Joining the fun . . .

God. I thought I was the only non Italian to visit Orbetello.

I was once the young "Talented Mr Ripley" (or Dickie Greenleaf) there some many years ago.

Ann, two trip reports in one week is becoming a little decadent.

Let the fun begin, indeed!

Can't wait to read more!

We've debated enrolling in an Italian language course but are fearful that class time would interfere with eating,drinking and, of course, dolce far niente. At home everything except very intro classes in Italian have been replaced by Arabic and Chinese at the local colleges. I'm very eager to read about your experience. Thanks for writing!

Eager for more fun!

Ann, I am so impressed that you decided to pursue the idea of the classes in Italy. After every trip I make a vow to take classes and you are a great inspiration!

Count me in for the ride...looking forward to more of you trip report.

I thought you'd like to know I'm here and listening with rapt attention

Waiting to see what transportation you chose to Florence.

I considered this program a few years ago, but with the Siena/Orbetello combo (http://www.saenaiulia.it/). Is it the same school? Maybe I'll get there one day, but am currently leaning towards Il Sasso in Montepulciano. (Your link for the school doesn't work.)

OK - this should work - scusa!

http://www.linguaterramare.com/

kybourbon - it is not the one you mention, and your link didn't work for me either!

the one in Montepulciano looked good to me and i exchanged e-mails with them but it looked a bit of a pig to get to on public transport, so that was why i rejected it.

My transportation to Florence ended up being the train, as buses on a sunday are not very numerous. I did splash out on the Fretta bianca back to Pisa though- which was much more comfortable and cleaner, not to mention faster than the treno regionale I took on my arrival.

thanks very much to all of you for your interest - i will try to maintain it. although i didn't have a wifi link in Orbetello [not even sure of wifi has got there yet!] humpty - there were not many [?any] foreigners there, apart from the language school clients, but they were expecting a large party of american ladies [meaning that they were numerous, not the other meaning, perish the thought], hence my problems hiring a bike that was any use as a bike, that is, about which more later.

Marija, Ek - it really is worth it. I feel that even after a week, i am now able to string sentence/s together much more easily. of course, it wasn't near long enough, and if you really are a beginner, a fortnight would be the minimum to get any facility in the language. but if you are frequent [ie annual] visitors to Italy, the rewards of actually being able to converse, joke and argue with the locals are immense, not to mention being able to read menus, timetables, and notices, which in the more out of the way places where there is no english translation can be a real boon.

of course being Italy there is NO chance that the learning will be allowed to interfere with the important business of eating, and you could always do what i did and enrol in a class that combines the two!

ok - Day 3 coming up.

oops - i meant Day 2!

DAY 2 - Monday 9th May - let the fun begin.

Being still on english time [not on my watch but in my head] I was a little surprised to wake up very early - my mobile which I had charged up overnight was telling me it was only 6.30. Loads of time before school started at 9am. I lay in bed for a while, then got up, unpacked, had a shower, read some e-mails, [it was still only 7.30 according to my mobile] and then got dressed, putting on my watch last of all. Oh no! It had not been 7.30 as my mobile had told me, but 8.30 and by now it was 8.45! Only 15 minutes to get all the things I needed [in truth not a great deal but I didn’t have to time find anything, not even a pen] have some breakfast AND get to the school for 9. It seemed very rude not to stop for breakfast on my first day, but I grabbed some fruit juice and a cornetto [which turned out to be full of custard, which was difficult to eat running, rather than the plain croissant I had expected] said “ciao” and somehow got there for 9am. Phew - not a good start to turn up covered in crumbs and out of breath.

After introductions to the teachers, I was given a short test in Italian to see what my level of knowledge was. They already had a idea from the e-mails we had exchanged and from our conversation the night before, and as I had thought the night before, they decided that I was about the same level as the other students. It is an advantage of a small school like this one that you are more likely to be in a small class; that could turn itself into a disadvantage if you were much more or less advanced than the others. The two danish teachers [who I shall call B1 & B2] had like me been learning Italian for about 3-4 years; the german girl [“E”] had started from scratch about 5 weeks before. We all had our faults but luckily they were different ones which evened us out and meant that we could help each other.

