My short-lived stay in Bologna was over. I packed for Cortina and Venice, and went into the city with Nicola and Anna.
While Nicola tied up some lose ends at work, Anna took me
shopping in the city. Little known fact: in Italy, all the sales happen AT THE
SAME TIME. Guess what time it was when I got there? Yep. You guessed it. Sale
time. The two of us shopped for a bit before heading to her grandparents’ (on
Nicola’s side) apartment. Once there, I met Anna’s great-grandparents, who
taught me how to play a card game called Machiavelli, which is so super fun.
Then came the 3 ½ hour drive into the Alps, to a little town
called Cortina (home of a smattering of the Olympic events when they were held
in Torino).
Anna and I then took her dog Spike for a walk. We ended up
on this gorgeous hill covered with wildflowers, so naturally I started twirling
and singing in a way that I hoped would be even slightly reminiscent of this, but
probably ended up being more like this.
Then came the real work. Though both the children I am
living with (Anna and Guido) speak English fluently (as do their parents,
Carlotta and Nicola), their grandparents (Carlo and Giovanna, whose house I am
living in) do not. Neither Carlotta nor Nicola could join us on this
mountainous getaway, so I have found myself stranded in Italy, being forcefully
taught Italian. (yes, this was the plan, I did intend for this to happen, but
that DOES NOT make it any easier, and half the time I find myself standing
there, utterly lost.). HALP.
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