Well, a second blog in two days....aren't you guys lucky. I am on my way to Florence and I know that I am going to have heaps to tell you about my time there - again - and really want to tell you about yesterday without cutting it short.
Yesterday my sister and her family came to visit my parents and I in Termoli - except my niece who is currently studying/writing finals. We first walked around the town and took them to the castle so they could walk through the little allies, see the church and get a great view of the sea and beach.
My nephew's friend had come with them on the trip and he had never been to Italy before. He was so excited and wanted photos of everything. I envied his excitement. He reminded me of myself when I get to a country for the first time and just want to take everything in....I miss that; though, due to his excitement I was easily able to get him worked up about the beauty of a gelitaria!!! He was in there snapping pictures...they must have thought he was a nut but I thought it was great!
We then went for a huge family lunch at Rosarios - of course. To start off my sister wanted a nice meat and cheese platter for the table, little did she realize what a Rosario Platter was for the table...2 round platters of cold cuts, two of sliced cheese, two of tomatoes and huge mozarella cheese balls, 2 bowls of fried zucchini, two round platters of different types of bruschetta, 3 bowls of rappini and sausage, two baskets of bread, two bowls of olives, two bowls of panchetta and two litres of red wine! This was just the antipasto - the appetizer. Every time another platter of food was brought over my sisters eyes would bulge out of her head. "I just wanted a platter for the table to start us off, this is crazy" she said as she helped herself to some more wine - she didn't want it to go to waste. "This is a platter Christina," I said "an Italian platter."
As I said this was just the antipasti, we still had our meals come out. Everyone ordered pizza, except me...I had pasta of course....and same with my brother-in-law. My body has gotten used to the copious amounts of food intake here so me I polished my plate and my parents did pretty well too but everyone else was dying...they were ready to explode. "I cant eat anymore, I was full after the so-called platter" my sister said pouring the last of wine still not wanting it to go to waste.
The meal was amazing- of course - but I think it just seemed so good because we had family with us. We were all excited and everyone was buzzing, and being at Rosario's made it even better.
After about an hour and a half of filling our bellies as much as possible we headed to my dad's town. My sister hadn't been before and going with my dad was going to be such a great opportunity for her.
Because we took seperate cars we couldn't really point anything out to them so my dad pulls over on the side of the road, tells them all to get out of their car and points to his town on the top of the hill and explaining the climb up the hill. It was great for my dad. There is no excitement really for us anymore going there not like after the first time (read about it here ) so I think having my sister and her family with us brought a little excitement back for my dad.
We first took a little detour to the fresh water spring from my dad's town where everyone took a sip and I even filled up a bottle for my dad - it's some of the best water around and some of the best water you could ever drink.
We then parked the cars at the church in my dad's town and walked around the outside of the town towards my dad's house. We kind of broke in as we usually do. The door is always tied up with wire but we just unwind it so we can look in. We couldn't get down around the back this time because it was overgrown so we decided to head back up toward Maria's house.
My sister and her family had to leave soon because they had a three hour drive back to Casino but my sister wanted to see the house where my dad was born. The house is located across the alley from Maria's house. Just as we were about to leave Maria pops out her front door. We were trying to leave so my sister could get on the road but no....Maria and Gina (who's house where my dad was born) had been waiting for our arrival. We said we couldn't stay long and that we had just eaten lunch but that means nothing in Italy. They kept bringing more and more food. We were thirsty so they brought out 4 different flavours of pop and a pitcher of water. I was super parched but so stuffed but I felt so bad every time they put a plate in front of my face and said "mangi" how could I say no....it's rude. So I ate, we all did, my sisters excuse being "this is a once in a lifetime experience to be here." We literally ate and left as we had to leave. They wanted my dad to go back and visit today but the car has to be returned so he said he wasn't able to.
In all the three times I have been to Italy this was probably one of my most favourite days. I really don't see my sister much and meeting up in Italy and going back to family roots with her was pretty awesome for me and I know it meant heaps to my dad. It was a great day for all of us, a filling one but great. I think last night was the first time on this trip that I didn't eat dinner.
