San Marino!

So, as I have left you an epic nailbiter, and then inconsiderately published a post with absolutely nothing on San Marino, here it is!

The four of us were in the car, and it was about an hour drive from Urbino. The streets were constantly turning around hills and there was not a straight stretch ever. Pretty different from the good ol' drive from Edmonton to Grimshaw. We stopped to snap some shots along the way:

View from about a half hour out of Urbino

A sweet ridge off in the distance. I could tell we were heading North since the land started to look more rough and mountainous and less hilly. There was a pretty pleasent mix of both.

Yen, Me, Uli. Uli thinks photo's are stupid.

Yen, Ria, Uli. I felt pretty left out having more than three letters in my name.

Artsy window shot!

Then, we continued on and as we reached San Marino, we looked for a parking spot. Ria was driving, and wanted to park at the parking lot. I truly had no idea where we were going or what we had planned or what there even was to see in this town. They just asked me to go and I just said yes. So, I didn't know why we couldn't park somewhere else. And that's what we did. Because said parking lot was insane and since in was a long weekend, there were motorhomes everywhere. A note on those suckers, they're tiny here. Of course by tiny I mean normal.

The girls walking in la strada.

Church in the center of town. Where we parked. For free and everything!

So, where we were headed was a lift! It brings you from the main center of town to the historical center where there are three towers that belong to one castle. This was a fortress built back in the day way up on a couple of those ridged I had a picture of before. This is why San Marino is an independant state, because no one could get to it. Now, it's a tourist trap and remains independant because, well, they're loaded. Italian people tend to dislike San Marino. I think it's a bit like a fairy tale.

The artwork in front of the lieft.

Heading up the lift...

Shot from the lift down into the center. Our car is parked somewhere near the church steeple you see. We were trying to see it from the lift.

The lift coming from the other direction

Safely at the top!

View from the entrance down to the Christmas Market and the start of the fog rolling in. We left the Market for after and heading in the direction of the castles, and some food, since everyone was quite hungry.

The lift at the top.

Sign: Market, Nativity Scene, Italian products, Creative workshops, and I think the last one is Christmas soap, but I can't read it now.

The town below!

A lovely photo. Pretend that girl I'm perving on is me!

Flowers. I can not get enough of taking pictures of flowers. There's new ones blooming!

The first statue off the lift. A. Bartolomeo Borghesi.Way to go, pal! I don't know what he did, but he's a stature. And that makes you important.

La Presepe! Nativitiy scene. As you can see, they were very creative. Jesus in one bubble, Mary in another, and Joseph's bubble has deflated, having realized he is a father now and will not have a night out with the guys in 15 years.

Statue and building and tourists.

A garden that I think is pretty darn nifty.

Walking towards the first peak of the castle.

Ria, Yen, Uli walking the street. There were many shops selling exactly the same things on every street. After walking in San Marino, I am glad to be living in Urbino where the shops are more for the students than the tourists. Much less crap in Urbino.

Another statue that I quite liked in a very symmetrical park.

I saw this and thought, "What a typical doorway." Then I thought, no. There are hand carved signs, iron knockers on wooden doors, a tree creeping along the bricks, this is not typical! It is in Italy. I am getting used to such cute things, but I cannot stop taking pictures.

So I took one of the matching window, too.

Another church with great pillars.

A restaurant we were going to eat at, but it was pretty packed and Uli got pissed that some people "butted". They had Hawaiin Pizza on the menu. Not normal. I was going to split one with Ria because we both craved it, since she used to have it in Germany. But, I'll find it elsewhere some other time.

The outdoor tables that are still set up at the resteraunt for the nice days with Babbo Natale chilling out to some Bob Dylan tunes.

Uli and I at the restaurant.

The constant construction. They are rehabilitating structures always. (Picture also taken for the flowers)

This is how the castles are. From the ground there are natural rocks jutting around everywhere, and then the buildings just start as if they were carved from from the rocks.

Mamma Mia. The fog is so magical, and I can not truly capture it in pictures. But I'll keep trying.

