Here we are then, who can believe it? The final post from yours truly on this blog. A year ago to this very day this was me; jittering with fear and excitement about packing up my life in the UK for a year of new adventures in Italy. Little did I know what was in …
When I put “do some volunteering” on my bucket list last year, I must admit I did not expect it to be on quite such a large-scale. Neither did I expect to be picked to be part of the team from thousands of applicants, following a Skype interview in Italian. But alas, expect the unexpected, …
A Palio is the name given to the annual athletic contests held in Italy, within which neighbourhoods compete against each other. These date back to the middle ages and traditionally the communities race in costume to commemorate the history of the city. Once purely a matter of local rivalries, many have now become huge events attracting …
…well that was an experience. To be honest I have been trying for ages to get an earring out of my ear – I couldn’t quite un-click it – but it wasn’t a huge nuisance, I was just planning one of my nearest and dearest to help me out when I remembered. Turns out all …
(This post could easily have been entitled; “8 things they didn’t tell you about splitting your YA (or maybe they did and you just didn’t listen)” or perhaps, “8 reasons splitting your YA is 10 times harder than expected.” – interpret as you will!) For whatever reason you decided to split you year abroad. You …
I am a big lover of those panoramic views you get of cities when you make the effort to climb up to the highest points. I’ve climbed the tower countless times in Bologna, the Duomo and Bell Tower in Florence and hiked up to various piazzas in Verona, Florence, Ancona, yet had the Ghirlandina (the … Continue reading
(End of major blog dry-spell. I have unintentionally been ignoring this blog for too long now…here are the updates) As of last week, much as it pains me to say it….my ‘official’ year abroad is over. Finished. Finito. Nada más, Apart from the elation of finishing (and actually passing) my exams here in Italy, I’m … Continue reading
Last weekend making pasta from scratch wasn’t the only thinking I managed to tick off the bucket list; after indulging in our homemade ravioli we caught the bus about half an hour out of Perugia, into the rolling hills of Umbria, and found ourselves at a the Lungarotti winery in Torgiano. After getting suitably lost … Continue reading
Eight whole months into my year in Italy and I finally learned how to make pasta!! Having been taking cooking classes herself, Ellie promised me the next time I went to visit she would teach me all she knew in the art of making pasta from scratch. So last Friday morning we were up bright … Continue reading
(Pasqua = Easter) Whilst the whole of Ferrara seemed to leave Ferrara for Easter, everyone jetting off home, I was left to battle the unexpected rain and umbrella-breaking wind that Italy graced us with on Easter Sunday- all in good company at least. Uni friends Olivia and Katy and I joined forces over Easter so … Continue reading
Love everything books, Italy and Venice? Then let me introduce you to one of the best bookshops I have ever been to; La Libreria Acqua Alta in Venice. With the sign outside claiming to be The most beautiful bookshop in the world, you only have to take one step inside to see why.. Tucked away in … Continue reading
If you haven’t seen this yet, then check it out. It’s my friend Ellie’s little Italian Cooking section on her blog, where she shares her tips and tricks (learnt from her trusty cooking classes) on rustling up some highlights of the Italian cuisine. So I decided that instead of buying a classic ready-made Piadina from … Continue reading
This post is, as you can see from the date, well over due as I have been contemplating how to construct it. I decided it will contain no lengthy descriptive paragraphs about that Sunday in February, because I think some days are so perfect that even trying to relay them would be an insult in … Continue reading
How I managed to wangle myself a three-day timetable*, with both Mondays and Fridays off I do not know. Going from working 40 hours a week back to a student timetable has been somewhat a shock to the system. I now find myself with so much spare time that I genuinely have no idea what … Continue reading
When I arrived in August I vividly remember the cries and moans of fellow Erasmus friends, complaining about Italian/Spanish/French university systems, or perhaps more fittingly, lack of. Learning agreements, paperwork, module enrollment, queuing up outside offices, I sat smugly at my office desk knowing that none of this applied to me…yet. Fast forward six months … Continue reading
Magic&Pasta 