Last weeks

Time here has just flown by and I can't believe we're almost at an end. 

So, what have these last weeks been like? Well, they were quite jam-packed, that's for sure! This last class (British and American Writers in Italy) has definitely been the most challenging, both because of the workload and the shortened time frame. We have read 5 novels (well, one was a novella), had a paper due on Tuesday and we just finished our essay exam Thursday. Our semester was cut short by 3 days, because plane tickets were cheaper for a Wednesday than a Saturday, so I should be back in the States around 3:30pm and in California around 7:00pm. However, this meant that we lost two full days of class (the equivalent of two weeks in regular semester-length classes), which had to be made up somehow: enter, 2-times Tuesdays! Oh yes, we got the pleasure of sitting and discussing literature for 6 hours each of the past two Tuesdays. Classwise all I have left is presenting a group project and reading two short stories, but said presentation is with a partner and we have to come up with something that will last for 30 minutes...oh dear. But we've almost made it through - if you have any ideas for a project on The Aspern Papers feel free to let me know!

Outside of school our days have been full, but not too full to allow us time to prepare to leave. I've been wandering around town, sitting in caffes, taking pictures, having conversations, and basically just enjoying life here in Italy. The weather was getting slightly warmer until this past week where it has dropped to just above freezing and Mauro told me last night: "Si, fa freddo; domani fa piu freddo e dopo domani piu freddo" until I cut him off telling him thank you for informing me how cold it is going to get when I'm already wearing four layers. Grazie. However, last night we did something totally different: a group of us got bundled up and took the Doll kids out ice skating! They don't actually have ice rinks here in Orvieto, but every year they make a rink in the piazza next to the Duomo. Oh yes, that means that you get to skate next to one of the most impressive cathedrals in Italy. Well, this time I didn't actually skate because I was taking pictures and watching Chiara (the almost 2-year old), but maybe next time. It's entertaining enough to watch all these Italians who only get to skate once a year attempt to skate...


Now, for our last week here, we have a very full schedule: 3 3-hour sessions of cleaning/packing within the monastery, meals on our own today, tomorrow, and Monday evening, 2 more class sessions, Christmas party in-house Sunday evening with singing with Alessandro to follow, Christmas party with friends of the program Tuesday afternoon, and of course ensuring that we've said our good-byes to everyone. We have to leave this place VERY clean for the next semester and our program director and his family are also leaving the same day we are to spend Christmas in Israel (where Sharona grew up), so we have to clean everything. I also have quite a few "touristy" things to do around Orvieto because I was given a free pass back in my poetry class (and because I want to see them, of course). This morning Becky and I went to Pozza della Cave (basically an underground area with lots of pottery and two wells) and then did some more Christmas shopping. Tonight I'm going to dinner with 3 friends at the house of the Italian family where we had dinner our first week here. Should be a good but sad dinner as it may be the last time we see them before we leave.

Tomorrow is our last Sunday mass and singing in the Italian choir.

Nobody likes to say goodbye.