Favorite part of the morning was when I discovered that "Brothers & Sisters" was on tv...in Italy...what??? Thank you Italy for allowing me to randomly find some of my FAVORITE shows. Even if they are in Italian, I still LOVE them. I usually know the story line, so I can follow some of the Italian, but it is usually too fast, so I just follow the action of the story and try to recall the story line. So, that is what I had to do for this episode of B & S because it was from the 5th season and I have only seen that season once.
I also went out briefly to get some fruit for tonight and to have tomorrow. I decided to walk just a little bit before I went, so I walked in a random direction and ended up just going in a small circle until i came back around to where the fruit place was, but I felt good about at least getting out for a little bit. It was not quite as much walking as I usually do, but it was nice. I got a few clementines and a banana (to take on the train), and my sweet fruit lady was loving as usual. I think it is funny how she refers to me as Professoressa, which I am not. She was telling some lady that was in there about me, but telling her that I was from London. I did not have the heart to correct her, and I figure that next week when she meets my mom she will find out the difference. She was SHOCKED that I was in workout capris, but it really was not that cold outside. I mean it was cool, but not miserably cold or anything. So, I took my fruit and headed home.
I spent most of the day writing, cleaning, packing, etc. etc. I had my usual lunch...yummy! I talked to my momma on the phone for a bit. I took a shower....put my hair in pigtails, and got dressed to meet Francisco and Sofia to go ice skating later. We were meeting at 5, but I ended up not getting to leave until 5, and then I had to stop at TIM to put money on my account so that my plan would renew itself. So shoot me, I was running on Italian time!
I stopped at the TIM store on the Corso because my regular one was CROWDED!! Francisco called me just as I was leaving, and I told him that I was almost there. So, when we met up he said, "so, Italian time has finally influenced you!!!" Haha...oops. It usually does not, but this time it did! He told me that there would be some others joining us later, but we could go ahead and start skating. I was a little nervous to do this, but excited at the same time! So, we paid our 7 euros, left our shoes and purses in their respective places, and got our skates. I had no idea what size shoe I wore in European sizes, but Francisco guessed a 39, and sure enough when I took off my UGG to look, I wear a 39.
I did have trouble getting my right foot into the skate though because my Achilles was hurting...thought of Mattea. However, got them on, tightened them up, and we were off. It was a litlte scary for me because I was afraid that it would hurt my knees, and I got a slow start, but eventually I let go of the wall and actually ice-skated. WOO HOO!! I was really proud of myself for letting go of the wall. It was fun! We took some pictures, and I did the dangerous thing of using my phone and camera to take pictures while I was skating! Some guy gave me a balloon, which I eventually passed on to this sweet little boy that was standing outside of the rink! He was so sweet, and I just wanted to keep him! I skated a little longer, and we even made a small human train around the rink; well, until they told everyone that you could not do that. So, then I could feel my left patella tendon hurting, and I decided to call it quits. I sat down for a bit, hoping that resting it would work, and I even stood on the ice a little longer afterwards, but I could tell that I had pushed it far enough! There was no sense in pushing it so far that I was in pain the whole time I was in Rome. I told Francisco and Sofia that I would have to sit down, but I genuinely wanted them to continue skating, which I did! I did what I came to do: skate for just a bit, and to be able to say that I ice skated at Christmas time in Italy; something I've never even done in New York City. While I waited, I went and bought gum, and scrolled through Instagram because my internet was almost up, and I had plenty of data left. When their hour was up, we met some of their friends who were just now skating. Then we headed to a nice little bar to get a snack. Francisco and I got tiny cannolis, and Sofia got a huge cannolo and a coffee. We took our stuff upstairs to sit. I was SO EXCITED for the heat! The wind outside was miserable. The temperature was not too bad, but the wind... the wind was a killer. So, we just sat and talked...teaching each other new words in our respective languages...well, they were not teaching me Spanish, which is their first language. Francisco did tell us this funny story about what he tells people when they ask how he came to Italy. What they mean is why did he come here, but they sometimes say how. So, he said that he tells them that they took a boat and that it took 3 days...and the makes it this big dramatic/sarcastic story! I told him, well, that is SO Italian of you! He makes it dramatic with having to plug a hole in the boat with his finger, very little food, etc. It was so funny...and we all agreed that it was sooo Italian of him to give such a dramatic story! I'll give the Italians this, they are WONDERFUL story tellers because they know how to add flare to any story! So, this was hilarious...and the equivalent to our "big fish" stories. It was eventually time to head back out into the cold to meet their friends, and then we would go to the Living Nativity at the Duomo, which is in the historical center.