Each morning took the same format - 4 hours conversation and discussion, with exercises in grammar and writing and listening, and a 20 minute pause [which had a tendency to stretch to half an hour] half way through. The emphasis was very much on making us converse in italian, with explanations given in italian as far as possible, which for the first day got a bit tiring after 4 hours or so. At about 1pm, we were free to spend the afternoon as we wished. I had [wrongly] understood that after a lunch break there would be excursions and other activities organised and if I have a criticism, it’s that the timetable was insufficiently explained in advance, but in fact, the excursions did not generally start until the late afternoon or evenings, leaving the afternoon free.

This first afternoon, after a lunch of salad in a near-by cafe that the danish ladies had already found and recommended, I was happy to wander around the town with them, eating gelati and sitting and enjoying the scenery, but after the first day, I found myself rather at a loose end in the afternoons. Again, a larger place such as Florence would give one something to do should this turn out to be the case; instead, today I spent the hottest hours of the day in my room reading [and writing this - as you can see the time was NOT wasted] and listening/watching the TV in the background - very good practice, though I can’t claim to have understood it all.

The timetable for this first day required us to meet at 5pm for a trip to a local beauty spot followed by dinner in a nearby restaurant. Again, possibly there had been a breakdown in communication; the two Bs had not told their respective host families that they would not be dining a casa that evening, and in fact one was invited to dine with the family of the other that night. After much discussion ina confusing combination of italian and danish, I gathered that one host family was much more friendly than the other and produced much better food; that was the one that had issued the invitation that evening, as they were talking pity on B2 whose family were the exact opposite - no conversation apart from “buon giorno” and microwaved meals - virtually unheard of in Italy [and later disputed by the lady in question, who everyone else said was an excellent cook. Clearly something had gone wrong somewhere and the rights and wrongs of the situation will probably never be discovered]. Eventually, it was decided that because neither the excursion nor the dinner invitation could be changed, we would do the excursion, then return the 2Bs to Orbetello, and then return to the restaurant for dinner! I began to congratulate myself on deciding to stay in a hotel - it was not that much more expensive, and I did not have to avoid treading on anyone’s toes.

The excursion turned out to be a trip to some of the local castles, built by a succession of conquerors of the area and thus a very pleasant revision, better delivered and in more detail, of my A level history syllabus - being able to see the ground over which they had been fought helped the Italian wars of the 14th to 16th centuries make rather more sense than they had in an english school-room 30 or so years before, and Maria, who had spent 20 or so years as a tourist guide, certainly knew her stuff. After about an hour and a half of looking around fortresses and taking endless photos of stunnng panoramas, we returned to Orbetello to deliver the Bs for their dinner, then returned to Porto Ercole for ours. Maria clearly thought she knew the best place to go and so it proved - we were greeted like old friends, I was introduced to the owners and the chef, and we had a lovely meal, starting with the antipasti buffet, [ranging from prawns to marvellously sweet onions, aubergine and peppers, as well as sea-food salad, beans and tiny carrots] and then sharing a plate of the lightest gnocchi I have ever tasted, in a sea-food sauce. The only disappointment was that the desserts were not home-made, [shock horror] so we passed and had coffee instead. With a 1/4 litre of wine and a small bottle of water, this all came to the grand price of €29.00 for us both together, which we divided equally between us - a terrific bargain. For those who worry about such things, I noticed that Maria left no tip, and even picked up her 50c change so I followed suit. Back in Orbetello Maria dropped me off and I had no difficulty finding my hotel - thank goodness as by 10.30pm, virtually everybody appeared to be in bed!

Next - Day 3.

I have been looking forward to this, with good reason. So much juicy detail!

Was it AS or A level Italian you recently took annhig?

My link didn't work because of the ). It's http://www.saenaiulia.it/

Opps. I thought the two schools combined to make the combo program (1 week in Siena and 1 in Orbetello), but I guess it's a different school.
http://www.saenaiulia.it/07_4_summer-courses-italian-language-in-siena-italy.php

What was the name of your hotel? Restaurants?

tarquin - I took GCSE the year before last, and AS level last year. i wanted to do A level this, [no, I'm not a masochist, but i find that i study better with an incentive!] but the college wouldn't offer it as "there weren't enough of us to make it worth while" they have however run and advanced conversation class, and will do the same next year, and there are 12 or so of us doing that, so why not offer the A level?

kybourbon - no, definitely NOT the same, though I'm sure it's very good.

