Off to Switzerland

Today I will get on a bus at 6:30 p.m. and head to Switzerland for the weekend. As I mentioned before, most of the SMU group is going, but they will be skydiving while I will be skiing. I'm very excited, and I'm sure I will have many stories to tell when I get back. You probably won't hear from me until Monday.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, so most of our group from Saint Mary's went to mass at the Fiesole cathedral. Once again, this was an experience unlike any I've ever had in the U.S. The service began at a small church just down the hill from the cathedral. The church was completely packed with nuns, priests, seminarians, and old people, so most of our group had to stand in the back of the church. Here began the music, which was some of the most beautiful I've ever heard. The choir was only composed of a handful of men and women, and they sang everything acapella. Their voices were so pure, and the acoustics of the church allowed to sound to resound so that the effect was just angelic. The bishop of Fiesole said a few words at this church, then we all processed out and formed two lines in the street and walked toward the cathedral. As we processed, we sang a prayer asking for the intercession of saints. There was a seminarian carrying a cross leading the procession, and there was another seminarian carrying loudspeakers on a pole so that we could hear the voices of the choir. The procession went right through the middle of the street, stopping traffic. Once we were in the church, the service continued similar to other Ash Wednesday services I've been to. There was just a lot more singing, and instead of putting the ashes on your forehead they sprinkle them in your hair. Overall this was a very neat experience, and I'm very glad that most of the group decided to go. Aside from small children, we were still definitely the youngest people at the mass even though the whole cathedral was filled. The majority of young people in Europe are just not very religious despite the culture of Catholicism that pervades. I was sort of surprised by this in the beginning of my time in Italy, although I had heard this before I came here. You'd think that when they have so much opportunity to practice their faith in their country they would do so. Even though it sometimes seems that American young adults are not very faithful, most do make a showing for major Church days like Ash Wednesday. I am proud of Americans for keeping these traditions alive in the younger generation, and hopefully we will not follow Europe's path.

The best party ever!

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday, or Marti Gras if you're French and Martedi Grasso if you're Italian. But the words do not matter because,no matter where you are in the world or what language you speak, it is an excuse to party before the 40 days of Lent. And let me tell you, Italians know how to throw a party. Their Fat Tuesday celebration is called Carnivale, and it takes place in cities across Italy. The Carnivale I chose to go to with Ashley, Allyson, Ania, and Eldon was in Viareggio, a town on the Mediterranean coast. This Carnivale is known as the best in Italy, and it runs every Sunday for about a month before Lent. Yesterday was the last day, and we all got done with class at noon, so we decided to get on a train and go.

Aside from a bit of confusion about which train to ride, we got to Viareggio just fine, and then Ashley and Allyson bought beautiful Carnivale masks. We proceeded to search for the festival. At first we were a bit skeptical because it didn't seem like there was much going on, aside from a few families dressed in matching furry costumes roaming the streets. Finally we found the festival, which had kids' rides and lots of food booths. We had to pay 15 euros to get in, so we were all thinking, "This better be good." Once we got in we weren't sure what to do or where to go. We didn't know if we had to pay more to go on the rides and such, so we just wandered for a bit. Finally the good part came. We were just standing in the street, surrounded by kids and parents dressed in costume when we realized that the parade was coming, and we were directly in its route. And this wasn't just any parade, this was a parade unlike any I've ever seen before. Huge floats that fill up the entire street and are as tall as the multi-story hotels that rise up on one side are constructed from a sort of paper mache. The floats are all pulled by tractors, and they blast loud dancing music. They are all just packed with costumed dancing people, again little kids, parents, old people, teenagers, everyone participates. Unlike parades in the U.S., people do not just sit and watch the parade go by; they get up and dance in the street to the music, and lots of the parade marchers who are not on the float invited us to dance with them.

Many of the floats have a political theme. One that was specifically aimed at America was a satire of Barack Obama. He was dressed as a railroad worker in overalls and holding a hammer in his hand. In front of the float there were people dancing who had their faces painted black, and they were dressed as various occupations that represent middle class Americans. Other floats were less political, such as one based on Aladdin and another with a bunch of giant goose heads sticking out. The parade went on for probably 2-3 hours, and we were dancing almost the whole time. After the parade many young people just started dancing out in the street to the music that was still playing from the floats. It was just such a fun atmosphere and unlike anything I had ever seen in the U.S. before this. I especially enjoyed the fact that everyone, no matter their age, really got into it. I have never seen so many parents and children dressed up in furry purple cow suits before. Other costumes included a group of little girls dressed up as cheerleaders from Rydell High in Grease, a guy dressed up as the Pope who was handing out fake Eucharists, and a plenitude of young men dressed as women.

After the parade was over, I wanted to go see the ocean/sea, since I have never seen it before. So we walked toward where we thought it was, and then I saw it. I ran across the beach all the way to it, and when I got to it I kicked my shoes off and went in, panty-hose still on, as far as I could without completely soaking my mini-skirt. It was just such and exhilarating experience, even though I'm sure any Italians who saw me probably thought I was crazy.

