Bevagna

Two days ago we went to a medieval festival in a the nearby town of Bevagna.

The entire town had transformed itself into a market place of swords, candles, traditional foods, leather-bound books, farm animals, spiced wines, wild boar, minstrels, and (fascinatingly) silk worms.

The main piazza is supposed to be one of the most beautiful in Italy:

The day was hot and the tiny town was crowded, mostly with Italian tourists, but we enjoyed our wandering.

First Excursion into Assisi

My trusty pink umbrella and I re-established our happy relationship on Sunday:

Yes, it rained during our first trip into Assisi, but at least the thunder storm, with its giant black clouds and lightning, made a dramatic backdrop against the white churches and golden fields. 

Assisi is a hilltop town, with a castle at the very top.  The town itself is long and narrow, gleaming like a white jewel on the side of the mountain, with the abbey's arches gracefully extending. In fact, most of the stone is colored pale rose, which is so lovely. 

Olive groves surround the Chiesa di Santa Chiara, whose cloistered nuns only come out to pick the olives, and the central piazza features a temple to Minerva, which was converted into a Catholic church but retains its white columns.  We also saw the Church of Saint Francis, whose frescoes are ancient and beautiful.

The sun came out in the end, but sadly, only just in time for us to say goodbye to the New Yorkers.


Here we are with the girls and our Italian friend Alessia: 

Assisi is a gorgeous town, very clean and well preserved, and though I didn't see as much of it on this trip as I would have liked, I can already tell that it is a special place. The view! 

The First Week in Assisi

Since arriving in Assisi, I've spent my days rambling across the Umbrian hills, gathering flowers, playing with Puppy (who is cute, but not a puppy), eating good Italian food, helping in the kitchen, researching Greek vase painting, reading Iris Murdoch, discussing Romantic poetry, meeting all sorts of fascinating people, and partaking in late-night freezer-cleaning Lady Gaga dance parties.

We're staying in a beautiful converted schoolhouse perched high up on Mount Subasio, in the middle of a national park, very isolated and quiet as it is about 20 minutes from Assisi.  The house is large and rambling, with books, flowers, food, and comfy nooks and crannies everywhere.

Kathy and I agree that it is very much a Diana Wynne Jones type of house, aka the best kind.

My corner in the attic:

The view from my skylight:

Balconies, terraces, and gardens surround the house, and our next-door neighbors are a cemetery and church, whose bells ring every hour.  We can also hear other church bells drifting across from the facing hills.

The house has marvelous views, both west and east, and the hills, covered with yellow broom, fade in layers back towards the blue sky.

Kathy spends most of her time in the kitchen, cooking and baking and blogging.  I stop in to help her - or just to share a taste of whatever she's whipping up.

Caught in the act:

Watching Chiara make tiramisu:

The people are wonderful.  We've met a lovely family from New York (whose two young daughters are gorgeous and hilarious), the Italian cook (who is formidable, but has a heart of gold), some ridiculous Italian boys (who help in the kitchen and keep us laughing all day long), two classy Italian girls about my age, and of course, the crazy family that runs this house.

Today, I woke up early and had espresso and Paula's breakfast cake with everyone.

Then, we had a mini-class on the history of Assisi and ate a lunch of white lasagna, salad, and chocolate cake.  This afternoon we're finally going to explore Assisi, and then after a good dinner, we'll watch A Room with a View.

Loving life!

Roma con mia sorella

Revisiting Rome with Kathy was unreal.  We were both exhausted from our long journeys, and seeing sights like the Coliseum with my little sister by my side was strange, like a dream. 

We had some trouble meeting up in the airport.  When I got to Rome, I gathered my baggage and then headed over to Kathy's terminal (we flew separately) to meet her at her baggage claim.


Now begins a typical tale of European inefficiency and ridiculousness.  I arrived outside the baggage claim to the sight of bright red signs declaring that no one could enter.  I couldn't even see inside, because the glass sliding doors had been painted an opaque gray.  What risk they thought I would pose to the baggage, I do not know.


I had told Kathy to wait for me right next to her carousel, and like a good little sister, she did just that. For two hours. While I waited outside.  I tried to sneak in, but the policeman caught me and had zero sympathy for my situation.


Kathy and I had no way of contacting each other, so all my tactic was pure stubborness - I stood outside those sliding doors and stared at the policeman each time they opened. For two hours.  And guess what?  I broke him down.  He finally let me in, and I immediately found Kathy.


Ridiculous.


After that, we had a long and difficult journey to our hostel from the airport.  We were so tired, and navigating the train, the left luggage, the atms, and the map was almost more than we could handle.


But we persevered and made it safe and sound to our hostel, near the Termini train station.  I took Kathy out that night to see the Trevi fountain and the Coliseum and to try some gelato.