my hotel was the Hotel il sole - hopefully @ http://www.hotelsoleorbetello.it/

it was pretty basic for a 3 star and the staff were lovely - so helpful and friendly, and very willing to listen to my italian. the school has an arrangement with them so my €70/night room was only €50, including a pretty reasonable [for Italy] breakfast.

the restaurant the first night was il taverna in via roma [just next to the school, as it turned out, but in the centre of Orbetello nothing is very far away from anything else!] no website as it is not that type of place, but try this:

http://maps.google.it/maps/place?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=il+taverna+orbetello&fb=1&gl=it&hq=il+taverna&hnear=0x132850e06162f87b:0x4082c90e3e5a850,Orbetello+GR&cid=6520531709250555126

it didn't look much but the food was excellent.

oops - that should of course be "la taverna" - not a good start!!! but it is only the beginning of the week, I'll get it right by the end.

and for those who are puzzled, Taverna being a feminine word should be preceded by the feminine definite article ie "la" not the masculine one "il".

lesson one over.

This is just terrific! Maybe the nudge that I need to start looking at schools!

You make a very helpful point about choosing a location where there is enough to do in the time between classes.....

I think staying with the family might enhance the learning experience, but at a cost of having to
be on ones toes, liguistically and socially. Good thing you chose the hotel, Ann!

Oh, sigh. That 3-month class in Perugia is calling out to me. Very enjoyable, annhig.

Ann

How was the traffic in Orbetello? I just remember the busy traffic and the smell.

Argentario was bliss by comparison.

Did you make it to Alberese natural park up the coast?

Do the huge 1950s wooden yachts still come into Porto Santo Stefano?, incredible sight.

I'm so enjoying this, Ann. I've studied Italian for a few years, and have toyed around with the idea of taking a class in Italy for a week. You're addressing all of the questions and concerns that I had, so I'm finding your report both entertaining and helpful. Thanks!

Ann, of course the early part of the afternoon was left free for the siesta. When in Rome....

I'm attracted by the school in Bologna, but wonder if a small not-much-touristed town might not be more fun and more conducive to practicing speaking. In touristy places they take one look at you and speak English. If you speak to them in Italian, they reply in English.

I think that is a good point.

Since I am high on Puglia at the moment, I did a search and turned up these examples in beautiful locales where little English is spoken:


http://www.apuliaciao.it/inglese/scuola.asp



http://www.porta-doriente.com/italian-language-school/index.asp

Mimar, I went to Bologna last year and that's exactly what I found -- I'd speak in Italian, and they'd repsond in English. I didn't let it deter me, though

yes, I'm finding that in florence, it is difficult to make them let you speak italian, though the very attractive young man in the leather working school was very co-operative! [don't worry I was old enough to be his mother and we both knew it, sadly]

Siesta, mimar? it was meant for doing your homework! There is a tension between choosing somewhere like Orbetello where after 15 minutes you've walked round the place twice but there are plenty of opportunities to talk Italian, and bologna, where there is loads to do but little chance to practice what you've learnt.

humpty - yes, the lagoon was a bit smelly and at the beginning and end of the weekend there was a traffic problem with the Romans, [twas ever thus!] but apart from that, it was about as perfect as a place could be. Sadly the details of where we went are a bit hazy - our teacher/guide, being a resident of 30 years or so, had no need of a map so I'm a bit unclear as to whether I got to the places you mention or not!

DAY 3 - Tuesday 10th May.

Determined not to repeat my mistake, I had asked for a wake up call at 7.30, so naturally I was awake by 6.45. So as I had too much time, after breakfast I went out to buy some postcards and stamps - rarely available at the same place IME, and certainly not in Italy. The little shops that sell the cards will direct you to a “tabac” where they will tell you “domani” [tomorrow]. Fortunately, my hotel is right next to the post office which opens at the unusually convenient hour of 8.15 so it was easy [for a change] to dash in and purchase as many stamps as I was likely to need for all the postcards that I would be sending during the whole journey - I got 10. [DH always thinks I send far too many; friends with whom I have travelled have often send far more, so I think that I’ve got it about right!] I say dash in - I simply went up to the counter and asked for “francobolli” but from the look I got, and what I saw afterwards, at busy times there is a waiting system with tickets, like the supermarket deli counter, where the unwary can wait for their ham for a very long time!

