Tuscan hike.

Now that Giostra (Joust) week is over, Arezzo has quieted down; there is no drumming through the streets at random points of the day, you see less and less people proudly wearing their quartiari scarfs (unless they are from Cuciferria who won the joust). I will miss the rowdy dinners and proudly sporting my Santo Spirito wear. The Giostra week was truly from a fairy tale.

So on Monday afternoon after class Taylor, Alison, Taylor, and I went on a hike outside the city walls. Taylor C. and Alison had ran here earlier this week with our program director who lives at the bottom of the hike. It was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever been on. Every turn was picturesque; of course I kept repeating "We live here!" in disbelief. Not only was the hike breathtaking, but we ate live pomegranates, blueberries, apples, and figs. I had never eaten a fig until then, I enjoyed it! I am not paying for groceries anymore! :) They were delicious. We may go again this afternoon. I cannot get over that I live here! It is truly amazing!!

Giostra

Top 5 Things I Have Done In My Life: Number One, Witness a Medieval Joust in Tuscany.

Explanation of pictures to come! Italian homework has to be done!









Photos courtsey of Brooke Riley

One week in.

So I have been here a week and it still feels like I am on the set of a movie. This week really is one of the best weeks of the year to be in Arezzo: it is the Giostra! Jousting has been around forever in Arezzo and they take the tradition very seriously. Arezzo has four quartiari (neighborhoods) that will compete on Sunday for the golden lance! Our neighborhood is Santo Spirito, whose colors are yellow and blue. Each quartiari has their own crest and colors; everyone wears the scarf of their neighborhood all week. We wore them on the first day of school! It is a mixture between OU/TX and Hogwarts in Harry Potter. There is so much pride. We actually got to see the jousters practice one night this week. Every night this week there has been huge celebrations, parades, and pure excitement!!Tonight each neighborhood will shut down a street and have a huge four course meal with everyone! Tomorrow morning they actually take the horses in the churchs to bless them; it is good luck for that quartiari if the horse poops in the church!






I also went with Kate to Florence for the day yesterday! It is on a 5 Euro train ride and it was truly magical. We were only there for a few hours shopping but I was blown away. I cannot wait to go back.

Our art history class was on Thursday and a suave Italian named Danielle showed us around Arezzo. He actually took us under one of the main churches, San Francesco, to an archeological dig and we saw an Etruscan road from 3 B.C. I was in shock! So incredible to think what is under this whole city! We also walked the line Napoleon walked when he was here. Danielle also took us to the old city villa of the Assi Family, one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Arezzo. The frescos were from 1200.








This is our school. The Univsersita di Siena at Arezzo.




This morning I got up early and went to the antique market that takes place the first Saturday of every month. I couldn't help but think of PawnStars! It was so incredible the things they had. The tents seemed to go on forever, each vendor with something completely unique.

Tuscany has stolen my heart.

We made our first trip to the grocery store where I bought wine and nutella:) Holly made a wonderful lunch of gnocchi and fish! This is the first time we are both living in a house without 89 other girls!

The first night Holly and I went to dinner with Kate at the cutest place right off the main street called Le Tastevin. The waiters were so nice and couldn't wait to practice their english on us.

The second day Alison arrived and we walked around the city. The duomo, medieval churches, fortified walls, and breath taking views cannot even be described. While at the park overlooking the Tuscan hills we had our first encounter with a creepy Italian man named Eugene; I guess it is out of the way now. He claimed to speak "perfect American." Lets just say, Eugene had a rattail. I don't think Italian men will be my cup of tea.

We then met up with everyone from the program and went on a walking tour of the town guided by Kate. A fabulous dinner followed at a local pizza place and the night was a success! It ended on our rooftop terrace with a bottle of wine and we were in bed by midnight. Its a fun group! Orientation is tomorrow bright and early!

Arrivederci!

Safe & Sound.

Well I made it! Arezzo is so much more amazing than I could ever imagine! Every turn of the street is truly MAGICAL.

After I opened my Italian-English dictionary while waiting to board my flight to Rome in Chicago, complete and utter terror came over me. I called my mom and was almost in tears! I felt like I could not recall any of my Italian from last semester. Needless to say, I was a little spooked but couldn't help but feel excited. I boarded the plane, got my snuggie out and sat down surrounded by the buzzing and intense hand gestures of Italians. About a half hour into the flight I finally found the courage to ask the clearly Italian woman next to me where she was from. Within minutes we were semi-communicating in Italian! I could not believe it; it was truly an exhilarating feeling. It was at this moment I realized the next four months would be the best four months of my life.

After I landed in Rome, eight other students and I who were already there and I met Gianni, our driver. He was born and raised in Arezzo and was the typical Italian man in a linen button-up shirt, jeans, and very nice leather loafers. He made us feel right at home when we finally packed out luggage into the van he played what he called "discoteca", which was really Black Eyed Peas' "I Got a Feeling."

The drive from Rome to Arezzo was truly breathtaking. Every city we passed looked like it came from right out of a movie! We arrived in Arezzo to our wonderful apartment! Our rooftop deck overlooking Tuscany is the icing on the cake! Holly and I share a room and Alison has her own room. Our kitchen is perfect and I cannot get enough of the rooftop!











Arrivederci!

Also...

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A Bit of My History...

At the turn of the century the La Galbo family lived in Bahleria, Sicily, just outside of Palermo. Catherina LoGalbo (my great-great-grandmother) died young leaving her husband Carl with five young children. He soon remarried and and after some years sailed to America for a new life sending for the children one or two at a time. My great-grandmother—who was 19 at the time—decided to remain in Italy working for a wealthy family caring for their children instead of coming to America with her family. But when her younger sister got pink eye and was unable to sail, my great-grandmother, Providenzia had to take her spot and sailed to America. Providenzia was 19 when she arrived in New York City and immigrated upstate to Utica, New York with her family to work in the Onieta fabric mills. She met and married a Northern Italian immigrant, Thomas Di Georgio, and together had eight children.

I have heard it said that, “You have to know where you came from to know where you are going.” I truly believe knowing where my family came from and the struggles they endured to find freedom here in America has made me a stronger person. In my current home, the ship’s manifest that my great-grandmother signed hangs in the hallway. It is a reminder to my sisters and I that if you have a goal and the will to make something happen, it can always be achieved.

As in many Italian families, family is the number one priority in my life. My mother was very close with her grandparents and has carried on many Italian family traditions. Of course, most of the traditions that I cherish are centered around food and family. I hope to someday pass these traditions along to my children.

I am currently taking an Italian language class. I believe to truly be part of a culture, you have to immerse yourself in it and learn all you can. With that said, I can hardly wait until I am in Italy studying. To prepare myself for the experience, I know I have to learn the language. I am sure it will not be easy, but I know it will be extremely rewarding. My mother jokes with me and says learning Italian should be easy because my name "Kara" comes from the Italian translation for beloved friend “Cara Mia”.... I hope so! I will soon be studying at the University of Siena at Arezzo; I hope to be exposed to cultures that I may not regularly encounter on a day-to-day basis if I were just visiting. I also hope to develop the ability to make friends and connections with the people that I meet on my journey. I also think this experience will teach me to think globally, yet act locally – a mindset that is becoming more and more important in the current day and age.

Providenzia never again had the opportunity to see her baby sister who had been forced to stay in Italy with pink eye but they wrote and exchanged letters until Providenzia died in 1982. Providenzia and her children, one of which was my grandmother, never made the crossing back to Italy and Sicily to visit; this year I hope to carry out their dream and return to the country of my heritage.