I had my first "real" Italian conversation today! It was very exciting to realise that I was able to understand most of what they said (well, at least most of what Gabrielle said) and even repsond with answers.

I was taking pics in the village, wandering through the narrow passages and getting happily lost, when I came out onto a little courtyard with five older women sitting in it. We got to talking, and being a small village, they know my nonna, dad and his wife Antonella. They told me all about la Porta di Mare (the door to the ocean) which was the main door to the city years and years ago. It is built on the top of a steep slope, with straight roads zig zagging up the hill. This, they explained, was how they made it difficult for pirates to get up to the city. It gave them lots of time to see them coming. Then, if they did get up, they could close the door (lat Porta di Mare) so the city was closed off. This is still a portion of the original castle left on the northern side of the village.

And now, buona note.