Despite all this I arrived at the school doors in good time and we commenced upon another four hours of conversation and grammar. Although I did more today, it seemed easier, so hopefully some of it is sinking in or perhaps it’s just washing over me! After lunch [another insalata caprese, I must get the Bs to try somewhere new!] it turned out that the Bs had hired bikes to get to the local beaches [humph - communication again!] hence my extended session this afternoon communing with my laptop and composing this work of literature. [and and half an eye/ear on “Murder She Wrote” dubbed into Italian on the telly - the plots don’t improve!]

So now we are up to date - it’s 5pm, the shops are opening, and we are due to meet again at 7pm for what is described on the timetable as “cooking- restaurant” I’m going to see if I can hire a bike myself so that i don’t spend the next 3 afternoons at a loose end!

Ciao for now!

Later.

Well, the bike that I hired turned out to the oldest, nastiest, most horrible bike in the whole place. or as in italian, practising my superlatives, " la più vecchia, la più rotta, la più brutta bici in Italia!" I must have “idiot” tatooed on my forehead. I should have realised when he went through all the other bikes before he got to this one right at the back, that it was going to be a rotter. I rode it round for a bit, realising what a pig it was, then took it back to have the seat lowered just in case that made any difference, but of course it didn’t. I’d just about decided to take it back and tell him what he could do with it, when I hit some new asphalt [from the new roads they are doing] and picked it up all over my tyes. So now I had a rotten bike with hot asphalt stuck to it - brilliant. thoroughly p....ed off, I went and had a beer then left the horrible thing in the hotel lock-up.

The plan to do some cooking or at least some preparation in the restaurant didn’t quite work out as expected [are you spotting a theme here?] as it turned out that they were unusually busy for a Tuesday night, so instead, we watched the cook preparing some dishes before we sat down to eat them. Most of what she was doing, albeit it at 3x the speed that I do things in the kitchen, was pretty familiar, but some things were quite new - for example, should I come across an entire octopus, I now know what to do with it!

And the food really was very good - a starter of octopus salad, marinated anchovies and calamari crostini, followed by spaghetti alla vongole con bottarga [and we had a long discussion about whether this version was better than the one I’d had the first night!] and finished off with ricotta tart. All excellent. Then the two Bs and I went and had a digestive at the local bar, [where one of them caused much hillarity by asking for a drink called “strega” which turned out not only to be the italian for “witch” but also a ?local derogatory term for a woman] before hitting the sack.

Tomorrow - we get into hot water.

hmmm....i'm gonna be on my first trip to Italy in June. i wont be able to squeeze in the italian courses this time, so your report makes me want to start planning for my second trip already!

We've had a bottle of Strega, it's an Italian aromatic liqueur, not great but not a joke. Maybe the barman was just enjoying your group/flirting? I am worried about the fourth member of the group, who does she hang out with?

Reading this and other language school blogs suggests that Lucca could be the place for me.

Enjoying this thanks (even as a lapsed Italian beginner - if only the French spoke and ate Italian - or the Italians had the civic pride of the French!)

This is a true adventure. Enjoying your report.

What a grand trip and a wonderful report of the doings of Ann and the Bs!

thanks for all the support, folks, it's nice to know that there's someone out there "listening"

don't weep too hard for the fourth member of our group. She was extremely happy to go "home" to her host family every night as the mother of the family was a superb cook, and they looked after her like a daughter, even seeing off the local "lad" who got a bit over-enthusiastic.

Next installment coming up soon - it's a good job i made some notes as i went along, or I'd have forgotten everything.

My hub went looking for strega one time as well. Very few had heard of it. I can't remember where he read of it. You, Ann?

TDudette - it was one of the Bs who ordered it. the chap standing behind her at the bar though this very funny, perhaps because she was an 'older" woman with black hair? in any event, it led to some good-humoured banter, which was fun. i had heard of it before, but not made the connection with the italian word for 'witch" nor known its other meaning.

she settled for a beer i think!

Strega is an herbal liqueur that comes from Campania, so maybe more popular in the south. It is readily available in the US (popular with older Southern Italians, for after dinner) and I assume in the UK, in case you develop a taste for it!

I stuck to the whiskey.

thanks for the explanation, ek.

no wonder the locals looked so puzzled.

listening in here

Allora!

