Meanwhile in Italy...

Things have been progressing nicely in Italy.  One day I blinked and it was just over a month before I head home for Easter. While this would have made me smile in October, it’s already starting to make me a little sad.  You mean I can count the amount of aperitivo hours I have left with my friends?  I don’t have all the time in the world to sample the brioches?  My little host brothers have visibly grown up since I got here!  I can have a conversation in Italian without freaking out!  It’s all going fast, but the Erasmus year’s evanescence makes it all the more beautiful.

Wondering what I’ve been learning in Italy?  Here’s a recap.

-If the question is do you want to try homemade polenta/insalatone/pasta frolla tart, the answer is always yes.

-Libraries in Italy are some of their more the most poorly organized institutions

.-On a bar menu ‘toast’ is the Italian way of saying croque monsieur/ham and cheese toastie/grilled cheese with ham.

-Nothing starts on time.  Not classes, not exams, not meetings, nothing.

-If you ask, you might be able to get into the museum for free.

-Always, ALWAYS, print out your pre-bought train tickets.  You will risk getting a fine and being very, very relieved when you can talk your way out of it.  If you can talk your way out of it.

-A cappuccino is, in fact, a perfectly acceptable drink to have in the afternoon as long as it’s not immediately after a meal.

-I like smoked salmon.  I still don’t like avocado.  Cream cheese makes me feel a little gross, even if it has an Italian name.

-Italian bags are pretty awesome, but I still prefer the simple French asthetic.

-Reservations are always a good idea.

-Sometimes reading nonfiction is the best way to get yourself started for the day.  Drive was an astonishingly inspiring book, even for this girl who swears she’s not business-minded!

-Italian bread will never, ever beat a baguette, but at least there are more varieties to try.  At 40¢ per panino, there’s no reason you can’t try a new kind each day of the week.  Except for Sunday when the panificio is closed.

-There is an aged ricotta you can shave onto food like parmesean.  Must. Try.

-Writing a 3,500 word essay in Italian really isn’t so bad if you love what you’re writing about.  Yes, I am writing about coffee.

What have you learnt recently?

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