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Saturday, we wanted to go to assisi. However, we woke up at 11 and didn't shower and stuff in time. The next train we could have taken was at 2…and we thought the last train back was at 3, so we decided not to go. The guys had told us to call them to get together for coffee when we came back from Assisi.So we walked around Perugia and into some small shops, clearly grabbing some gelato along the way. This time I got chocolate and raspberry sorbet…and what is supposedly the best gelato place in Perugia. We came home and showered, and called the guys. We all met at a caffe and sat for about an hour just drinking espresso and talking. They paid for our coffee and we all split up. We, karole, carson, Kelley, alex, sara, and I all went to dinner at a small family owned place. We split the house red wine, and I had a mushroom and sausage calzone, which was good. Afterward, we all split chocolate mouse and berry pantecotta. Things are so different here in Italy, no one rushes you. Its assumed that you have the table for the night once you are seated. And in the outdoor restaurants, you just seat yourself. Dinner here always takes at least an hour and a half. Afterwards, we met this guy Francesco at an outdoor restaurant, Carson had met him the previous night. He bought us a bottle of wine and we talked to him and his greek friend who now lives here. Soon, we left and met the Dream Team at Eden. It was very chill, and they are very good to us, we never have to buy our own drinks because they own the place and don't have to pay.
I have 6 bug bites… and I don't know how! I haven't seen one bug here!
Today we woke up and had to meet arcadia people at 8:30. They took us to a farm outside of Perugia. We had a small breakfast, talked to a woman about housing, learned how to make torta and pasta, and then walked the farm to see olive trees, specialty legumes, and animals. We then had a very large lunch consisting of the home-made red wine, bruchetta with olive oil, one with tomatoes, and one with the specialty legumes. Then we had home-made pasta with meat sauce, and the torta bread with delicious sausage and spinach. It was insanely hot there, and we are so glad to be home now, after an 8 hour excursion. It was fun though, and something I would not have planned myself.I just cleaned and rearranged the kitchen.
We were told that people from the school come check our apartments to make sure they are clean. We are not sure how clean these places need to be, or when they are coming. I am nervous that they will come when Christina and Daniel are here, because they are not really supposed to stay here. But hopefully all will turn out fine with that, im sure it will.
Things are different here in Perugia, as I said. No one rushes you, and it seems that everyone is just here to enjoy themselves, the food, wine, and people they are with. They have a break from 12-4 everyday, no stores are open and everyone eats, and takes a nap. Then they are busy from 5-1 in the morning at least. The center of town, right next to us, is flooded with people at night. People throw their plastic cups into the streets when their alcohol is done, and the police clean the streets in the morning. You are allowed to drink in public, but are not allowed to have glass out after 10pm. People are loud until 3 or 4 at night at least! Everyone here goes out at night, but they do not drink to get drunk, which is new to a lot of us Americans. Also, they eat very late at night. They don't eat dinner until like 9 at night…and then go out to drink and dance.
The supermarkets here are very different. They are maze like, and have very little selection. They do not have sales, and people here buy like 2 things at a time, probably only what they need for that night's meal.
They conserve a lot of energy here. Our building has a sensor to turn the lights on so that the light is only on when you enter the building and for 5 minutes maybe. The heat can oly be on for 7 hours and is regulated by the government…im sure ill tell you more about that when the cold weather sets in. right now in September it is still around 90 degrees.
The toilets above on the wall have a stick. To flush it, you push the stick up and it falls when it is done flushing. The showers are very different too. They are all handheld, and there is barely any pressure or hot water. Shaving your legs is a chore, I can assure you that.
We have no attempted laundry yet, although I am planning on it soon.
Our stove is a gas stove, so we have to shut it off after we use it. There is no dish drying rack because the dishes are stored in the cabinet above the sink. There are no wooden shelves, they are metal bars so that the plates can drip dry over the sink, and save space and energy.
They are very rational people here, they have great inventions. When we were at the farm today, the owner had the pigs in with the grape trees. The pigs would eat the fallen fruit so it would not rot and the waste of the pig would fertilize the trees…just as one example.
All the fountains throughout the streets and piazzas have running water, it is all fresh, and can be sipped straight from the fountain.
I am sure there is more…but you will have to wait because my fingers are tired, and so am i.
Ciao mi amori,
Angela
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