Farewell Cena

Tonight we had our closing "ceremony," and farewell cena (dinner). It was delicious - lasagna, rosemary grilled chicken, grilled peppers, and - of course - tiramisu! We have had dolce the past three nights - I will miss it terribly. Here are some shots of dinner, bacio candies, tiramisu and the amazing room where I have ate for the past three months (top).

Morning Fog

We are in our last week of Villa life. The weather is cooler - although we are certainly lacking the same frigidity as home - when the sun came out today it was almost warm enough not to wear a jacket. And this morning, the fog was thick on our way to breakfast. It's hard to believe that it is almost time to leave - times has flown so quickly, and yet we have done so much that I feel as if I've been gone for much longer.

Although I will be sad to leave this wonderful place, I am looking forward to some of the comforts of home - my family, my friends, my bed, and of course cooking. I have had some Tuscan inspired gluten-free recipes brewing in my mind for the past few months, and it is time to put them to the test! I hope to post more about those in the future, as I continue my adventures in the final semester of grad school and beyond. That's all for now, more soon. Ciao.

Thanksgiving (after the fact)

Well, after many questions of whether or not we celebrated Thanksgiving in Italy, I decided to answer the question with a post. Yes - we celebrated Thanksgiving after class in the morning. And the cooking staff outdid themselves. I am 99% sure the Italians think we are crazy for having a day where we give thanks by stuffing our faces and then watching American football / sleeping. None-the-less, Nino and Lucia prepared an absolutely amazing traditional meal of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies, and the most amazing stuffing I've ever had (Dad, I'm working on a gluten-free version!).

The meal was even topped off by homemade pumpkin pie and whipped cream.


The dining room was decorated so beautifully, and they truly made it a special day for us even though we are very far from home.

And, in true American fashion, we watched many episodes of Arrested Development (no TV here), and then took long naps. Grazie di tutto!