The next day, we went on a walking tour of the city, stopping at Gesu for mass, then the Trastevere for lunch, then the Vatican, then shopping in the centro.

 Finally, we headed back to our hostel, recollected our things, and caught tot the train to Assisi.  


It was a tiring and rushed visit to Rome, but Kathy agreed that it was worth it.  She had never been to Europe before, and it was good for her to see a bit before we retreated to the Umbrian countryside. 

The Interim

Getting back to the USA was such a relief!

Of course, I miss France and Angers, but as soon as I stepped off the plane at JFK and heard good old American accents, I felt a rush of joy and just wanted to laugh.  I was home!

And then... to be back on the west coast... with my family in Washington... in the clean air, surrounded by mountains and rivers... this is my place.

I caught up with a few friends, but I spent most of the time with my family, driving my brother to swim practice, discussing life with my dad, and helping my mom, aunt, and grandma with my aunt's book-signing at the local Barnes & Nobles.

I only had ten days at home, and then I left to go my Grandma's house in Spokane.  Packing was a nightmare, especially since I had to pack for school in the fall at the same time as I was packing for Italy.

We spent one day out at the lake house, which I needed.  This is my favorite place in the whole world - here I can just let go and breathe.

And then... I was off again, on more crazy adventures!

I visited Lilly and Tess, Mai and Kayla, and a few other Domers who are interning in NYC.  I stayed in Harlem (scary!) and spent a lot of time in Central Park, the Village, and the area around Columbia University.  I saw the church of St. John the Divine, where many of my favorite authors are buried (of particular importance, Madeleine L'Engle), and we even had a mini symposium at a fabulous Greek restaurant called, naturally, Symposium.

I had one crazy night where I ended up walking, alone, in the middle of a torrential rainstorm, at 1 AM at morning, lost, through the middle of Harlem.  I'll let that description stand by itself, except to say that obviously, I survived unscathed.

And then... off again, to the motherland!

The Final, Halcyon Days

My last days in Angers were busy, but it was a good kind of busy.  I spent my time making memories, conscious at every moment that my time in France was drawing to a close.

I spent most of my time outside, since the weather was beautiful and Angers was at its best, full of flowers.

I usually caught a ride on the back of a friend's bicycle to the park...

Hanging out at the gazebo by the fontaine...

Or spending afternoons reading Iris Murdoch from the Bibliotheque Anglophone in the Jardin des Plantes.

There were so many lasts...

We had our last day of class, and my Langue class had a fête.  We all brought foods from our many different countries, and we played pictionary.  I brought chocolate chip cookies, my professor baked a quiche, and the Asian students brought a variety of Vietnamese candies, spring rolls, and noodles.

We had our last Tuesday lunch as a group:



We barbecued in the park, potluck style, for a last get-together.  Dishes included hamburgers, s'mores, probably ten different kinds of cookies, chicken-flavored potato chips, zucchini bread, and a whole roasted rabbit.

We went out for one last fancy meal.  I spent 50 euro, or about 70 dollars, on a salmon entrée, roasted lamb, cheese, wine, a chocolate platter, and coffee.  No worries, the money was reimbursed by our dear (yeah whatever) director.

We spent one last night on the chateau steps, during which a mob of drunken French people tried to talk to us.  Apparently they were in town for a conference...

Packing took forever, and I left my house early on a Saturday morning to board our bus to the airport, walking down the creaky staircase one final time.

Au revoir, Angers!  I will miss this town more and more as time goes by, and it already feels like I left half of myself behind.

The boulevards, the patisseries, the flowers, the Catho, the cafes, the parks and gardens, the cathedrale, the fountains, the chateau, the friends... It was a very different life, and now it's passed, like a dream.

Au revoir, Sundef 44!

Les Macarons d'Angers

I refused to try these little beauties all semester, because, well, they looked so small and artificial.  Why, I asked myself, would I spend 1,50 euros on one macaron when I could buy a gigantic pastry for the same amount?

Well, I learned my lesson at Laduree in Paris.  Each macaron packs so much flavor and texture... it is really is unbelievable.  And they are so rich!

However, Laduree's designer macarons can't compare to the personally-crafted Louvigny macarons found just ten minutes from my house in Angers.

This chocolaterie is run by a young man and his Japanese wife.  They met at culinary school, and now they make chocolate and macarons together everyday... how cute!

They are such nice people; they talk to us about the macarons and give us free chocolate.  I tried Earl Gray chocolate... yes like the tea... and it was delicious.

I found the place because my friend Katrina goes to the place every single day.  Literally.  Every single day.  That's how good they are.

I got apricot-rosemary and cafe... heaven!

Highlight of my week was when I was standing outside Ali Baba's on Rue Bressigny and Monsieur Louvigny, walking past with his wife, saw me and said bonjour!  It was like being recognized by a celebrity.