Day 15: Bibliotecha

The sun was certainly shining on us today. It was not a promising start with the overcast greyness present this morning, but it soon brightened up.

After waking up and getting ready for the day I took myself and Federico to Elga's house where I spent two hours tutoring her two children. First I tutored Alessandro, we spent half the lesson doing some exercises in his English book, and then the other part of the lesson, we looked at practising pronouncing the words we identifed last week and then read some more of Snow White (Biancanieve). His pronunciation is getting better although he often pronounces the english letters with italian sounds. It gets confusing because Italian E is said Ay and Italian I is pronounced Ee. 

After Alessandro, I tutored Francesco. We did the same pattern. Exercises in his book and then practicing the words and then reading aloud. He has also improved in pronunciation.

When we finished, Alessandra came and all of us went to the park. Both Elga and Alessandra had planned to go to see a friend of theirs who might be moving to Saudi Arabia but she wasn't there. The boys (Alessandro, Francesco and Federico) played basketball. On an afternoon and evening the basketball court and football pitch all full of the older lads, but on a morning it's empty so they could have the run of it.

I had brought  Alessandra's Italian copy of Pride and Prejudice with me so I sat reading it whilst they chatted. It's lucky I have read it so much in English and know the first chapter pretty much by heart so I could translate the meaning of all the words. Alessandra also got me to read aloud to Elga and her to practice my pronunciation.

We had carbonara for lunch and after that Alessandra took Bea to her piano lesson. Interestingly in Italian the piano is the piano forte and the english piano forte is the piano fortissimo. While they were out Fede continued writing a story about motorcross, I then had to persuade him to do some guitar practice. Point of difference in Spanish toca is you play, in Italian it is you touch. So I accidently told Fede to touch his guitar for fifteen minutes instead of play it! He did however correct me and I will not be making that mistake again.

After guitar practice we played on the wii unlocked some new levels and then played scarabeo. By the time we finished scarabeo Alessandra came back. Bea had gone to see a friend who had just come back off holiday. Me Alessandra and Fede then went out to the library, we returned the DVDs from last week and took out some new ones: Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda, Mirror Mirror and Aladdin King of Thieves as well as some Naples comedy thing that Fede wanted to see. I also got out some English books, Jane Eyre, 1984 and Mirror Mirror.

We tried to watch Kung Fu Panda when we got back but the disc was so scratched it wouldn't play so we swapped to Puss in Boots instead. This time we watched it in Italian with English subtitles but the next movie we will watch will be English with Italian subtitles.

Thanks to everyone who is reading this it's gratifying to know my life is somewhat interesting! I have had sniggers directed to me about my poor spelling and grammar despite the fact I have just completed two a levels in English Literature and English Language. My apologies! However let me explain why:

1. I am writing from an Italian computer where the keys are in different places
2. Also spell check is in Italian and every word is underlined and I do not have the time or patience to check them
3. The punctuation keys are deceptive. It says it's an apostrophe but it's actually a an: à the apostrophe is actually located on the dash key.

So please please please read it with a little lenience for my poor brain clouded with Italian that I don't understand!

Buonanotte!

Day 14: Two Weeks

Today was long and long and long and long and long and involved some crying.

I got up at 7.15 to get reay for church. Then at 8 Alessadra drove me to Castel San Giovanni's train station so I could catch a train to Piacenza where the branch I attend is. It all went fine on the way, I got on the right train and got off at the right stop. 

The American sister missionaries met me at the train station and walked me to the chapel. Sister Gross and Sister Beaumont. It was about a ten minute walk. It was fifth Sunday so we had a combined on missionary work more specifically their branch mission plan. 

One of the sisters translated it into English for me. 

Throughout the meeting Sister Gross translated what they were saying. 

After the combined we had Sunday school. Sister Gross skipped gospel principles to translate for me which was great. It was supposed to be on love, but  it seemed to be a lesson on dissing King Solomon. 