Eager for more!!!

momentino! mi manca il tempo.

in fact i got home exhausted, and after supper cooked by my lovely DH, went to bed.

all my purchases survived the journey, even the very delicate pasta [one lot of tortllini of pecorino and pear, and another of ricotta and ortega -that's nettle] that couldn't resist in the market the day before I left. i had to jettison the packaging it was in though as it just wouldn't fit in the case and the very kind lady i bought it from in the market had written the cooking instructions on the outside! I am therefore having to e-mail Maria for her suggestions...which I'm sure will be copious.

thank goodness i have today off, so will try to fit in some trip reporting later on. That's not just altruism on my part - I want to get it down so i don't forget anything!

thanks for a fun report!

apparently fresh tomato sauce is the thing - so I'm off to make it now.

I will report back on the results.

DAY 4


It’s proving important to write things down as I go along as I am starting to forget what we did each day!

Mornings take the same course - 4 hours of lessons with a coffee break after about 2 hours or so, which we generally take at the bar in the central square, where they do a very good cappuccino for €2. lessons comprise us taking turns to read a passage or do an exercise, usually photocopied from a text book, or working on our own or in pairs, after which we would discuss, in italian, the correct answers. Having a group of only 4 was great; though the dynamics did get a bit "samey" it was much better than having a much larger group.

after lunch, [which is sacrosanct; no sandwiches at the desk or pasty on the run] Maria has organised a group excursion to a local beauty-spot for which swimming costumes are required, but before that, we are visiting a near-by hill-top town called "Pitigliano". Our first stop is a "photo-opp" - a chance to take pictures and observe the town's history from afar, as it's history is evident from its appearance. In essence, it looks like a trifle - every layer tells a story, with the etruscans at the bottom, the roman and medieval layers above and renaissance layer like whipped cream on top. then we drive into the town and start to explore, with Maria giving us the historical perspective in very great detail.

Personally I would have liked longer just to wander around, but we have a timetable to [try to] stick to. so it's off to Saturnia to visit and swim in the hot springs which cascade down the hill into the pools below. To my mind it's a bit warm for wallowing around in water temps of about 38C, but the others seem to enjoy it. Perhaps it would be better in January! then we have to tear ourselves away to get to the all important restaurant at the appointed time, where we have a booking for wine-tasting and dinner.

after a lot of research, i eventually found the restaurant we went to here:

http://www.cacioevino.it/

not to be confused with the restaurant of the same name on sicily, Cacio e vino is a small to medium sized simple looking restaurant which by 8pm on a tuesday was absolutely packed with people and had a queue all evening. no wander Maria didn't want to lose our table. we were presented with a glass each [apart from Maria who was driving] of a very good local white wine, and a huge platter of antipasti to share, which we later discovered was normally a serving for 3 people, not 5.

Then, along with a glass of very acceptable red wine, we each had a dish the name of which escapes me, but which looked like a pair of breasts sitting together on a plate, and was some sort of combination of ham, cheese, spinach and breadcrumbs, with a hard crust on top and a melting consistency underneath. Finally we were presented with a huge dish of potato gratin, which was yummy. no-one said that they wanted any meat!

we couldn't resist the puds though, the best of which was perfectly fresh ricotta and honey.

Then it was time for home, with Maria positively throwing her car around the corners, causing one of our number [B2] to feel quite ill, so we had to stop so she could go in the front, which seemed to help. This style of driving was unusual for Maria who was generally the slowest italian driver I've ever met, but she was keen to get home, so on this occasion put her foot down. WHile we were going along, I became horribly aware that i had lost a piece of tooth and though it didn't hurt, it was pretty uncomfortable. hoping against hope that i would be able to ignore it for the rest of the holiday, I was relieved to get back to Orbetello and my temporary home. Buona sera, tutti!

tomorrow - I go for an early morning walk, and find....




Trip to Pitigliano followed by Saturnia and meal in local restaurant - large antipasto, funny but very tasty spinach and ricotta dumplings, potatoes, and chocolate torte - but fresh ricotta with honey better. wine tasting?

PS - please ignore the last paragraph - it was my running note to me as i went along, and somehow inserted itself at the bottom of my report.

Fewer details please. I just want to know if you can speak Italian now. Just a or will do.

Xie Xie

Keep the details! (I am trying to picture in my mind the dish that looked like two breasts on the plate

Ann...having tooth trouble while traveling is no fun experience. While I was in Vietnam in March a friend I was traveling with bit into a piece of chewy candy and out came a tooth! She was not a happy camper. She did find a dentist, but refused dental treatment and instead bought the most expensive tube of polident ever, to keep the tooth in place during the day.

