I think I'm going to hate Italian keyboards, but I didn't feel like bringing my laptop to the villa today because we're going into Florence this afternoon, so I'm using one of the computers in the lab and it's going to take me forever to get used to the different setup.
But I don't really care because the Villa is GORGEOUS! I'll try and send pictures on Monday in between classes but they really donàt do it any justice. The gardens are amazing and I still can't get over the view. Last night before dinner we drank wine and mingled with our professors and the host families on the patio overlooking Florence with a lovely breeze and... aahhh, I feel so lucky. (Plus, the library is amazing, and full of art books!) The cooking's great, all the professors seem nice, although we only met them last night, and everyone who's here is great so far!
As for my host family, I personally think I got the best one! They're Vittorio and Annamaria, and I would say they're in their 40s maybe, which is great because it seems like everyone else's are much older. My host parents are exactly like my own parents, which is kind of funny, and they're very lively and funny. Their garden is gorgeous, they have their own fig trees and grow tomatoes and I think limes or something, I don't know exactly which fruits are which (too many new Italian words!!) Their house is in a building of many, it's almost like a townhouse but they have the first floor, and its very quiet. I have my own room, and we share a bathroom, and unfortunately there's not really internet. They have it, but they don't use it often so they have no contract, and have to pay by minutes, but it's not really a big deal since I'm at the Villa all day anyway. It just won't be good if I need to research something and forget to do it during the day, but it's a good thing I brought all my Italian dictionaries/verb tense books with me! They said I could use it of course in case of emergencies so it's all good. Their neighborhood is amazing, seriously. The walk to the villa seems to take about 20-25 minutes, which isn't so bad, and it's downhill in the mornings which is nice. Plus the road winds along the outside of the hill so the views are AMAZING the entire way.
The food at the villa is amazing, and I haven't had dinner with my host family yet so I don't know how their cooking is but Vittorio keeps saying that Annamaria is an amazing cook and I believe him, if the marmalade was anything to go by. He actually isn't a vegetarian, they just don't really keep any meat at home since she doesn't eat it. Also, Annamaria and I are determined to learn how to make cheesecake, because the one we had for desert last night was fantastic (apparently it's the villa's speciality).
So so far everything's great!
Alla prossima (til next time)
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