NINA - Last Week: Going Away

December 23rd - 11 p.m.

Dear Claire,

                  How are you? I’m so excited, I’ve just arrived at home, my real home, here in Barcelona. After three long months, I’m writing to you from my small room again…You can’t imagine how I feel! I have to tell you so many things, but I’m going to start from the final week.

The last days in Italy were fantastic. After shopping in Verona, I spent a day with my host family in Sirmione, a nice town near lake Garda. The quietness of that place helped me to relax and to think about all the experiences I had done in Italy. I remembered the embarrassment and the astonishment of the first period, the happiness when I met new friends, the terror of the earthquake. All these things have changed my personality, I ‘ve grown up and now I’m more responsible and self-confident than before. For the whole  week, I didn’t know whether to be sad or happy. I would have missed    Italy, but I was glad to see my family again. These thoughts were interrupted by a beautiful surprise: my classmates told me that they had thrown  a party for me. We went to Anna’s house and there we had lunch all together and then we danced. They also gave me a book with   photos and   notes as a memory of the experience. I’d never had more fun in my life.  I was really touched by this ‘’going away’’ party because I didn’t expected it. I won’t ever, ever forget them, they have been so amiable with me.

going away party

That evening, on my way to my host family’s home, I was thinking about the past three months had spent in Italy. I started thinking about all the little things that I was going to miss about Vicenza and the Italian lifestyle. The very first thing that came up to my mind was coffee! When you get acquainted with Italians,  you’ll definitely  be invited to have a “thousand coffees”, because having a coffee together is not just drinking: it  is a social rite  . Moreover, the famous Italian “happy hour”: when the working day is over, between six and seven o’clock, Italians   meet in bars to have a spritz together, eat some chips and chat about their day. On Fridays, during the “spritz time”, you can really feel the week-end is starting up! Streets are full of people and their voices are like music: that’s the magic of the Italian language and its harmony! I remembered when I got to Vicenza in September and I saw people having the “aperitivo” for the first time; they were sitting at bar tables in the beautiful frame of Piazza Dei Signori, with its magnificent Basilica Palladiana,. I also loved Piazza San Lorenzo, Corso Palladio and Piazza Matteotti with the famous Palladio’s masterpiece,  Teatro Olimpico.

spritz time

So many memories and feelings: the smell of the delicious Italian pizza and genuine tomato sauce for spaghettis when you pass by small restaurants or pizza houses and the smell of the fresh bread very early in the morning when you pass by a bakery. If you’re lucky enough to be one of the first customers, you will taste fantastic just baked Italian bread! And then, the surroundings, which are simply amazing: the colors of the flowers on the balconies and on the tables of restaurants and bars, the lights of the small clubs that illuminate the darkness of the night, the flavour and the simple look that make Italian meals so special..

That evening, when I was walking home, I hoped that all those beautiful memories would stay for ever in my mind like many little pictures hanging on a wall.

And guess what happened when I got to the airport and saw my family? I greeted them with a “ciao!” and I hugged all of them crying! In my soul mixed feelings were fighting: I was finally home with my loved ones, but a little piece of my heart was already missing Italy and all my friends and my host parents  . With may parents I  talked about the Italian lifestyle, meals, routine, things I saw, people I met.. And as I remembered all those beautiful moments, I realized that words can’t tell how this experience has changed my life. The only thing I know is that I’m seriously thinking about going to visit them in summer with my family. That would be great!

Now I have to go back to my routine but I’m aware that the world out there jas been looking a little bigger    since I got back.

This has been a long day: with the flight and all these emotions   I feel exhausted, so I’m going to bed.. I’ll write you soon, goodbye for now!

 Noemi Beatrice Bildiroglou

 Nicola  Bazzan

NINA - Week 2: Getting Around

                                                                                                                                 October 7^th, 10 p.m.

Dear Claire,

How are you? Is the school going well?

Here everything was great but, on Monday afternoon, I had a brief argument with my host family. I came out of school and I ran home because I knew that the wedding of Juan Carlos  Borbon’s son,  Felipe, was going to be broadcasted at 3.00 o’clock. I was interested in seeing his bride, her   wedding dress  and if   they had invited  any celebs. When I got home, however, I saw seven men glued to the TV watching a football match. I absolutely hate football matches!! I immediately thought: it’s just like home; when there’s a match, my brother invites all of his classmates to watch it.  So, I come close to   Francesco and I reminded  him that I had told him a week before that I would have liked watching this wedding. Nevertheless, he said that he hadn’t noticed it written  on the calendar. I had forgotten to do it. But I didn’t want to give in so, like a tiger, I ran to the TV and turned it off. As soon as I did it,  they all furiously shouted at me to turn it on. So my host mom arrived and she   proposed going her friend’s house. I turned the TV on and followed her. Over  dinner I asked my host father if he was cross with me but,  surprisingly, he wasn’t.

During the second week at school I met some students from the other classes. On Thursday, after Philosophy class,  I went to the school  library to revise some notes. It is quite nice and cosy,  not crowded as the one in Barcelona. I took a seat in  opposite a boy called Tom who at once  understood that I was a new arrival  at  school so, we introduced each other. I spent a lot of time talking about my new experience in Italy:  because of that I didn’t do what I had planned. He was very fit and he told me that he had practiced  athletics up to a year before, but now because of his girlfriend, he is forced to spend all his free time with her. Romantic, I thought. On the following day I saw one of my classmates, Luisa, kissing Tom.  And it was clear to me why he was forced to give up   his passion: Luisa is the most moody, competitive and  jealous girl that I have ever met, but also the prettiest in the school. I hate her!!!! The first time we saw each other was at school and she told me arrogantly: “What are doing here? Go back to your country, we don’t want foreigners here !!!”. I would have liked to strangle her but, she was rescued by the English teacher. Apart from this episode,  I really like my classmates and I also like living here.

The following days went by very fast and my relationship with my host family has got really good. Last  Saturday they organized a sightseeing tour around Vicenza. Firstly they took me to the Olympic Theater. It was absolutely fantastic. The most interesting thing are the seven streets which represented the city of Thebes. The first performance was held during the Carnival of 1585. 

Then, we had lunch at a farm house where we ate typical food: wonderful!! I really liked    the stockfish.  During the way back, Francesco took a shortcut to show me the “Villa Rotunda” which, with the Basilica and the Olympic Theatre, are the most popular buildings by Palladio. The villa was built in 1570.  In 1591 it was bought by Capra family.

Finally, tired but happy,  we returned to the city centre for an aperitif. We parked our car not too far from the town centre. When Francesco got out,  a man dressed in black  approached  him, and pulled out a gun from under his coat. At first I thought it was one of his friend who was simply joking,  but then   I saw that he was   terrified and before the robber could say  a word, Francesco  gave his wallet  to him. The robber ran  away leaving us speechless. A few days later, we would have discovered that the robber  had been  arrested. I’ll never forget this experience, I have never been so afraid  for myself and for someone at the same time . 

Now I must go. It’s really late,

Goodnight Clare, I’ll write to  you tomorrow.

Giacomo Filippo Segato