My School, My Family, My Italian Life.

I departed San Maurizio, dropped down into the valley below, swooped across and charged back into the mountains.  It was Sunday morning and there was little traffic so the drive was easy, if not particularly memorable.  After an hour I entered the autostrada and charged toward Genoa.

Skirting a large city is seldom without incident and I knew, from past experience (I've been lost in Genoa before), that this would be a challenge.  There are many tunnels, so the GPS does not always function that well.  There are many intersecting autostradas and a missed turn can send one far out of the way.  However, with great focus and a modicum of luck, I ended up on the far side of the city without becoming lost.  I was mentally exhausted but very happy to have escaped unscathed.  I thought a bit about the energy it took to navigate such a hectic environment but then began to relax.  The day was beautifully sunny and the Ligurian Sea was majestic against the mountainous shoreline.

As I drove toward Florence I began to consider where I was headed.  Entering a school to study a new language, having not studied in any school for many years, might have been a silly thing to do.  But, for the next five weeks that would be my lot in life.  And then there was the matter of a man who had become familiar with living alone over the past couple of years, moving into the home of a family.  The family was not just a family but it would be an Italian family that spoke no English.  I became a bit nervous.  My stomach tightened at the thought of the potential complications awaiting me at my destination, Montepulciano.

With the mountains behind me, the drive through the Tuscan hills was soothing but I could not get the tension of the unknown far from my mind.  I made a couple of stops along the way only to encounter bus loads of tourists from all around the world.  It was not a pretty sight.  I charged on.  Finally, after six hours of travel I arrived in my city.  I could not find the family's home so I went to the school, which was difficult to find, too.  I got to the school and, fortunately, it was open.  The school found the family, the family came to take me home and it all worked out...much to my joy and amazement.

I have been here for one week and I have become settled.  The school has been great fun despite being quite a bit of work.  My classmates, an Austrian woman, an Australian man, a woman from Texas, a young woman from London, a young woman from New York City and a man from Utah have been very nice.  We're all beginning level students.  The teachers are two very charming Italian women, Sara and Cinzia.  In the class we speak little English (a rule fairly well enforced by the instructors).  Actually, the teachers might not speak much English.  Explanations are often quite colorful and dynamic.

The family, a middle-aged couple, their 31-year old son and the mother of the wife, are exceptionally gracious.  They speak no English, so our time together is often quite interesting.  However, they help me, they correct me and they are all just so very, very nice.  I have breakfast (a coffee and a biscuit) and dinner (the wife is an excellent cook) with them most days.  We try to communicate with each other and it is improving but would be hilarious to any observer.

My week days are pretty much the same.  I arise at 7a, shower and have my coffee.  I depart for my walk to school (a 30 minute, uphill walk) at around 8a.  School begins at 8.45a, there is a 30 minute break at 10.15a (for a snack), another 15 minute break for a coffee and then the classes end at 1.15p.  By the end of school my mind has been very tired from trying to speak in Italian.  Generally, I have had lunch with a few of my English speaking classmates,which has lasted for a couple of hours.

Often there have been activities organized by the school that began in the late afternoon.  So far I have participated in a wine tasting (a degustazione), a trip to an organic farm (una azienda biologica), and an excursion to a monastery accompanied with a tour of the nearby city of Montalcino.  Next week I am scheduled to have a cooking class and attend a conference on Leonardo Di Vinci.  I'll let you know about the cooking class.

Dinner has always been at 8p and I have been studying by 9.30p.  I have tried to get to bed by 11p but that hasn't always worked out.  At the end of each day I am very mentally tired and am happy for alone time in my room.  Thus far, my adventure has exceeded my expectations and, despite the exhaustion, have been very happy.  Until next time, ciao.