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Published: October 26th 2009
This weekend I went OLIVE PICKING!! It was so fun! It was a small orchard owned by Giulia's family, only about 40 trees. One way you do it is to put a net down under the tree and then just shake the branches or strip off the olives etc. Otherwise you pick into a basket you sling over a shoulder. The orchard is on a hill, so it is arranged in a sort of giant staircase manner so you can stand on one level and pick olives from the tree on the next level down. It was so fun and being surrounded be fun people and stopping for a cheese, foccacia, and wine/peach tea break helped.
Just to prove to Jam that I wont have to be rolled back to America (before I explain the amazing meal I had on Sunday) I should mention that I have been running with Giulia every day for about 45 minutes. I should also briefly recount my first Volleyball game here! While practice with the team is more of a JV level, the game was surprisingly quick paced! I think this is because in the games, only the best people for each position are put in, and since I am the tallest on the team, I have easy claim on middle blocker. We went to a 5th game, winning the first, third, and fifth games. I was really nervous because of the whole not speaking Italian thing, and thus made a few stupid mistakes, but I had two perfect blocks and a really good tip no one touched, so I figure that makes up for it.
Now the food! So last Sunday was Christina's grandma's birthday(her 95th), and last Monday was Pietro's birthday. This means... AMAZING FOOD. So, for lunch on Sunday we went to Christina's sisters house with her grandma where there was an incredible meal awaiting. First we had linguini with these little mushrooms and a sort of oil or butter sauce, SO good. Then we had these little things that were like little torts without the crust. They were made from pumpkin and sausage and the texture was softer than a quiche, but held together the same way, incredible. Next were these pieces of meat wrapped around cheese and stuck on little sticks, baked with peas and tomatoes (a common mix here). The cheese wasn't gooey, but still all hot and soft, and the meat was incredibly tender and the flavors combined beautifully. Despite this amazing meal, it was dessert the next day, for Pietro's birthday, that was really memorable. It's called Meringata. I would have taking a picture but it was gone long before the idea crosses my mind, but the one i had looked a lot like this on the outside
. It is deceivingly simple looking. The outside is coated with chunks of meringue in a sort of unsweetened whipped cream, this is covering what is essentially ice cream made in paradise. The one I had then had a layer with chunks of chocolate and soft candied chestnuts. It is definitely one of the best cakes I have ever had, if not THE best.
This weekend I went to Milan and saw..... The last supper by Leonardo Davinci, as well as Michelangelo's last sculpture, la Pieta. I would tell you all about how moving and amazing they were, but for fear of being cliche, I will say only this: seeing these things has a similar feeling to living in Italy. Even standing there, your brain fully aware of what you are looking at and the general sense of awe in your limbs, it's not believable, its impossible to wrap your brain around what you are looking at. Its as though we have an armor that guards us against shock be simply denying the truth. Interesting phenomenon really, I should consult a psychology professor about it someday.
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Oleg Harencar
non-member comment
This could be your best blog entry yet Julia. Congratulations, and please keep at it. It will be good to see you grow as a writer as you keep this up. The only thing I missed photographs to go along with your stories. Some would be really easy to take. Like a photo of your volleyball team mates. Or the place where you picked olives. And portraits of the people you meet.