View from one peak to the second. You can see the strip of walkway that we take from one to the other.

Me! Sitting along the walkway. There is nothing but air behind me, too. They were all very scared as I hopped up to take a sittin' spot.

Uli posing with the tower.

A cute picnic spot. There is a lot of great places to sit, but it was chilly that day and the last thing I wanted to sit on was concrete.

Part of the grounds.

The first pillar from the second pillar! See how that works? I like this picture because it shows how the pillars sort of loom over the town. I shouldn't say loom. They peak. Let's use peak.

The town and great aweomse building there in the middle. The round one. I don't know what it is but I'd like to check it out next time I'm in town.

Uli at the Second pillar. It was about 6 Euros at each pillar to go in. So we decided the best thing was to take free pictures instead!

After checking out the pillars, we were still looking for something to eat. Turns out Uli is quite picky. Also, she didn't want to eat at any of the places in the historical center because, and this is her favourite line, "We are not stupid tourists."

The view on the way to the market

The sun had finally popped out and it lit up this one section of farmland. The green area on the left. It was just sparkling.

A museum we saw along the way. Museum of Curiosity.

Another one, the Museum of Wax, including an exhibit on Instruments of Torture. I was pretty much not interested, and the girls were still very hungry. I had packed a lunch. Two rules when heading around a town: Always use the bathroom when it's free, and always have some food on you. You never know when the restaurants shut down or when you'll have to pay to pee.

A street heading into more shops.

The Christmas market again! Only about 4 hours later.

This is where I had my first vin brule! Holy man. This should be around forever, not only at Christmas. It was great, and I know they have it in the market on the weekends here in Urbino... Anyways, the market was great! Handmade soap and jewellery and beautiful Christmas ideas like floral arrangements and clothes and winter gear. Everyone was so cheerful and it really felt like Christmas! We had a great time looking at everything and it was so fun to hang out with a group of girls in a new city! Oh, also, in this picture there is Ria, then a lady standing under an umbrella with a big roaster. I hope you can see it. This sucker roasts Chestnuts. These people are everywhere. I remember them in Paris, they are in Urbino, they were in Rome. Roasted Chestnuts are huge here. And then are delicious. Alessandra makes them for dinner sometimes.

The Nativity scene from the right direction

A nice plot with green grass and brass sculptures

After the market there were just more shops.

Oh, and a clan of singing Santa's complete with instruments.

They stopped to sing and play a tune!

Me and Ria. (consider this is after the vin brule)

A typewriter! All awesome and stuff. It had an Italian keyboard! Neat!

A fountain. But don't be decieved...

It really needs me to hold it up

Yen, Uli, Ria heading back up to the market. After I took this picture, we heading to a couple more stalls. One of them was selling jewellery and he was interested in where we were all from. We all chatted for a few minutes and then we took off. As we rounded back to head up the stairs to the lift, he called me over and asked where I lived. He pulled a slip of paper out of his wallet with his number on it. I truly didn't understand exactly what he said, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't try to pick me up as a customer of his jewellery. I'm pretty sure he won't be hearing from me. I think he was about 50. We all thought it was pretty funny, though.

After the market we finally decided to head back down to a reasonable cafe for something to eat. The girls had waited all day to eat! This is the view of the lifts after we got safely to the center of town.

Auguri! This is everywhere now. Its literal meaning is "wishes".

Some of the Christmas lights in the center.

The cafe we ate at.

And after we ate and I had some much needed tea, we headed back onto the now slippery roads, since it had started raining, and took about an hour and 20 minutes to get back to Urbino. It was a wonderful relaxing day. Who knows if I will head back there. I think if the opportunity arises, yes. But I wouldn't plan a special trip again. It was a truly beautiful town with much to look at and I felt like a peasant girl discovering a fairy tale land.

Anyways, I am now off to study, eat and then fetch the girls! Have a great day, and keep warm you winter warriors.

