I was able to check my email and Skype a bit, because I found a secret, slightly more reliable Internet that is outside in between two of the "braccia" (arms) of Tridente. But given how inconvenient it would have been to bring my iPad and keyboard out to a stone staircase and sit amongst the bugs writing a blog entry, I didn't bother. 

Anyway, where to begin? I guess I will start with yesterday and today. Tomorrow, I'll try to write about Rome (for some reason, my photos of Rome haven't transferred to my iPad yet). 

Last night: I had to prepare for a presentation that didn't end up happening today because we ran out of time. We had dinner with the Italian girls who are left in our part of braccio 2, and I heard a poem in the Veronese dialect! It was "come musica" to quote Jovanotti. Then, I went to a party that was being held right above my room. Why? Well, can't beat 'em, join 'em. That was my philosophy. Otherwise, I wouldn't have possibly been able to sleep, because they had a DJ (well, an Italian student named Andrea who was doing it all on his computer, but he was quite good) and they were extremely loud. Another reason I had to go: the Italian student who was throwing the party, Salvatore, had just given me a beautiful gift. He had painted me playing my flute, and given the paintings to me. They are wonderful! Hopefully I can post pictures later. So, I had to go to the party. Result: I got no sleep. 

Today: I didn't do my presentation because we ran out of time. I will do it tomorrow. I came back and took a 2 hour nap, given how exhausted I was from the never-ending party above my room last night. When I woke up, I pulled out my flute and started playing "Il Carnevale di Venezia" in preparation for my forthcoming trip to Venezia, and then heard more noise above my room. I went up to see what was happening, and found Salvatore cleaning up from the previous night. He saw I had my flute, and asked me to play The Carnival of Venice for him! PS: It's delightful playing on the roof with the mountains in front of you. Anyway, Salvatore told me to put my flute away, because we were going to have a bit of fun. He said we were going to "bagnare" the others. I didn't quite know what that meant. Bagnare means to wash. I was confused. Until I saw his water guns. He called Andrea, asked where he was, and we went over to braccio 1. Andrea was complaining about how hot it was when Salvatore opened fire. Andrea asked him to stop, because it was his only clean shirt apparently. I felt bad, so gave Andrea my water pistol. Then, Salvatore opened fire on me. Yes, that was my afternoon. In France, to practice my French, I met French people for coffee. In Italy, I apparently have to participate in water wars. And that is my life. 

Urbino and Classes

I realized that, although Italian dorm life is indeed fascinating, the grand majority of my posts have been about that and not the actual city of Urbino. And even though that makes sense—our dorm building is a 10 minute walk from the city, on top of another hill, and our classes are held in a high school outside the city walls—I should probably write a bit about the actual city of Urbino. I should be able to write historical things tomorrow, because we're going to have a guided tour of the Ducal Palace in the afternoon, but for the moment, I'll just make a few observations. 

Urbino is one big hill. It's a beautiful one, but it's a hill nonetheless. What does this mean? Why is it relevant? Well, to enter the city, we have to walk the 20 minutes to the wall, and then, once inside, up a very steep hill. My Clarks are sturdy and have good traction, and are sandals so my feet don't sweat in the heat. Other students aren't so lucky. The stones that pave the roads in Urbino can be slippery, and in the heat, it's harder to pay attention. Fortunately for us, the best gelateria in the city is right at the top of that first hill, so we get a reward for our first city climb!

Urbino is a famous little Renaissance city in the Marche region of Italy. Famous for its Ducal Palace (which I should have something to say about tomorrow), it is about half the size of my hometown, Clarence, NY in terms of population. In terms of actual size, it's much, much smaller—the whole center city being contained within the walls. And there isn't much else, I found out today, because you can see almost everything if you climb up to the fortress. There is a great view. 

Urbino, viewed from the park at the fortress. Not bad, huh?

Urbino has a specialty food, we have learned, which is called "una crescia sfogliata. And yesterday, we found the greatest place ever to eat them. They are super cheap, a nice pastry crust wrapped around a center of your choice. Yesterday, I had prosciutto and cheese; today, mozzarella and tomato. The place we've found is just outside the wall at the top end of the city, and I believe that is why it costs almost nothing to eat there (about 4 euros for a crescia with one thing in the center). Their wine is delicious as well, and I had a spritz today. Molto buono, buonissimo!

It was delicious!

Today, I did an unreasonable amount of work in an unreasonably short amount of time. Clearly, the Princeton conditioning has set in, and I am now apparently capable of writing a 3 page essay in a language I just started learning last year in an hour and a half. You see, I'm going to Rome this weekend, and don't want to be bothered with an essay to write. I'm more than happy to read in the bus there and back. 

After our crescia dinner, we got back to Tridente to do our reading, and found out today was Davide's birthday! So, we all headed over to the Caffè degli amici where a cake was waiting for us. Italians and their birthday cakes, let me tell you! A fun night was had by all! 

La torta!

Davide ready to cut the cake...don't worry, he's not actually that scary-looking most of the time!

Luca giving Davide a pink ribbon to wear on his head, since he is the birthday boy!

Davide conducting as we sang him Happy Birthday in Italian and English. (Tanti auguri a te!)

And they brought out the bubbly!