In the break between Sunday school and sacrament I got introduced to lots more people and also got roped into saying the closing prayer of sacrament - fortunately I was allowed to say it in English. The guy that introduced me called Stefano during his introduction also told everyone that at some point I would be giving a talk. Hooray. Better learn some Italian very very fast. 

Afterwards, I got introduced to the two Elders they were also from America. Four Americans it is brilliant so many people tha understand EVERYTHING I say. Then the sisters walked me to the train station again. Here is where the crying starts. 

We got there in plenty of time, stood waiting at the correct platform - platform one. No train. 12.30 no train. It was supposed to leave at 12.35. 12.33 no train. As I scanned the platform to search for it I saw a side platform also called platform 1 slightly hidden by the main building with a train waiting. So I ran but the doors wouldn't open and it drove off. I felt so awful the train I needed came only every hour and the family I was staying with were having guests for dinner. I wanted to cry so badly and would have except the sisters had waited to see if I got the train and I wasn't going to cry in front of them. 

So I had to wait and hour for the next train. The Sisters offered to stay but I told the to go as it was already past lunchtime it would be a long wait and I had a book with me so I would be fine. When the train pulled in I triple checked it was the right one and when I sat down I burst into tears. I was so upset with myself. 

Luckily for me it had started to rain. This meant that the dinner guests cancelled due to the bad weather and so it wasn't such a problem. The only side effect seemed to be everyone ate a lot more at dinner because they'd waited so long for it. 

After lunch I read a lot more of The Book Thief and then me and Bea went on a bike ride. It was a bit of a go slow day. It didn't brighten up until later afternoon so we stayed inside most of the day. After the bike ride I finished my book. 

I cried again. 

I cried a lot at that book. 

It's a great book. 

Now I need to see the movie. 

Of course they all found it funny that I had cried at the book but it was moving. I can't wait to read it again. I also have a new favourite name - Max. I'll add that to my collection.

After I finished we all packed up and moved back to Milan. I prefer it here in Milan. Yesterday night and tonight are One Direction concerts. More tears because Bea really wanted to go but couldn't. She was almost able to as her friend got hold of some tickets but she sold them to someone else so that made it a lot worse. 

However this week me and Bea are going shopping and I discovered she likes baking so we are also going to make cheesecake! 

Ciao. 

Day 13: Relax, take it e-easy

Mika is quite popular over here his songs are on the radio a lot which are great because I really like them. Today it was Grace Kelly. It's in all the supermarkets too.

Lied in until 9am today I was up so late last night. Watching a program on Italian TV that didn't finish until midnight!! 

Had apricot pastries for breakfast they were very sweet and tasty. 

After breakfast we took Bea to her horse riding lesson. Normally she rides Cisco but he had a sore leg so she was on Loulou instead. Loulou seemed okay but was a very small horse. Hopefully Cisco will be rideable next week. 

After we got, I continued reading the book thief. I got through quite a bit I like it a lot more the more I read it. It's a very good book. I was reading in the living room but then the boys came in to watch motorcross on the TV and it was hard to concentrate. 

We had lunch skewer kebab things. They were nice but had cubes of fat skewered on them which I found bizarre and couldn't eat they were too slimy. 

After lunch I sat outside to continue reading the book their. I fell asleep but luckily it wasn't very sunny just warm so I avoided sunburn. However I got woken up because the house next door were spraying their grapes with pesticides and Alessandra called me to come in as it is poisonous. It smells horrible and they did it last week as well. 

After they had stopped, me and Fede went on a bike ride again. He always rides so fast so we get back really quick.

When we got back Stefano took me Fede and Bea out in the car for a drive to see the surroundings. We went up a very steep gravel hill I thought the car might begin to roll backwards because it was hard to get up. Luckily we didn't. There were some nice views at the top though. 

We picked up pizza for tea from a pizzaria. They make the base differently, it's very thin almost like pancake and very crunchy. It was okay but I prefer the thicker bases. You can get one called 'Americano' which has chips and bacon on. I had Margherita. 

