Eve
Graduate
Elementary Education |
Eve
Graduate
Elementary Education |
Firenze e Siena Quindici anni fa ho studiato a Siena, e sono ritornato! A gentle fire crackles inside the raised hearth to my right as I sit here typing at the kitchen table while attempting to understand the Italian news reporting on the war in Ukraine. Leonardo gave me some directions on how to tend the fire before he left to pick up Rosetta from work. With enough gesturing and contextual references, si, capisco! Although my Italian is extremely rusty, Leonardo and I discussed la guerra, immigrazione, teatro, burattini, ricostruzione, e cucina. Leonardo loves to cook and enjoys making a cozy home for everyone who visits. Rosetta and Leonardo have been hosting international students for nearly 20 years. They began the cultural exchange so their daughters, Laura and Elizebeta, would learn English– and they clearly enjoyed the company. They stay in touch with students long after they leave. It’s a clear evening so I took a walk in the brisk air to get a feel of the neighborhood. One of the streets is the Via Francigene [LINK] that winds past the International School of Siena. So, I meandered that way to take a look at the school we will be teaching at over the next two months. I can’t wait to meet the educational team and the students! We arrived on March 10. After two years of COVID, graduate school and work, I felt off-kilter because I simply haven’t traveled far or for very long. I appreciate my home, so leaving was extra hard this time. However, the last few days have been delightful with extra emphasis on light. The travel bug is biting again. I need to add a few more sticks and logs to the fire. Un momento. We spent two full days in Firenze prior to arriving in Siena. I soaked in the following cultural sites:
Shall we talk food? I had one of my favorite Tuscan dishes, pappardelle al ragú di cinghale, and purchased a fantastic spread of salami e formaggi to share with our group. The proprietor of the enoteca who sold me the goods expressed his anguish over the war in Ukraine. He has family in Krakow that he will bring back to Firenze later this week to keep them safe. At one point he pushed war talk aside, as if he was sick of hearing himself talk about it, and went back to the here and now, specifically, pecorino cheese. We were only able to have this conversation because he was fluent in English. Rosetta is home from work! She works at the Museo dell’opera del Duomo in Siena. I can tell that my Italian will get better because both Rosetta and Leonardo love to talk and help me figure out what I need to say. I introduced i burattini (the puppets), Manny e Poindexter II, to Leonardo e Rosetta. Speaking of burattini, they want to say a few words to their first grade friends in Buffalo, NY. Lettere degli Burattini (Letters from the puppets)Cari Studenti (Dear Students),
If you want to, you can read and listen to the Italian words in our letter here [LINK]. Come stanno tutti? (How is everyone?) We are having a lot of fun in Italy! The trip over was super cozy. We were wrapped in a pillowcase and tucked inside a big suitcase. Yesterday we were in Firenze (Florence). It is a very old city. We saw a big Catholic church called Santa Maria dei Fiori. Look at the photo of us in front of the church! Santa Maria dei Fiori was built about 800 years ago! It is made out of different colored marble. Marble is a kind of rock and it is used to make buildings. We thought Santa Maria dei Fiori was very pretty, and it made us think about Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna, New York. That’s near Buffalo. Have you ever visited that church? It is also made out of marble. Ms. Everette ate her favorite pasta dish called pappardelle al ragú di cinghiale. It is ribbon pasta noodles with wild boar meat! We did not eat any of it. We only ate sea grass or birthday cake because those are our favorite foods. Ms. Everette said the pasta was delicious and wished you could try it, too! We are going to eat dinner with our friends Leonardo and Rosetta. We are living with them while we stay in Siena. They are very nice. What do you want to know about Italy? Abbracci! (hugs!) Manny the Manatee and Poindexter II the Dragon
7 Comments
Wendy A. Paterson, Ph.D.
3/14/2022 04:22:36 pm
Ciao Bella Eve e burratini Poin II and Manny,
Reply
Jill Gradwell
3/14/2022 05:51:51 pm
Hello Eve,
Reply
Pixita del Prado Hill
3/14/2022 09:17:04 pm
Hi Eve, it's great to follow your blog to learn more about your experience -- safe travels and best wishes -- Pixita
Reply
Nancy Chicola
3/15/2022 02:50:46 pm
Eve,
Reply
Shannon Budin
3/15/2022 03:22:08 pm
Eve, what beautiful reflections. I could read this in a novel some day! It would keep be riveted. So excited for your experience and can't wait to hear more. You will bring back such amazing ideas and inspiration for your students.
Reply
Katie Holmberg
3/15/2022 04:57:47 pm
Hi Ms. Everette!
Reply
Wendy A. Paterson
3/30/2022 10:24:45 pm
Loving the dairy of your adventures. Your poetry lesson and your adventures on the Italian busses make excellent reading, but the story about the saffron plant was too good! I can see this as a very cool travel log. Just met with an editor of SUNY Press. Hmmmmm.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorEve is a palindrome. She started out as a theatre artist, and now she is a combination theatre artist-teacher. She is grateful for the opportunity to finish her degree while studying abroad in Siena, Italy. It is her second time studying in Siena. Eve enjoys long meandering walks, daydreaming, creating new projects, and chilling with her husband, Dave. Archives
May 2022
Categories |