The Colors of Europe

So, let's see...Fall has definitely arrived here in Italy. We've been having days of cool early mornings and warm afternoons, and really the weather has simply been fantastic. It is a challenge, however, to dress for such weather when you ride your bike in the morning and the wind and cool air is chapping your cheeks and then the sun is beating down on you as you ride home in the afternoon. I am always cold. Or hot. Haven't mastered the 'just right' yet.

One other important news of note from today...Italy issued my "Permisso di Soggiorno" today, which, I guess, means they have decided to let me stay. It translates to "Permission to Stay" and overrides any visas, so even when my visa expires, I'm still good to go. Of course, the school doesn't trust their teachers enough to let you hold such an important document...nope. But, they paid for it, so, okay.

Anyways, onto the blog I've been considering for the past week. Within the first 30 minutes of being on the train leaving Milano Centrale, I knew what I had to write about. And, no, Alison Glover, it wasn't a post on whether Italian men are hot or not. Maybe someday. Soon.

So, or I should say "allora", which means "so" or "then" in Italian. Allora, we were leaving Centrale on our way to France and it was early enough that the sun was just coming up over the horizon. Even through the dirty windows of the train the colors of the sunrise were unbelievable. I haven't seen anything like it. Ever. Or at least in my memory. There were shades of plum and magenta woven through the blue sky, and as another ten minutes passed, and the sun rose higher, tangerine and lemon were added to the mix. It was really something.

We knew the train ride had plenty of potential by this point. A good bit later, we cruised through Genoa and were off to Ventimiglia. This is the last stop along the sea in Italy, and we headed onto French trains from here. The good news- that a train trip along the south of France is something to behold. I am confident that Crayola sends their color people to this part of the world to develop the next box of 64 colors. The Mediterranean Sea was a variety of colors, but cerulean, turquoise, and midnight blue all come to mind. And, yes, I referred to Wikipedia's list of Crayola's colors to find the words for the colors in my head. At some points, the turquoise waters had a sense of opacity to it, with this milky white sheen all around, which was very cool.

And while you're looking at the sea on one side, to the other side is the deepest burnt orange and sienna colored mountains around. The grass seems greener too. But, perhaps, by this point, I was just on a color high.

The train trip took Kate and I through Cannes, Montecarlo, Nice, and all those other major riviera highlights.  For the most part though, I only saw the train station of those locations. We'd be gawking at the view ahead of us out the train window and try to guess what city we were coming upon, and then suddenly, we'd be in the blackest black of a mountain tunnel. And, the beautiful sight of the sea would be hidden and the gray of the train station would be the most exciting scenery around.

Saint Raphael, France was a beautiful location. Perhaps next time, the weather will be a bit more appropriate for beach going, but that didn't stop most people from busting out their Speedos in the cool October temperatures. We enjoyed plenty of Rose' wine from the Provence region of France, ate lots of cheese (and discovered one that I love) and baguettes, and took in the sites. It was a nice weekend getaway. I even bought some French goods to bring home at the holidays. And, then, of course, it was back to work on Tuesday.

Truffle Festival

Tomorrow, the school is providing a bus to a winery for a wine tasting and to a town called Alba, for the annual Truffle Festival. Should be a fun day!

So, when are you planning your trip to visit me?!?!?! : ) I have a bottle of French wine waiting.

Crayola picture from http://omgfacts.net/?p=886
Truffle festival picture from http://vintageholidays.co.uk/white-truffle-festival-italy-la-sagra-del-tartufo-bianco/

SSDD

One of my favorite sayings has always been the "SSDD" (same S%*$, different day) line because so much of life becomes rote and monotonous, and every day has the same basic elements. The same is true no matter where in the world you live. Even in Italy. Living here, a few things have changed: how I get to and from places, the people I spend most of my time with, the experiences I am afforded here, the process that is laundry without a dryer. But, all in all, things are still predominantly the same. You get up each day, of course, having preferred to stay in bed all day long, go to work, come home, cook dinner, go to bed, and get up the next day and do it all again. I find myself getting out of bed wishing every day was Saturday!!

Even the kids and families are basically the same. I supervised on the playground and mediated a discussion where one little girl searched for the word in English to tell me the other little girl always had to be the boss. I have started tutoring after school now too. I met with the father last week and he was telling me about the divorce of the parents and how the girl goes from his house to her mom's and how hard that is on everyone. The issues and challenges all resonate the same.

Saint Raphael, France in the Riviera

But, of course, living in a new country does allow for some very evident differences. For example, this weekend, we have a three day weekend. Wahoo! It is our first long weekend of the year. Kate and I are headed out to Saint Raphael, France to visit the home of her boyfriend's family. It's a long train ride, but it is a free place to stay, so, of course, when someone asks you if you want to go to the French Riviera for a weekend, you say YES! And, this is what makes this country so great.

Before moving to Italy, I thought that Milan was the ideal location to travel Europe and that three years was more than enough time to see what this continent had to offer. I have come to realize that three years might not be enough to explore the country of Italy. There are so many small towns that are historic, picturesque, and worth taking a trip to, I'm not sure how you decide which ones you must get to!

Aperitivo at Le Biciclette

Another very fun difference, is the idea of aperitivo. I think Milan is the capital of this idea, as well! At most bars, cafes, etc. in the early evening hours, they offer a bevy of snacks and buffet items free with the purchase of a drink. This past weekend, a girl I met in Boston at the Cambridge Search Associates job fair, Elizabeth, came to visit from Munich, where she is a counselor at the Bavarian International School. We took her and her group of friends to Le Biciclette, a cute little bar in Milano that we discovered through the Lonely Planet travel guides. They offer a nice aperitivo and I was thrilled that everyone was happy with our choice! I have another Cambridge friend coming soon and hopefully we can find some more fun aperitivos to try out!

cappuccino con cioccolato

the coffee machine

One other difference to make note of here is the coffee. Thanks to my good friend, Becky Nease, I started drinking coffee a few years ago. Well, maybe I should rephrase that...I started drinking Starbucks vanilla lattes a few years ago. Only recently have I started exploring drinking regular coffee mixed with an assortment of milk and sugar. It's a good thing, too, since the Italian expectation is to have a coffee to top off every meal. The strange looks are a regular thing when you decline the end of meal beverage. Even here at school, coffee is available all day, every day. For only .35€. If you took your Starbucks beverage and asked for the amount you'd get for that price, you'd probably end up with the same size we do here. But, I have discovered the cappuccino con cioccolato (with maximum sugar, mind you) is pretty tasty! And it only takes a little to get you going when you are drinking Italian coffees!

So, while you sit at home, trying to live your life vicariously through me, just remember, I still get up and go to work every day and go through the "daily grind". The scenery is just a little different.

the view on the way to work 10/6/11...the sun
just starting to come up over the horizon amidst a ribbon of fog