Buonanotte. 

Day 12: The hills are alive with the warmth of sunshine

Last night got quite cold, the fog came down just after we arrived it was very thick. By morning though it had completely disappeared and it has been a warm and lovey day!

Fog last night

Same place this morning 

In the morning we just chilled out. It was warm but still quite breezy. We drove into Santa Maria della Versa to buy some garden canes. Alessandra has a vegetable garden and needed them to prop up her tomatoes which were taking over the ground. After that, we went to the town hall in Rovescala to drop off the details of the water consumption for the water meter so if they have paid too much they get money back or too little and they will get a further bill. 

Fede likes drawing and writing his own stories. Currently he's writing one about motorbikes. He designed his own circuit. 

Fede

The circuit 

After that we had lunch. It brightened Up afterwards, so me Fede and Bea went on a bike ride around Rovescala. It only took 15 minutes though it was quite far. There were lots of downward hills though where you don't need to pedal so that took off a lot of time and effort. 

Mine and Fede's bike

Bea

When we got back me and Bea sunbathed it was gloriously warm! Fede was going to go in the pool but the flies kept attacking him so he didn't in the end. It was nice just relaxing in the sun and listening to music. I've been to busy to listen to music these past weeks so it was great to hear it. 

At about four we all drove into Stradella and some of the smaller villages to pick up various supplies. Paint, groceries, electric wires and plug heads. We also got ice creams, I had raspberry and cream. The raspberry was a very strong flavour and very nice. 

These are the giant watermelons. 17kg for €8 which is 0,49€ per kg. They are huge!

We stayed out till about 7 and when we got back we had tea. I played Fede at chess and checkers. I won the chess game! But he beat me at checkers. 

Alessandra has a different way of cooking courgettes. She cooks them like chips in the batter/oil thing sliced up in long rectangles. They tasted really nice. She also did the flowers which were okay but I wasn't fond of them. 

I started reading the Book Thief. It's a different book and it ist making much sense at the moment. Hopefully it will in a bit. I think Death is narrating the book? But I can't be sure. 

No tragic sunburn so far just a little redness which I think is more from being hot than burnt. Success I am tanning. 

My legs hurt so much from cycling. As well as going down the hills you had to go up them too. Wow my muscles are sore! 

Oh and whilst we were in town we bought my train tickets for Sunday for getting to church. 

You buy them from an automatic machine in the station. They are printed out with the date of travel and the stations too and from but not the time. This is because on Sunday I'll take my ticket to Piacenza and place it in machine which will activate it and make it usuable for five hours after. Same on the way back, so it's valid for that day but any time. It's very clever. 

Ciao. 

Day 11: Museum

It was raining again this morning, how delightful! It makes it hard to go out to do anything.

This morning Alessandra had to go out to the office, but afterwards we were going to go to the Museum of Natural History about an ten minute drive away. However, once at the office things came up that meant she would be engaged the whole morning. So, we shuffled plans, Alessandra rang Elga and we arranged that I would come and tutor in the morning for an hour so we would have the afternoon free to visit the museum.

I took to the tutoring an English Fairytale book for the children to read aloud to practice their pronunciation. It worked really well and we made a lsist of all the words they struggled on to be practiced for the next day with pronunciation guides written next to them. However, I forgot to bring the book back with me so I will have to pick it up next week.

After lunch (which was hamburgers, gherkins and cheese and salad), myself, Alessandra and Federico went out to the Museum. Bea does not like museums, or anything really that is not a shop so she stayed at home. It was about a ten minute drive. It is strange because usually we walk everywhere or get public transport as there is very little parking in Milan, and also there are not many areas cars can drive in. The internal city is split up into zones.

The Museum was huge and in a lovely 19th century building with arched windows and coloured stones. It had a large exhibition inside, however they do not keep good care of the displays, the glass was very dirty and in need of a good clean. They had displays on insects, dinosaurs, animals also a mineral section but it was closed.