Now I am on a train on my way back to Florence for my last few days in Italy. I forgot to mention it in my last blog but I went and bought my tickets without my dad, meaning I had to speak Italian... or at least try to. My mum went with me. "Do you know what to say?" she asked. "Ya pretty much, I went over everything with dad but I should be fine as long as I don't mix up my languages." I get really confused with Italian and Spanish...and for me if someone doesn't speak English I resort to Spanish because thats what I did in South America. I have started understanding more which is great...and spending time with Caroline who is now fluent I heard it more than English when I stayed with her.
The worst thing about Italian for me is I don't know verbs so all I use are nouns and adjectives haha. Bad but surprisingly I made myself understood and I almost understood the woman at the train station. She confused me a bit and I of course really confused her. We looked at each other at one point and I said "English or Spanish" "no, solo Italiano" and we both start laughing. She continues to speak Italian but fast and I really wanted her to slow down but I couldnt remember the word. So now knowing I cant resort to Spanish or English I did the next language on my list, Sign Language - I have been taking a night course and am moving onto level three next month. So as she is talking I start rubbing the back of my left hand, the sign for slow because |I couldnt think of anything else - but it obviously didn't work I just looked like a weird girl stroking the back of her hand trying to buy train tickets...lol oh dios mio. Anyways my horrible Italian wasn't as horrible as I thought. I told her I needed return, the dates, the times asked questions and pretty much understood the basics of what she was explaining. It honestly felt really good. Not having my dad around or Caroline really makes me try which is what I like...I was really proud of myself, even my mom was like "Wow! That was amazing. I'm really proud of you...you did well and you understood, but why were you rubbing your hand." "I couldnt remember how to say slow in Italian so I signed it to her instead." She burst out laughing. I should've just said slow in Spanish, it's the same word.
So now I am looking out the train window at the scenery and the Italian green of the countryside. A green that stretches for miles like a quilt over the rolling hills of the country side that surrounds my dad's town on a hill, a scenery that always takes my breath away. A green that makes scenery here look painted or an imagined land that Disney thought up. A green that is only found in this amazing country of my family roots.
I can't believe I fly home in 5 days.
- My Beautiful Life -
Yesterday my sister and her family came to visit my parents and I in Termoli - except my niece who is currently studying/writing finals. We first walked around the town and took them to the castle so they could walk through the little allies, see the church and get a great view of the sea and beach.
My nephew's friend had come with them on the trip and he had never been to Italy before. He was so excited and wanted photos of everything. I envied his excitement. He reminded me of myself when I get to a country for the first time and just want to take everything in....I miss that; though, due to his excitement I was easily able to get him worked up about the beauty of a gelitaria!!! He was in there snapping pictures...they must have thought he was a nut but I thought it was great!
We then went for a huge family lunch at Rosarios - of course. To start off my sister wanted a nice meat and cheese platter for the table, little did she realize what a Rosario Platter was for the table...2 round platters of cold cuts, two of sliced cheese, two of tomatoes and huge mozarella cheese balls, 2 bowls of fried zucchini, two round platters of different types of bruschetta, 3 bowls of rappini and sausage, two baskets of bread, two bowls of olives, two bowls of panchetta and two litres of red wine! This was just the antipasto - the appetizer. Every time another platter of food was brought over my sisters eyes would bulge out of her head. "I just wanted a platter for the table to start us off, this is crazy" she said as she helped herself to some more wine - she didn't want it to go to waste. "This is a platter Christina," I said "an Italian platter."
As I said this was just the antipasti, we still had our meals come out. Everyone ordered pizza, except me...I had pasta of course....and same with my brother-in-law. My body has gotten used to the copious amounts of food intake here so me I polished my plate and my parents did pretty well too but everyone else was dying...they were ready to explode. "I cant eat anymore, I was full after the so-called platter" my sister said pouring the last of wine still not wanting it to go to waste.
The meal was amazing- of course - but I think it just seemed so good because we had family with us. We were all excited and everyone was buzzing, and being at Rosario's made it even better.
After about an hour and a half of filling our bellies as much as possible we headed to my dad's town. My sister hadn't been before and going with my dad was going to be such a great opportunity for her.