We walked to meet their friends. After meeting a few people, mostly from South or Centrla America, and a girl from Switzerland, whose father is another pastor here in Cosenza, or nearby. So, I was able to speak Italian with one lady, and I did an okay job of it. It helped that she was not that great of an Italian speaker either. Anyway, after standing in the cold for longer than necessary, it ended up being just the three of us going to the nativity. After that was decided, we walked closer to where they had parked their car. Francisco went to get the car while Sofia and I waited. My momma called at this point, and I was happy to talk to her! Then we were off to the historical center. During the drive I was able to talk to my \a, April, on facebook chat some! I love her! The historical center is so beautiful. We had to ask a policeman where to park, but we got to park closeby. Then we walked to the Duomo and paid our 3 euros for the Nativity; which was for the food you got to eat! So, it was really cool because this was all built into the outside of the church, which is beautiful! I really cannot describe it, so I will have to let pictures do the talking. It was really cool, and then we got to where they were giving out some traditional treats from the area. The first thing we came to were ladies making Cuddruriaddri, which I was really excited about...I'll have to come back to Cosenza next year around Christmas, just for a cuddruriaddri....haha.. We also had a turdilli (I hope I spelled that one correctly!!)....and some bread with this eggplant mix thing (sooooooo goooooooddd), some wine, a fried pumpkin thing, and....I think that was it, but it was enough to fill me up, and it was AH-MAZING!!! It was set up like a little village, which is like the Italians' crib. Then when we got down to where the manger was, I saw my sweet student, C.. This is the student that took Nick and me on a tour of the Duomo. She was excited to see me, and I was excited to see her; she was also excited that Francisco was with me because he speaks Italian! So, she also reminded me (not that I had forgotten) that she was going to talk to me about touring with my mom. We agreed to text each other. So, I was excited that she remembered, and is still willing to do this! I really want my momma and Barbara to see as much as possible, and I want them to feel as welcomed as I did! So then we saw the baby Jesus. OOOH..I forgot...there had been real chickens, guineas,a HUGE pig, and bunny rabbits ..huge bunny rabits and I wanted to pet them. So, when we made it to where Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus were, there was a cow and a donkey! THe sweet little angels were there, and one was so precious that I wanted to just hold her and squeeze her...she ran up to us to hand us some piece of paper. Then we discovered that the baby that really was swaddled in blankets was a REAL baby...sucking a pacifier and sleeping away as though nothing was happening. It was sooo incredibly sweet! It was just amazing! I was so glad that we came! After this, we made our way out of the nativity! We stopped and took a picture with one of the "soldiers" and then headed to the car! It was really nice, and I reeeeeallly hope to bring my momma and Barbara next Saturday night. I want them to see it...I want them to try the food...and it was just incredible. The night before I had shown Francisco a picture of me being the angel in the live Natvity at our church when I was little, and then again last year! This is even more reason I want my momma to come; because the live nativity is something we always do together, and this year they all went without me; obviously!
So, there is only ONE way in and ONE way out of the historical center. Francisco and Sofia had not seen the theatre in lights, so we stopped and took a picture. Then, as we made our way out of Cosenza Vecchio, we stopped at the top to take pictures of the town at night. It was cool because you could see the words hanging over Corso Mazzini, and just all of the lights...they were so sweet to stop and let me take pictures! I LOVE ITALY!!! They were going to dinner in Rende with everyone else, but I knew I needed to go home and finish packing and getting ready to leave for a week. I knew that dinner would go late, and I was not even hungry! The other thing I knew was that I would miss my last chance to skype with Nick before his plane left. So, I had them drop me off at home.
I did get to talk to Nick for a while as he waited at the gate, and then again as he was on the plane.
It was fun to skype with him..and I've never skyped with anyone as they waited on a plane! I also talked to my momma and daddy (a little because he was being mean...). I ended the night by repacking and getting really excited for Rome/Gubbio/MY MOMMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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