Ann, I didn't realize you were off taking your class already. I will catch up on your adventures now. Thank you--and have fun!

Just a question. Looking back at my post earlier today, I see a pictograph(sort of a green cloud with a white mark in the middle of it) and have no idea what it is or how it got there. I hope that it has no offensive meaning. sorry.

Just a question. Looking back at my post earlier today, I see a pictograph(sort of a green cloud with a white mark in the middle of it) and have no idea what it is or how it got there. I hope that it has no offensive meaning. sorry.

It's a goblin face!

I can't remember what the name for little pictures is, but there are a lot of them and you get them by typing in a combination of keys. Hopefully someone else will know what they are.

Great report Ann, I'm really enjoying it, and thinking that I might consider doing something like this one day. My Italian is very basic restaurant stuff, so I really admire you for persevering with it at home and getting to AS standard. You must be pretty good to have got that far. Good luck with doing the A2.

Right now - even as I type! - I am watching the Giro d'Italia on eurosports (sky 411). I'm not into cycling myself, but I love watching these big races, the scenery is spectacular and the views from the helicopter-cam are fabulous. Today's route is through the mountains

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-his/stage-13

and tomorrow there's a huge 15km downhill section on Monte Crostis.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-his/stage-13

hi julia - thanks for the update on the giro! Vederò domani. [does that answer your question, Cold?]

i love watching the cycling, and on the first couple of afternoons was able to find it on RAI 3 [or was it 2?] though the coverage was not as good as we get of the tour de France in the UK and it was not terribly easy to follow. I did however manage to work out that Cav had been pipped to the post in the sprint on the first day i watched, and that there was a very sad fatality on the 2nd. i was able to catch up in the mornings by reading the local paper [rough translation, "The Tyreenian' - bit like the West Briton at home] over breakfast, and though i didn't get it all, i was able more or less to follow what was occurring. Far better than i could on TV, which remained a bit of a mystery to me - perhaps because much of Italian TV consists of scantily clad women disporting themselves, even on footy programmes.

Irishface - non probs. you can download a guide to these "emoticons" and how to create them but I've given up - I could only every be bothered with the smiley face, and I've forgotten even how to do that one.

DAY 5 Thursday May 12th

This morning started with me waking up early, so I decided to go for a walk around the town, hoping to find the launderette I thought I’d spotted when I was wobbling around on la bici, and the times that the bicycle shop was open so I could take the d...n thing back. But just on from the cathedral, I came across the highly polished brass plaque for a dentist....could I? would they be open at 8.45? should I?

perché non? [why not?] so I rang the bell, got buzzed in, and was greeted by a young woman dressed in standard dental nurse uniform, who asked me what did I want? I explained, [I hope] that I had problems with a tooth, would the dentist be able to see me at all? and while she was explaining that he couldn’t, he emerged and started to ask me the same questions. In the end, I think he realised that with my bad italian [why didn’t I pay more attention to that on-line lesson on “At the dentist”?] and his not terribly good english, it would be quicker to have a look. Thankfully he was able to do a temporary repair, [which is still going strong despite his warnings it would only last a week or so] and charged me €30 - cash of course, this IS Italy - for about 20 mins work. Grazie mille!

Singing his praises I arrived at school only a little late, and may well have got him some new patients. Normal lessons and lunch were followed by a trip to the beach at another place I’d never heard of called Sedonia; miles of beach which in the UK would be covered in prone bodies had so few bathers and sun-worshippers that you could bathe nude and no-one would know. We didn’t, but you could. To get there, we had to walk through woods where if you strayed off the path, you’d be trampling roman pottery underfoot. On the way back, we came across a herd of deer so tame that they came up to be petted - in the hope of food of course. Sadly this feeding had led them to lose their fear of humans, but there was little I could do about that, so I kept my feelings to myself and just said how sweet they were.

After this, we went to look at the nearby ruins of a city built in only 6 years by the Romans with the help of the Etruscans. Massive walls [how did they do that?] surround the foundations and the odd wall of a city complete with water systems, plumbing, shops, a rich man’s home, and a temple to Diana. and no fences, guards or security. There are apparently so many roman and other historical remains that to guard them all, let alone restore them, would be prohibitive, so they just don’t bother. generally people don’t know about them, so they are left alone.

