I can’t drive. I do not have a driver’s licence and I’ve never even tried to drive a car, so maybe it’s a bit unfair from me to judge other drivers. However, when it comes to Italian drivers … oh, dear. I might change my opinion in a few days, weeks, months, who knows, but at this very moment I’m speechless. An Italian behind the wheel and me on the passenger seat is not the best combination for my blood pressure. Also crossing the streets speeds up my heart rate and pumps up the adrenalin as cars never stop at the pedestrian crossings, they just kind of slow down. Ah well, I guess I've been living in Austria just a tad too long to get spoiled by drivers that always stop and wait for you to cross the road and now Italians seem like the worst and most rude drivers I have ever seen.
However, I've been quite busy over the last few days. I've started the Italian language course, spent a few days working in Florence at the Terra Futura, I've worked at the Rifugio le Cave hostel and at the horse ranch (maneggio) in Iolo. The Italian language course is ... em, going well. It's really intensive and it actually takes more studying at home that I expected, so I spend more or less all my free time studying in the library.
Last week the Fortezza da Basso in Florence hosted the Terra Futura fair-meeting, which is one of the most important events on sustainability in Italy. As Legambiente was one of the partners, also some of the Legambiente volunteers took part at the fair. I was mostly working at the Legambiente stand inside (there was another one outside), so I was mainly talking to visitors interested in the Legambiente activities or those who wanted more information on the no-nuclear and water-supply referendum. Well, what I was really doing was trying to speak to people as my poor Italian doesn’t really allow me to have a proper conversation with anyone interested in the referendum on water-supply privatisation (or the no-nuclear one), so there was always someone Italian at the stand to keep me company and really talk to people.
One of the best things at the Terra Futura were the organic/bio/eco food stands. I think I tried everything – from orange marmalade, olive oil, hazelnut spread, prosciutto, to chocolate, biscuits, pineapple juice … The most interesting thing I tried was the bio boletus edulis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis) ice-cream. I’ve never seen anything like that before, so at first I was a bit sceptic, but I couldn’t let such an opportunity slip away. I have to say, the mushroom flavour was really strong, but the ice-cream was also very sweet. It had no artificial colourings or other aditives and it was made with real boletus edulis. I can’t say I loved or hated it, but I can say I definitely do prefer the usual flavours, such as chocolate, hazelnut, vanilla, pistachio...
Of course the week couldn't pass without a strike and last week it was the week of train strikes. I’m not sure how many of them took place, but two of them affected me. One was on Friday morning, May 20th, when we had to take the train to Florence at 9.23, but the trains were so delayed that we caught the 8.23 train which arrived with a 70-minute delay and was so full there was only some space to stand, so it was hard to breathe and I felt like a sardine in a can. On Saturday night there was another train strike from 9 p.m. on, but luckily our train was one of the few that weren’t cancelled (on the photo right: train departures at the Santa Maria Novella station in Florence, May 21st); it just departed with a 10-minute delay, but my flatmates, Léo and Marta, who wanted to take a later train, were stuck in Florence for the night cause the trains for Prato were cancelled, so they arrived home only at 6.20 on Sunday morning, when Kristiana, Burcu and I were just having breakfast. So, I guess besides from reckless driving train (and bus) strikes are another thing I should get used to.Last weekend I finally got the chance to work at the Rifugio la Cave hostel (the Cave - http://www.rifugiolecave.it/) in the Riserva Natural Acquerino Cantagallo (Cantagallo natural park), a protected area with a very limited car access. So, on Sunday (May 22nd) 45 people were coming to lunch and a loooot of work (especially a lot of washing the dishes) was waiting for us. As waking up early isn’t exactly my strength, waking up at 6.15 a.m. last Sunday was a bit of a nightmare. However, it would have all been ok, if Serena, one of the girls that work at the Cave, had picked us up on time. Being a true Italian, she was late. 40 minutes late! Can you imagine I could have slept 40 more minutes?! Aaaargh!!! Ah well, no point in complaining, but it did upset me and I know it will happen again, so Marjeta, you’d better get used to it!
I have to admit, working in Cave was a bit demanding as I was very tired from the previous days and waking up early didn’t exactly have a positive effect on me. However, there was no time to rest. An Italian lunch starts with antipasti (crostini with olive oil and salt or something similar), then follows the primo piato (normally pasta), then the secondo piato (something with meat, usually red meat) and the lunch finishes with caffé e dolci. So, just imagine how many plates and cutlery need 45 people. When we were washing the dishes, it seemed like the pile of plates would never get smaller, plus as I was standing just in front of a hot oven, I felt like in a sauna. By the time we finished working it was already late afternoon and we got back home very tired.
at the Cave
Kristiāna, myself and Burcu in front of the Cave
Yesterday I went to the horse ranch (maneggio) in Iolo with Kristiāna and Léo. I have been in Prato for more than two weeks now and it was about time I started working in maneggio. Even though it was one of the hottest days so far I was really looking forward to working outside, but unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot of work and as it was my first time working, I was only shown what normally has to be done when getting the horses ready for hippotherapy or other riding classes. Even though I wasn't working much, I was immediately covered with dust and horse hair. I couldn't wait to get home and take a shower. One thing that yesterday surprised me a bit was that I was told what (not) to wear when working in maneggio. The problem was that I was wearing a sleeveless top and when helping with the hippotherapy, there's a special dress code - long trousers and a shirt with sleeves. So, ok, next time I'll be dressed appropriately.
I have to admit that these days when I’m studying Italian every day, working in Cave and in maneggio my head feels so heavy when I go to bed. I know I don’t work much, but it’s the undertake to learn Italian that wears me out the most. I learn (and try to learn) so much every day it’s getting a bit stressful, so I’m really looking forward to next week when I have more free time. June 2nd is a national holiday, Festa della Repubblica, so we’re not working. I/We (=my flatmates & myself) are thinking of going somewhere to the seaside, preferably the west coast, but the plan still has to be made. We’ll see. Last-minute plans are the best anyway.
M.