Emotional Rollercoasters and a Carousel of Stereoptypes

Ah! I have just looked at the Urbino weather website, and it is calling for light snow and wintery showers in the next week! What I am expecting is a lot of cold rain when it says wintery showers. But, when it says light snow, I am fully expecting just that. I'm so excited! I miss snow quite a lot, actually. There was some frost the other morning, and I pretty much counted that in my head as the first snowfall.
Other than hoping for snow, I have been busy, of couse. Last night I had dinner with Giorga and Lucia at their barracks in the college. It was fun! They made me real pasta and I brought real wine. I like real Italy. It's delicious. We then headed for CUST for the movie night where we watched Eraserhead by David Lynch. It was in English with Italian subtitles. This is the first English movie I've actually head in English for three months. Speaking of which, as of today, I have six months left here.

Mind be blown.

It pretty much seems like no time at all, today. Yesterday it seemed like lifetime. Generally, I feel pretty good and rational even when I'm homesick I seem to be able to tell myself, it's ok, you're having a great time and you'll be home before you know it. Two days ago I decided rational was not the way I felt like thinking. It was a pretty rough day. But, I need those. Because afterwards, I had a great time with the family and with some friends! Makes me appreciate it here much more after I have a fit about why on Earth I ever came. Also, Leo held my hand the other day. It was really sweet, because generally he's an 8 year old boy going on 16 and he's pretty uncuddly. But as I walked him to Ju Jitzu two nights ago he casually took my hand as we headed down the street. It was really cute and I think we've made a much better bond now that I spend more time with him. As for the girls, the other night I was calling them "Le mie ragazze (my girls)" and Sarah said, "No!" And so I said, "Le mie amice? (my friends)" and Sarah said,"No!" So I said "Che cosa? (What?)" (feeling slightly hurt), and she said "Sorelle! (sisters!)". I pretty much held back the tears. Also, the dog got a haircut and I like her much better now that I don't have to sweep three times in one day.
(Sorry Mom, I totally had to steal this from your email)

Anyways, the movie was good, and super weird. I suggest it for anyone into surrealism and having nightmares afterwards. Then I left with Franceso and other girl and other guy who always come afterwards. We headed back to the bar where I was the first time when the door closed right before I got it. We were much earlier today and had time to go in and chill out. The thing about drinking in bars in Italy, is that you don't, really. There's a much smaller ratio of drunk to sober people, and when I grabbed just a second beer, Georgia and Lucia were making sure I would make it home ok. Uh, ask me after six of these suckers, I said. But actually, having not been drinking like a Canadian for three months, my liquid friend has become much stronger. So, it's true. You don't need to drink to have fun here. I had a grande time at the bar, and Oh! Something super important I have forgotten to mention!

Stereotypes: True and False...

• With friends, we really kiss both cheeks when we greet each other. Generally. I've noticed some people from other parts are less inclined. I just always get it wrong and we either clink heads or they dodge it in time and get their cheek in place.
• There really is pizza everywhere. Like. Everywhere. And it's delicious and fresh and I love every single bite of it.
• They really do say "Mamma Mia!" (So do I, now. It's become a habit)
• Uh, I really can't think of any other stereotypes right now.

Send me yours! What do you think of when you imagine Italy? I'll let you know if it's true or false!

Saturday I will have dinner with Valentina and Andrea, since they are back from London! I'm pretty excited because out of everyone I have met, they have really embraced me as a friends. I don't just hang out where they hang out or follow them around to bars. We have a genuinely fun time together!

Other than that, I have been window shopping. Thank goodness I am 90% finished my Christmas shopping. I would spend every last penny on presents for Canada if I could. There is so much I want to send!

I am also checking out a website called CouchSurfers. It connects travellers with others who are willing to share a couch and, if they are able, show you around the cities you visit. I might test it out when I go to London. Seems safe. (They have references and everything.)

Long weekend!