The museum

It's name

Fossil that looked like flowers 

Colourful shell 

Dinosaur

Giant clam

Ceiling above the stairs

Part of a huge whale skeleton

The museum is set in the grounds of a large parkland, so we explored it after. In it was a dodgems, carousel, pond-lake thing with ducks and playpark areas.

After we got back from the museum, Alessandra and Beatrice went out to see a friend of Alessandras who is near her pregnancy due date. Whilst they did that, me and Federico walked to Massimo's to get ice cream (Fede got chocolate and cream and I got mandarin  and cream) big plus I ordered correctly in Italian!

Massimo's 

When we got back to the house, we watched the other DVD we borrowed from the library - Aladdin. We watched it in English with Italian subtitles so he can get used to hearing English spoken and some new words.

I also called my family again on google hangouts, as tonight we go to the hills and there is not any wifi up there and internet connection is poor and slow. We will probably be at the hills until sunday, hopefully the weather will be good like last week and we can go in the pool again and on a bike ride.

I have all my train times sorted for Sunday as well! So everything is prepared.

Fino a domani.

Day 10: Buses, Trains and Trams

Last night it was throwing it down with rain and this morning it still was. It was so heavy and thick it was like a wall. We had planned to explore Milan in the morning but it was too wet and thundery and lightningy so it wasn't very safe.

Instead we spent the morning inside. I plaed chess with Fede and read English books with both Fede and Bea to help with their pronunciation. I taught Fede how to tell the time in English and quizzed him on it throughout the day also. 

After lunch it had brightnened up, we went to tutor Elga's boys but only Alessandro today. After the tutoring we went into the centre of Milan to sight see. 

We took a bus to San Androgomo which is a Romanesque style church from the 900's. Parts of it are much newer though. They expanded it during the renaissance and their are baroque side chapels and tombs in other styles.

You can use the tickets for bus, train and tram. When you get on transport your ticket is dated and timed by a machine and it is valid for use an hour and a half after your first use. 

San Androgomo

I couldn't decide if this ceiling was painted or stone worked?

Mosaic behind the altar

Medieval fresco

In the church you could go down into the crypt. They have the skeletons of three saints buried there it was a little freaky they were in a glass coffin so you could see all their bones. 

After the church Alessandra took us to the university she studied law it, it was opposite. Also nearby was the Milano monument for the dead unknown soldiers of World War II there are about 5 thousand soldiers buried in it.

We arrived there too late because sometimes it is open and you can go in and look round it.

After that we walked into the centre of Milan. They have a huge shopping centre full of extremely posh shops. I saw Louis Vuitton, Versace, Cartier, Prada etc. they also have Abercrombie and Fitch and more high street shops like H and M. 

The buildings of the shopping centre were very big and beautiful. There were frescoes above the shops and huge mosaic floors. 

Glass roof and a fresco

The crest of Milan as a mosaic on the floor.

After looking at the shops we went to see the remains of a Roman Imperial Palace that was once here. The diagrams show it to be huge but all that is left is pretty much rubble. 

Also, like at the castle we visited last week there were lots of the protected cats around enjoying the sun.

We went into a bookshop to pick up something for Bea to read. They had an English section! After much deliberation I chose to get the Book Thief over the Fault in our Stars. It promises to be a good read! My first purchase in Milan. 

After the bookshop they took me to see a famous theatre and opera house called the Scala. It's well known for it's ballets and orchestra but it has been clasped for two years or so for renovations to the inside. Opposite the Scala there was a statue of Leonardo da Vinci who helped design and build it. 

Leo

The Scala. 

In the evening lots of Mosquitos come out, so they put out boxes with candles I to keep them away they also look very pretty. 

Buonanotte

Day 9: Quello = Kwello not kello

Curse my Spanish lessons! I get it totally mixed up with Italian!

