Oh my god…just home (10 pm) after a huge day and I must admit to having had quite a lot to drink!!
So…off to school this morning. And again a very intense day but with so much to be learnt. Now I am actually vaguely able to use the past tense. Susana and I were sent out to the market with a list of questions we had to ask the store holders and come back with the answers. I am always in awe of the patience and kindness of the Italians. They are just an awesome people and who just love that you are trying to learn their language.
After class it was race home for a brief drop off of books before having to head back to go on our excursion. But there was an email from Buds telling me David Lang had died. This is such sad news for me. He was so close to our family for so long. But not much time to contemplate too much as I had to race back to get into the van that took us to Livorno.
Honestly I have to say that the group of people learning Italian at my school are just fantastic. They are all so nice, none of them are in my class (except Susana) but it really is like a group of friends. Andrew Broad and Desiree were there again and many others I had never met before, or met a couple of times but without exception they are just lovely. It is such a nice feeling.
Anyway it was another great trip. We got to Livorno and then went on this boat around the canals, around a Medici Palace from the 1500s (the Medici’s ruled Livorno) and down to the port where the cruise ships sit. I learnt a lot about Livorno which was extensively bombed during WW!!. 85% of the city was destroyed (it was a major port). When we got off the boat we went down to the waterfront with its fine esplanade and walked along the beachfront. It was warm and just a lovely little passeggiata. We then went to a bar for a wee aperitivo!
On return to Lucca Susana and a new friend, Carolina and I went out for dinner. We went to a ‘new’ restaurant which was really terrific. We had a lovely meal, some lovely wine, desert and then they gave us complimentary limoncello!! When I left my NBFFs they were giggling off down the street wondering if they could find their way to their respective abodes. I like Susana more and more. She is 37, She is Mexican who is living and working in Colorado (have I said that before???).
So…no homework or revision today which isn’t good because I’ll get way behind, specially as there is a cooking class out in the country at a fattoria tomorrow night that I wasn’t going to go to but everyone was persuading me that I had to go so I’ll see tomorrow.
So, the week so far is really good. The bad thing (just because I can’t give up my role as pessimist extraordinaire) is that Susana leaves at the end of this week, as does Andrew and Desiree. I’ll stop classes for 2 weeks and then who knows what will await me!!
Anyway…off to bed. Lots and lots of love. I’m still excited about Ang and Kirst’s engagement, as well as having their visit to look forward to.