After the ocean, we decided to try to find a place to eat. This is when we encountered two men who had been on a float in the parade. Ania and I had been blowing kisses at many of the men on the floats throughout the parade, so we think they may have been guys we were blowing kisses to. One was dressed as a clown, and the other had a cape and painted mask on his face. The clown seemed to have had a bit too much to drink, and he was asking us to come party with them. He was also shoving candy down our shirts and kissing our cheeks. He told us about a giant party that happens after the parade at the end of the street, and Ania, Allyson, and I thought it sounded like something worth trying. Ashley and Eldon weren't really feeling up to it, so they decided to head back to Florence. This was probably a good thing because it gave us an excuse to escape from the clown. Ania, Allyson, and I proceeded to find the party and, let me tell you, it was a party! There were food and alcohol vendors everywhere, and it was great food too. Since it was Fat Tuesday, I decided to splurge. Although I had already had a sandwich and gelato for dinner, I had a delicious cream filled, deep-fried pastry and a hot dog. I'm usually not much of a hot dog person, but this was a hot dog Italian style. It was on a homemade bread bun that was toasted and had fried peppers and sauerkraut on it...very tasty! Aside from the food, there were DJs set up on the street blasting loud music, and there was dancing everywhere. Although it was beginning to get late, small children and older people were still members of the party crowd. It was nothing like a street dance in America where usually people don't dance too much. Here everyone was dancing, and people you did not know would just start dancing with you. I've never had so much fun at a festival in my life! Unfortunately, the last train left Viareggio for Florence at 10:00 p.m., so we had to leave when the party was just getting started. I'm pretty sure it carries on all night, so perhaps another year I will find myself back in Viareggio for Carnivale. Until then, I will definitely remember last night as the best party I've ever been to.

This month's editorial

Once again, it's that time of the month that I write an editorial for the Saint Mary's newspaper. And, once again, my editorial is going to do double duty as my blog entry for the day. If any of you are interested in checking out the Cardinal online, the address is http://cardinal-smumn.blogspot.com/.

A lesson in Italian flirting

I have almost hit the two month mark of my time in Italy, and each day I seem to discover new aspects of Italian culture. One aspect that has proven to be especially intriguing is the culture of romance, which I never realized the full extent of before coming here.
Being a young, blonde, athletic American female in Italy has put me at the receiving end of much flirting from Italian men of all ages and appearances. The most overt and persistent flirter I’ve encountered was a 39 year old man named Dario on the ski slopes. During our first conversation Dario told me that I have beautiful eyes. This may seem like a cliché compliment, but he seemed very sincere. Shortly after he told me that I make his heart beat like thunder and lightning, and he asked me if I would like him to get me a room in his town by the sea. I must admit that at this point I began to get a bit creeped out, but this is a prime example of the flirting that is considered normal in Italy. If a man perceives even the slightest chance that a woman may be interested in him, he proceeds at full throttle.
Another story of a persistent Italian flirter comes from Saint Mary’s own Dr. Mary Fox, who is currently on sabbatical and doing some traveling and research in Italy. Recently she was in Rome with Br. Stephen Rustyn, and they were eating at a restaurant. Br. Stephen left the table to go to the restroom, and the young male waiter came up behind Dr. Fox and began kissing and caressing her head and neck. The man proceeded to tell her that he fell in love with her when he first saw her, then he began to undo his belt. He told her that he just wanted her to “take one look.” In America a waiter could get fired or arrested for doing something like that, but here it is considered acceptable.
Lastly, I would not do Italian flirting justice if I failed to mention the ways Italian men of all ages address young women on the street. A couple common phrases are “Ciao bella!” which means hello beautiful, and “Mamma mia!” However, some men opt for more original methods, such as a one who neighed at my girlfriends and me as we walked by. Sometimes I cannot help but laugh at the ridiculousness of these methods, but they do make some great stories, and I think I will miss the romance culture when I return to the States.

More Photos!

Aside from the few pictures I have uploaded into my blog, I really haven't shared any pictures, so I decided to share the links to all of my facebook albums. Take a look when you have the time...there are a lot of them!

Italia Due:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024377&id=173301949&l=9ec79
Italia Tre:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024647&id=173301949&l=ade09
Italia Quattro:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024703&id=173301949&l=0f5e6
Italia Cinque:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024863&id=173301949&l=bcf61
Italia Sei:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025132&id=173301949&l=2722d

Breaking Away

Last night I was trying to decide what to do today, and I just decided that I wanted to rent a bike and explore the countryside. So that is how I ended up renting a Bianchi racing bike and riding 20 miles to the small town of Greve in Chianti (pronounced Gray-vay). I rented my bike at a place called Florence by Bike, and they helped me figure out a route. They even gave me maps and highlighted the roads that I should take. The route to Greve was absolutely beautiful! There were olive orchards and vineyards as far as the eye could see. I was really amazed by the expansiveness of the vineyards. Never before did I realize how big the wine industry actually is here. Today it finally hit me that this is how many people in Italy make their living. Many of the farms double as villas for guests, something the Italians call agritourism. It seems like a nice way for farmers to bring in a little extra income. When I reached Greve I explored the town a little and found a nice little bar to have lunch at. I was able to get a panine sandwich and a glass of Chianti wine for only four euros! After lunch I decided to do a little side trip up to a little village at the top of a big hill. It was about one extra kilometer, but it was extremely steep! I asked some guys on the sidewalk how to get there, and when they saw that I was biking they just started laughing because they didn't think I could make it. But I did make it, and I must say the view was well worth it. After spending a little time at the top of the mountain I began to make the 20 mile trek back to Florence. On my way back I saw some road signs that pointed to Florence, and I decided to follow them rather than retrace my same route. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it turned out to be not so good. I ended up on a busy highway, and although it had a roomy shoulder, unlike the country roads, I still felt a little bit vulnerable when I was biking on it. But I did make it back to Florence in one piece and returned my bike. If you would like to see the route that I biked today, you can check it out on the Google map in the blog entry below. You will have to zoom out to view the entire route. Now I am extremely sore, and I have a feeling it will probably be worse in the morning, but it was definitely worth it.

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