I just spent an incredible couple of days with my friend Rosangela and her family in Triggiano, Italy.

It was really nice to have a few relaxing days as opposed to the go go go go go craziness I’ve been living in for the last month.  I have never met more hospitable people than Italians.  Rosangela, her family, and her friends welcomed me in and treated me like family despite the fact that no one other than Rosangela really spoke English, and my entire Italian vocabulary consisted of “gratzie” and “ciao.”  It was wonderful.

Rosangela’s mom is an amazing cook.  She made things like parmeseana, rizzoto, focaccia, pasta, and this really good noodle thing with peas.  The family tried to get me to try “trippa.”  Luckily Rosangela talked them out of it because I later found out that trippa means tripe.  AHHH.  I love Italian food, but tripe is not my thing.  Haha

I think my favorite part of the trip was when I went to Rosangela’s grandfather’s house.  I had the great fortune of meeting her entire extended family, only a few of which spoke English, but I LOVED it.  Something about foreign languages and foreign cultures just fascinates me, even when I can’t understand what people are saying.   I loved listening to them talk to each other and trying to figure out what they were saying.

I had so much fun in Triggiano and Bari.  The people I met were so interesting and kind (Rosangela’s mom even made me a bunch of sandwiches for the train ride to Zurich!), and I cannot wait to go back and visit them again.  Hopefully I’ll have a little more Italian so I can converse more :]

The last little chunk of photos from Florence

Here are most of my pictures from Firenze (Florence, Italy).  Enjoy!!

(I just realized I have more which I will post later!)

[written on the morning of July 4th]

Well, good morning, Italy.  Last night I took a sleeper train (which I am still sitting on) from Vienna to Rome (where I am still headed).  I’m trying to get to Florence.  I was not aware that Florence comes before Rome.   Guess who didn’t do so well in Geography:  Meeeeee! Oh well.  I get to spend a little extra money and a little extra time watching the beautiful Italian scenery roll by when I hop a train back to Florence.  I’m not complaining a whole lot.

I thought about just jumping out at Florence, but something made me decide not to.  Know why?  I later realized that the train stewardess still has my very expensive Eurail Pass.  Thank you, subconscious!  That would have completely sucked.  I also get to spend a couple more hours in the air-conditioning.

Last night I shared a car with these two really cute Austrian grandmas.  They were really funny, especially since their English wasn’t so great and they kept asking me questions about my trip.  Now, the way a sleeper car works (for those of you who don’t know) is there are bunk beds stacked about three high.  My ticket said I had the bottom bed, but am I really going to make an old lady climb all the way to the top and hoist herself into bed?  NO.  So I offered to take the top and was looking forward to a night of good sleep without drunk people screaming outside my window.  Pardon my French, but it was hot as BALLS up there last night.  I couldn’t sleep at all even with the A/C turned up all the way.  So, yet again, I was robbed of some well-deserved shuteye.  I don’t think I’ve slept well since I’ve been out running around Europe on my own.

At least my ticket includes a free breakfast.  That was a pleasant surprise.