The evening was given over to a farewell dinner to the young german student at the home of her host family, who were supposed to be giving us a cooking lesson as well. In truth we didn’t get much of a lesson, though I did pick up a few ideas for example about adding capers to chicken liver pate which was used to make the crostini, but we did get some fabulous Tuscan home cooking. Chicken liver crostini were followed by home made fresh tagliatelli con sugo di coniglio, [rabbit stew ] frittatta, roast fish [bream? and orata] with potatoes and salad, fragolli with lemon [and orange] sugar, nut torte, and coffee! 3 hours later we staggered out of their apartment feeling replete - in fact one of our number [one of the Bs] rather disgraced herself by being sick before she left. this was politely put down to mixing too many different sorts of wine as we had brought prosseco to toast our departing student and a red wine to drink with the meal, but the rest of us were ok. anyway, Maria was clearly mortified and I have no idea what our hostess really thought about it. I suppose they can put it down to our being those funny foreigners!

DAY 6 Friday, May 13th

4 hours lessons again, after which we said goodbye to Eva, who had arrived at the school with 2 words of italian 6 weeks ago, [ciao and pizza, to answer your question] and was leaving with enough italian to make herself understood reasonably well. The family that she had been staying with [where we’d had dinner last night] had obviously taken her to their hearts and helped her a lot, but she had worked very hard at her homework, and she’d done very well.

After a lunch of bresaola [which the italians were surprised to learn one can get in the UK] and salad, there was a trip to il Giardino die Tarocchi, http://www.nikidesaintphalle.com/
which was created by a swiss artist in the style of Gaudi. Who knew that such a place existed 150 km from Rome? I confess that when we arrived I wasn’t that impressed but as our teacher explained it all I found myself intrigued and suddenly found that 2 hours had flown by. After that we went for a wander round a nearby hill town, and then ended up at a restaurant in Orbetello called “I Pescatori “- apparently it’s run by a co-operative of the fishermen of the lagoon, and we were able to eat a mixed antipasto of a variety of local fish, followed by two different types of spaghetti, [the zucchini and bottarga was very good] and to share a roasted fish and potatoes, plus water and wine, all for €50. and I would never have found it by myself!

Tomorrow’s my last day here, before heading off to Florence for a few days. We’re apparently going off on a day trip somewhere - another 8 hours speaking italian but as its my last day, I’d better make the most of it!

This has been delightful, Ann. Looking forward to your Florence report, as well.

This has been delightful, Ann. Looking forward to your Florence report, as well.

thanks, holly -so delightful in fact, you said it twice!

Brava, annhig! More on Florence we hope?

Thanks, Ann, for sharing. It was a pleasure to read of your trip. I am looking forward to reading about the Florence part.

DAY 7 Saturday May 14th

Truthfully, I’ve not got much idea where we went today, and for part of the time I’m not sure that Maria had either [she doesn’t believe in maps, apparently] but w got there and back eventually. Before we left, I wandered round the town for an hour or so looking for presents for the family [particularly DD, who has done a lot for me while I’ve been away, not to mention sending me funny texts from time to time] and I thought I’d found a jacket she’d like, but Maria put me off it, saying we’d certainly find something bettter today, and of course, we didn’t, and even if we had, I couldn’t have afforded the prices they charge the romans who are clearly the cash cows round here.

Despite my best efforts I have not been able to find the name of the main place we went to; I know that it was another hill town somewhere near Siena, with a romanesque cathedral and huge arch across a road in the middle of the town. Maria kindly explained again about romanesque arches being round and gothic ones being pointy; I do think that Italians must have a strange idea of England and the english - in fact I’m sure of it. Apparently we have no idea how to make a stew, but we do eat octopus, and we know nothing about architecture, and very little about history, or art. or perhaps that's just language students!

