Blogs from Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, Europe - page 2

Hi all, Not much to report today. Study, study, study Italian lanugage! I was supposed to have a tension-release and relaxing massage... but this is Italy. It was a man that came to my apartment. No massage table, no towels, just a tiny bottle of oil. 'I massage on the bed' he said. Ahaaaa? I just wanted shoulders and feet done. 'okay' he said. Face down on the bed with my top off, he started to rub my neck. Not very good, I thought. He moved to my back, then I heard groaning and loud panting, I wondered if he was just hot as it was a humid day... but no, I don't think it was just that. I figured if he didn't stop, I would get up off the bed and tell him to go. ... read more

Study Day Sunday 3 June 2012 Still trying to get a grasp on maschile e feminile, essere e avere, singola e plural, etc., etc., etc! So I took to the books again today, as tomorrow I start my second (final) week, and I don’t want to begin it from a behind position… if you get my drift. Did a quick grocery shop and bought a pizza to take home for dinner. Mmmmm, mamma mia, delicious… and so cheap! One third of the price we pay in Australia and three times as good! The pastry is so light and the ingredients are so fresh. We Aussies would do well to take on board some of the Italian techniques in the pizza-making department. Well, back to the Italian lessons. Write soon. Please feel free to comment or contact ... read more

Friday 1 June San Biagio After lessons today, I took a bus around the outskirts of town. I visited San Biagio Cathedral at the base of the hill outside the village walls. It’s the church shown in most photos and postcards of Montepulciano. It’s very old and very beautiful. Check bottom of each blog entry for more photos.... read more

Bombed Out! Wednesday 30 May Halfway through lessons on day three; I bombed out. I was utterly discombobulated and on the verge of tears. I left the class and met with the manager of the school. I needed to find a solution. I decided to pay the extra money and swap over to all private lessons where the tutor would do explanations in English. After this meeting, I took the rest of the day off. I needed to clear my head and get some fresh air and sunshine. With all my spare time taken up with study, I hadn’t had time to update my travel blog or communicate with family. I took a long walk outside the walls of the village to try and find a shop in in the residential shopping area that might have ... read more

Monday 28 May First Day of School – Italian Language Lessons At il Sasso Language School I opted for classroom lessons of just for 4 hours per day (8.45 – 1.15, including breaks). This seems to be the norm, although some students also take private lessons during the afternoon. It really depends why you want/need to learn the language (work requirement or pleasure) and how quickly you want/need to learn. I’m taking lessons so that I can learn enough to get myself out of trouble when I’m travelling, and to know enough to be able to read documents when researching family history. By the end of the first day my head was swimming. Unlike the way languages are taught in Australia, with explanations in English, the method for classroom teaching at this school is no, absolutely ... read more