We went to the beach today as a school group. It was an hour and a half drive from Siena. I realized while driving through Tuscany that I was in one of the most beautiful places in the world, that I was living here, in this prime vacation paradise for the next four months. But at the same time, the country really reminded me of Montana. Everywhere you look there are long stretches of crops and tilled up fields that are ready for planting and are surrounded by hills and mountains. I had this little moment while listening to some Bon Iver and staring out the window, and I thought to myself, I was already living in a vacation paradise, people come from all over to see the countryside that is my backyard at home. It was just an interesting little feeling.
And then I swam in the Mediterranean. Ahhh!
I can count how many times I've been to an ocean on one hand, so I'm like a little kid when I'm there. The water was so nice, but the saltiness always gets me at first.
The concept of big public beaches is strange to me and not very appealing. There are just rows and rows of little tables with umbrellas for those who want to pay to sit there. In between the long stretches of umbrellas were these very tiny roped off areas for those of us just looking to pop a squat in the sand. I guess I'm used to going to the lake at home where you have kinda primitive areas, no tables, and lots of room to spread out. People bring music and lots of food and kinda make a party out of it. Being at this beach at the sea just felt too organized.
So of course, first chance I get, I'm headed down the beach to this rocky point way off at the end. It may have had a fence sorta blocking it off, saying something like "dangerous footing, no access". So I just went around the fence in the water. The rocks had made little tide pools and I entertained myself poking at the little anemones or whatever they are.
Our group is 55 students, so it is really nice to kinda get away from everyone for a while. The local people will not approach you if you are in a group of more than 5, so when we can break off in twos or threes we actually get to talk to some Italians! Unless they don't know English, then the conversation consists of lots of Si! Si!, no's, no capisco's , and laughing. I think I say something either really inappropriate or foul whenever I try to speak the language here. There are many cases where if you are trying to say a word that is spelled with a double N, but you don't put emphasis on that second letter, you usually end up saying some body part you shouldn't be talking about in public.
My grandma made me what looked like a mini meatloaf today for dinner. If thats what it was, it was the best dang meatloaf I've ever had. All of the food she makes is sooo flavorful and amazing. I refuse to hold back and regulate myself on what I'm eating here because everything is so good. I'm in Italy for pete's sake! I will be coming home 20lbs heavier probably, but pfff, I have the rest of my life to work out, right??
I'm going to bed at 10 30 tonight. I am so excited to just sleep. It has been very go go go for these last ten days.
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