It is a long weekend here in Italy. From what I understand it is because Mary had an emmaculate birth. Thank you Mary for the two days off of school and the Christmas market. Keep those parents of yours from sinnin'.
There is a family here from the North for the weekend. The husband, Christoff, used to study with Alessandra when she lived in Germany. He is Italian. Later, her met his wife, a German woman, and now they have a wonderful biligual family. They have three kids, but only brought two. It is actually perfect: an boy Leo's age, a girl Benny's age and another girl Sarah's age. This is the one they left at home with Grandma. (Aren't Grandma's great? I sure think so.) Anyways, they are not staying with us, but at a hotel quite close, and the family has been spending the last two afternoons and evenings with us, making Christmas decorations, playing games, checking out the sights of Urbino since this is their first time here. It's fun! They are really very nice, however, as per usual, they speak English with me. People LOVE to speak English with me. I can carry one a conversation now and talk about my day and answer and ask most questions in Italian. But as soon as people who have studied English find out I'm Canadian, and English (the second question after "Where are you from?" is usually "Are you English or French?") they automatically want to practice with me. It's alright with me because they rarely get to show off their wicked language skills, but it's really hard to switch back and forth. I just keep speaking Italian and they speak English. It generally works out.
Uli, the german girl in my Italian class, invited me on a trip to San Marino with her and two other friends. Another girl from Germany and a girl from China. They all live at the College. There is a college apart from the University here, and there is a huge residence at the college. This tends to be where everyone I ever meet lives. Sounds like fun! I am going there on Wednesday night before the movie night to have dinner with Giorga and Lucia, two girls I met at the movie night who I have had the pleasure of getting to know over pizza and beer in the last nights. (They speak Italian with me. I like this.) Also, we checked out the market that is currently set up in centrale. It is AMAZING. I want to buy all of the chocolate, jewellery, handmade clothing, antiques, soaps, teas, local crafts, home deco and books. I suppose I can leave a bit of the jewellery for other people.

The market at night. These are the blue lights of Urbino surrounding the fountain in the Piazza. There are tents like these ones lined up and down two streets connecting to the piazza.

A band playing! They've been here all weekend. A guitar, spoons, harmonica and vocals. Pretty much my ultimate band.

Close-up pervy picture! Like I'm good at.

Santa. Wait! No. Oops. Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) climbing into an apartment window!

Benedetta and Erik, one of the children here for the weekend, in the market during the day.

Leo at a modern exibit for peace on earth.

What Leo is looking at in the above photo in in the below photo.

Anyways, the trip to San Marino, a town about an hour away by car, was originally planned for Saturday, but it rained something awful, so we went today! I suppose I should mention that San Marino is not just a town, it's its own seperate state, like the Vatican. They're pretty much loaded.

So, this morning after helping Alessendra clean the entryway to the building and sending some postcards, I hopped in a car with Uli, Ria and Yan and watched as we drove the winding roads through the hills of Italy's Marche Region with the fog tumbling on and sun shining valiently.

...

I was truly going to publish this now, but since the dog needs a walk, you are left with this epic cliffhanger.

My New Haircut!