Today in the morning again I went over the Elga's house to tutor her sons Alessandro and Francesco. Today we focused on reading aloud and pronuncing words correctly. We worked on reading the questions and exercises aloud and also pointing at various objects and labeing them. We also looked at telling the time, parts of the body and how to introduce yourself in English.

After that we came home and had lunch, after which Alessandra had appointments  so me and Federico played chess again. I'm so out of practice he beats me every time! After chess finished we practiced reading aloud. Fede read from an English copy of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, we read about six pages and made a list of all the words he struggled on to practice and attempt again tomorrow. After that I read aloud from Fede's Italian book. My promouciation is so bad! It doesn't help that the alphabet is pronounced differently and has letters missing!

The Italian Alphabet is: ah, bee, chee, dee, ay, ayffay, jee, ahkkah, ee, jay, ayllay, aymmay, aynnay, oh, pee, koo, ayrray, ayssay, tee, oo, vee, tzaytah (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, I, j, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, z). This one word in particular 'quello' I keep pronouncing as 'kello' but it should be 'kwello'. My Spanish education makes it harder because the words are so similar but not the same. 

After reading we all went on the wii Mario tennis, then Beatrice did her piano practice and Fede practiced his guitar. When they had finished we watched a movie - Guillaver's Travels - in Italian with English subtitles so they could compare languages and see the English spellings. 

There seems to be a lot of summer storms in Milan. It is sunny one minute and then the next it is throwing if down with rain! But by morning it is as if it never rained. The thunder is very loud and the lightning very bright too. 

The sky

Can't really see the rain but the view from the balcolny 

For tea we had fish. Fede can't stand fish the taste or the smell so he has to eat in a separate room to the rest of us. 

I started re-reading Jamaica Inn again. After reading Rebecca I didn't particularly like Daphne du Maurier, but Jamiaca Inn is incredible! Why do we always have a soft spot for the 'bad' guys in literature? Jem Merlyn may be a horse thief but like Mary Yellan does you feel a strange attraction to Jem.

The attraction to Jem is probably helped by the fact that he's played by a rather good looking actor in the BBC version with a rather sweet accent. 

Ciao 

Day 8: It's been a week since England

Busy, busy! I slept in a little this morning I was so tired still and felt better for it.

This morning I had my appointment with another mother Elga to spend an hour on English with each of her sons Alessandro and Francesco. So after two hours of English work I easy up by €20 which was nice! I will have that every day this week till Friday so it's a nice little job on the side. They boys are friends of Fede as well which means when they aren't working they can play. 

After that Alessandra had work, she is a lawyer like her husband so she had some hearings at court and then a school governors meeting after. Me and Fede built some more of his Lego models. The box is nearly empty of bricks now we have built them all nearly. 

Vehicles

Pirates

Ambulance

Castle

Dog

Car

Once we finished this, Bea went out to her piano lesson, her father picks her up on his scooter and drops her off. While she was out me and Fede played chess he won again! Then we went to the park, because some of his friends were going to be there. We spent an hour or so before his friends had to go home and the we left. 

When we got home we played Italian scrabble - Scarabeo and went on the wii. When we play scarabeo we have to allow English and Italian words otherwise we'd never be able to make any words! 

Scarabeo with the Fede. 

After we finished on the wii we all got ready to go out to dinner at a friends house. It was a short walk away. The evening was really nice, the food was lovely, Alessandra even made Tiramasou that had nesquik powder instead of coffee so I could have some! The family we had dinner at have a very cute child called Alessandro he is two and so adorable, he goes around doing little evil laughs it's was very sweet. 

They run on different time schedules in Italy even now at 11.33 we are still at the house I wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't back home before midnight! I think I'll be sleeping in tomorrow otherwise I won't be able to function. 

Oh it's also started raining heavily and there has been lightning. I didn't bring a jacket to the dinner and none of us brought umbrellas. Oops! 

Ciao.