Because we took seperate cars we couldn't really point anything out to them so my dad pulls over on the side of the road, tells them all to get out of their car and points to his town on the top of the hill and explaining the climb up the hill. It was great for my dad. There is no excitement really for us anymore going there not like after the first time (read about it here ) so I think having my sister and her family with us brought a little excitement back for my dad.
We first took a little detour to the fresh water spring from my dad's town where everyone took a sip and I even filled up a bottle for my dad - it's some of the best water around and some of the best water you could ever drink.
We then parked the cars at the church in my dad's town and walked around the outside of the town towards my dad's house. We kind of broke in as we usually do. The door is always tied up with wire but we just unwind it so we can look in. We couldn't get down around the back this time because it was overgrown so we decided to head back up toward Maria's house.
My sister and her family had to leave soon because they had a three hour drive back to Casino but my sister wanted to see the house where my dad was born. The house is located across the alley from Maria's house. Just as we were about to leave Maria pops out her front door. We were trying to leave so my sister could get on the road but no....Maria and Gina (who's house where my dad was born) had been waiting for our arrival. We said we couldn't stay long and that we had just eaten lunch but that means nothing in Italy. They kept bringing more and more food. We were thirsty so they brought out 4 different flavours of pop and a pitcher of water. I was super parched but so stuffed but I felt so bad every time they put a plate in front of my face and said "mangi" how could I say no....it's rude. So I ate, we all did, my sisters excuse being "this is a once in a lifetime experience to be here." We literally ate and left as we had to leave. They wanted my dad to go back and visit today but the car has to be returned so he said he wasn't able to.
In all the three times I have been to Italy this was probably one of my most favourite days. I really don't see my sister much and meeting up in Italy and going back to family roots with her was pretty awesome for me and I know it meant heaps to my dad. It was a great day for all of us, a filling one but great. I think last night was the first time on this trip that I didn't eat dinner.
Now I am on a train on my way back to Florence for my last few days in Italy. I forgot to mention it in my last blog but I went and bought my tickets without my dad, meaning I had to speak Italian... or at least try to. My mum went with me. "Do you know what to say?" she asked. "Ya pretty much, I went over everything with dad but I should be fine as long as I don't mix up my languages." I get really confused with Italian and Spanish...and for me if someone doesn't speak English I resort to Spanish because thats what I did in South America. I have started understanding more which is great...and spending time with Caroline who is now fluent I heard it more than English when I stayed with her.
The worst thing about Italian for me is I don't know verbs so all I use are nouns and adjectives haha. Bad but surprisingly I made myself understood and I almost understood the woman at the train station. She confused me a bit and I of course really confused her. We looked at each other at one point and I said "English or Spanish" "no, solo Italiano" and we both start laughing. She continues to speak Italian but fast and I really wanted her to slow down but I couldnt remember the word. So now knowing I cant resort to Spanish or English I did the next language on my list, Sign Language - I have been taking a night course and am moving onto level three next month. So as she is talking I start rubbing the back of my left hand, the sign for slow because |I couldnt think of anything else - but it obviously didn't work I just looked like a weird girl stroking the back of her hand trying to buy train tickets...lol oh dios mio. Anyways my horrible Italian wasn't as horrible as I thought. I told her I needed return, the dates, the times asked questions and pretty much understood the basics of what she was explaining. It honestly felt really good. Not having my dad around or Caroline really makes me try which is what I like...I was really proud of myself, even my mom was like "Wow! That was amazing. I'm really proud of you...you did well and you understood, but why were you rubbing your hand." "I couldnt remember how to say slow in Italian so I signed it to her instead." She burst out laughing. I should've just said slow in Spanish, it's the same word.
So now I am looking out the train window at the scenery and the Italian green of the countryside. A green that stretches for miles like a quilt over the rolling hills of the country side that surrounds my dad's town on a hill, a scenery that always takes my breath away. A green that makes scenery here look painted or an imagined land that Disney thought up. A green that is only found in this amazing country of my family roots.
I can't believe I fly home in 5 days.
- My Beautiful Life -
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