"Jagerbomb!"
Well, it's more like "Red Wine!" but I did get a new haircut. And I am going to show it off.
I got bangs! Say what! I haven't had real bangs since I was 6, maybe? And then I got the bowl cut and it was all downhill from there. I'm pretty sure it'll take me, and the dog, about a week to recgonize me. I realize now that this is a little too Roman Holiday of me but, when in Rome, do as the Hollywood stars in America do!
Having said that, Italy had a lot of America stamped across it. Alessandra told me that in the 50s and 60s there was a debt to be payed and the American's helped out. Since then there has been a sort of gratitude towards America here and people really take in their music, hair products and the like, movie characters and celebrities. They only have a little bit of the food, structures and cars. This means that I can have real gelato and unprocessed cheese in a medieval building while watching MTV on the big screen and Sarah can wear Hello Kitty socks in her handmade Italian shoes.
Speaking of ths children, I have a complete new appreciation for them, and Alessandra. I feel that I have been lacking on my blog with conversation about them, considering they are such a huge part of my life here. I live with them and see them everyday, some days all day, and our relationships have really shifted. Over the past month, I have become much closer with them than I ever thought I would. When I first got here, I truly honestly thought that this would end up being just a job and I would never really enjoy being with the children. They were loud, torrentous, mean and made me pretty much decide to never have children for fear that they would end up like these children.
However. Not only does it help that I now understand what they say, I also understand their habits and their likes and their moods.
Benedetta and I have bonded pretty much the most of all three. Leo and I have a lot of fun and we get along great, but I just don't spend as much time with him. Having said that, he had an astrology class at 7,00 pm that I took him to and we laughed the whole way up the hill about something I cannot remember, and he always asked me to watch soccer with him. He has one DVD of a game that we will watch over and over. He acts surprised everytime there is this one epic goal and he replays it like he's never seen it before. He is always showing me his games and I believe he quite trusts me.
Sarah and I have come a long way. She is still sometimes hesitant to follow my directions, but I have realized this is just Sarah. She is like this with her mother, her father and the teachers at school. I'm just happy that now I consider her having bad behaviour when I have to ask more than once instead of when she bites me. She always greets me and whenever I'm sitting here writing in my blog, she's saying, "Carrie! Gioci con mi!" (Play games with me!) She has stopped trying to piss me off, and started trying to impress me with her quick hand at memory and hilarious game of What can I pretend is a hat? I would truly love to be a child again, if only for 6 minutes, to know why hats are so hilarious. There was a picture in a book the other day of a man wearing a hat and sitting on a horse. Sarah yelled, "Capello!" (hat) and laughed for like ten minutes. Seriously? Are hats really that funny?
Allora. Benedetta and I are, like, bestfriends. We chill. I really always have a fun time with her and we are always exchanging looks from across the table at dinner when someone says something we both know is wrong or annoying. She still has her moments when she looks at me with disdain as I offer her a shirt she doesn't like or when she cries because her hair isn't quite right, but this reminds me that she is 5 and I am 20. Then I say, deal with it, and she remembers that I am 20 and she is 5.
So, I feel much better coming home to a house full of friendly, warm children rather than the raging menaces I thought they would always be. I could go on about why I think things have changed, but really, I'm just happy that they have. Lots of change! From the hair on my head to the ideas inside it.
With Alessandra, we have had our differences. She often thought I could read her mind, and would get aggitated when the beds weren't done right or the laundry was in the wrong place. However, she had never told me how to do the beds or where the laundry went. It was everyday that something would strain between us. I had this odd feeling, because I liked her, but she irritated me in this way.
Then, there was the day with no fiocchi. I woke up, as usual, to make breakfast, but there was nothing to serve. There was no cereal, biscotti, bread. Nothing for the kids to eat. I woke her up and she sent me to the store. I was so unnerved, because we need these things everyday, and I do not do the shopping.
When I got back, I told her I was very unpleased. I really don't know how to go about telling someone something is wrong or that I'm angry. I don't do that often. Anyways, it started as a conversation about her not watching the food, and she tells me I should be writing these things on a list when we run out. Then she said it, "With my last au pair, we had a list that we wrote on when we ran out of something." You have to consider that she said this with disdain, as if I should have known this all along. I realised that she said this everyday: "With my last au pair..."
So, I said, I was not here then. I have only just started living here. I only know, and do, what you tell me.
We both had a lightbulb moment. She realized, and told me, and appologized, that she truly expected me to know everything, for some reason, before she told me. I think she just really didn't want to take the time to train another au pair, so it formed as angst towards me when I didn't know something. I also realized that I need to be a bit more alert and assertive around the house. I still only do what she asks, but if I don't know something, I ask. We now have a system for groceries and almost every other daily secondary thoughts, past breathing and things.
Who knew facing your problems and talking about them was a healthy way to work your way to a solution? We have become much closer since this argument.
Being an Au Pair is an interesting thing, because you are part roomate, part coworker. It's like living with your boss. But, not. The way some families described it on the website when I was first looking, was inviting a big sister to come live with them. I like this description. I become a part of the family and a part of the house. They care about my day when I get home and I care about how they feel, not only if they are ready for school and fed and well behaved.

It's a strange job, and it's a hard one to describe, but what's a life without blurring the lines a little?