Sunday, October 14, 2012

FUA activities

I really should probably be studying for my midterm exams, but I figured it was time for a break! I can't believe that I'm already through almost half my time here. I have a lot of mixed emotions about that. I love the opportunity for growth and experiences that I've been given in Italy. Some things that I've learned and been going through I never expected. I miss my family and friends at home. I definitely can't believe that I'm less than a year away from graduating college - came to this realization while I've been preparing to sign up for my spring classes. So many things going on! After midterms I get a week long break, not sure what my plans will be yet. 

"Allora", in the past 3 days I've been involved with school activities! I'm so lucky to have these opportunities at low and sometimes free cost. Thursday night was a pasta workshop where we made fresh noodles to make lasagna with fresh pesto and bechamel sauce. I was in charge of that station, they turned out so great! I have to give a shout out to my mom here, because at the workshop I noticed how many students had never made their own pasta or sauce and I'm like really? We do this all the time! 


It starts with the dough. 


Then rolling and putting it through the machine.

My station: layering pasta and sauce and cheese.


And 25 minutes later, this is what you get!

We also made gnocchi, but if you're interested in those you'll have to check out FB, because we've got other things to cover! Besides in my family, gnocchi is old news. I actually made it for my roommates a few weeks ago. So on Friday I signed up to visit a chocolate "factory" here in town. Let me explain the definition of factory here in Italy: they make it there. I just wanted to point that out because this was a strictly mom and pop show, about 2 kitchens to make display windows full of pastries and chocolates, shelves of bread and also pizza. There aren't big machines or tons of employees. They let us try a variety of things they made, and explained their traditional methods of making these great treats!

The husband gets up at 2am every day to begin the process of making these and many more sweets!

Pure. Hot. Chocolate.

Chocolate covered range peel: they're really into orange and chocolate here. Milk chocolate with Caramel. Dark chocolate with coffee. Dark chocolate with walnut. All so creamy and smooth, melt in your mouth!

The woman that gave us our little tour, filling some shells with chocolate ganache.

I don't have any idea what this is called, but its a traditional Tuscan treat of chocolate, fig, macadamia nut, and black pepper. Was definitely one of my favorites for the day! I will be bringing lots back, I've heard its very popular around Christmas. 

Today was my last excursion with the school. Previously in the semester I had asked Gaia, one of the school staff members, if she knew of any good hiking trails around the city. She really took to the idea and we decided to make it an activity available to all students. I'm really grateful that Gaia did the hike with us, she is so wonderful! She brought us up to the top of the mountain where Fiesole resides (mentioned in previous blog, So I Cant Stand on Mountains). Little did I know - this was the place where Leonardo di Vinci used to test his flying machines and Michael Angelo first got his hands on experience sculpting!! There is a type of stone that is still used in Tuscan architecture today up on the mountain, and Michael Angelo used to experiment with it during his time here. Unfortunately, di Vinci's story is less nice: he used to pay poor people from the city to test his flying machines off of a cliff, few survived. It was crazy to think I stood on the same ground as these great men. Once again, humbling.  

Bye Florence! Yes, olive trees in the bottom of the pic.

This is where people would leap off to test the flying machines! 

This stone says... I don't know. But it has Leondaro's name on it!

Bellisima! 

Basta per adesso. Vado studiare. Ciao ciao.

One love, 
VA