It being lunch-time, [actually by now it was 2pm more or less as the drive had taken a very long time] we had to find somewhere for lunch, and wandering up a side street, [you NEVER eat in the main piazza - that’s for tourists] we came across a little restaurant whose menu caught Maria’s eye. Regardless of what one might want to eat [for example a soup or a salad] it is necessary to read the entire menu before making a decision as to whether to eat there or not. That has two functions: firstly to educate oneself as to what is on offer, but secondly, to reassure oneself that they have a decent cook - apparently what is on the menu will indicate whether they can cook or not. duly satisfied, we went in and after much discussion about how this and that and the other dish was cooked, we went for bruschetta and soup. This I was learning is perfectly normal and accepted, in fact welcomed as it shows that one is serious about food and will bring to the proceedings a proper appreciation of the cook’s efforts. By co-incidence, the soup turned out to be the very one that I’d been reading about only that morning in the book I’d bought in Orbetello about cooking on the Maremma area of Tuscany, called “acquacotta”. It is apparently an ancient dish originally made by shepherds on the hillsides, but though I didn’t dare say it, it bore a strong resemblence to the soup I often make at home - chopped onions, carrots and celery cooked in boiling water, [at home I’d use stock, but shepherds probably didn’t have that to hand] greens and or herbs added, then an egg per person poached in the soup before serving.

After lunch we went for a wander round the town, found the massive archway [built by the romans ?] for some reason in the middle of the town, treated ourselves to a gelato, and then wandered back to the car to find that although this time Maria had locked the doors, she’d left the window open! Then we set off back towards Orbetello, diverting round a ruined monastery that would have been an even more impressive sight before someone nicked the lead off the roof, causing it to fall in, and failing totally to find the Siena-Grossetto superstrade until we were almost in Siena itself.

By the time we got back it was already 9pm, so I was pretty keen to get my packing done, but first of all I asked Angelina, who was on the desk at the hotel, to mak up my bill so I could settle it that night, having an early start [so long as Maria turned up on time to take me to the station!]. I knew that the bill wasn’t going to be massive as the language school had arranged a special rate, but I was very surprised when she handed me a bill for only €200 for 7 nights B&B - I’d thought it was going to be €50 per night. I was even more surprised to be told that I could pay the €200 by credit card, but I was expected, this being Italy, to pay the rest in cash. Which of course I didn’t have.

Of course there was an ATM nearby, but I don’t like using them when the bank is closed in case they eat your card, and I was particularly unhappy as I was due to leave the next morning, so if it kept my card, I would be stuck. But Angelina was adamant, she had made out the bill and it couldn’t be changed. so off I went to the ATM and of course everything was fine, but by the time I got back to the hotel I was in a fair state of disgruntlement, and when I pointed out that they should have told me about this arrangement before the bill was written, she then said that if I’d insisted, she’d have changed it, which was the exact opposite of what she’d said before. That just about did it for me, and I decided I had to go for a last walk round sleepy Orbetello, before I said something I’d regret.

Sleepy? What I had completely missed during the day was the stage being erected in the square, in preparation for what turned out to be a show which could best be called “Orbetello’s got Talent”. Or not. A succession of fresh-faced hopefuls, starting with the youngest, paraded onto the stage, clapped madly before, during, and after their performances by their adoring families and friends, to “entertain” the populace. a bright moment was provided by a magician, whose ast need no translation, and what I assume was another one by a comedian, but my italian wasn’t up to understanding his jokes, and i wasn’t feeling too happy anyway. At least I now know the italian for “out of tune”.
To cap it all, when I went back to my hotel to go to bed, just as I was dropping off there was a tremendous bang - it turned out that they were setting off the fireworks seemingly from just outside my room. oh well, I wasn’t particularly tired anyway.

Tomorrow - Florence!

Day 8 Sunday May 15th

Well, I’m on the train. Angelina and I made up this morning, and had a nice discussion, all in italian because she does not speak any english, about how she had come to Italy from Domenica with her daughter, who now speaks perfect english [though not to me!] People like her and Paula have gone out of their way to make me feel at home and to help me with my italian, which is perhaps another advantage of being in a small place, rather than a large city, but of course I have nothing to compare it with.

Amazingly, Maria arrived on time to pick me up, and we were at the station early enough to be able to have a coffee, and find the subway which I had missed on arrival. Less surprisingly, the train was on time to the minute and after many repetitons of “grazie” and “ciao”, we were off - arrivederci Orbetello, arrivederla Maria.

How much i have learnt from my week I am not sure; it will perhaps be easier to judge when I try to use my italian in Florence, with people who are less patient and helpful.
The “freccia bianca” train is a far cry from the treno regionale that I caught on the way here - it’s clean and modern and the toilets don’t smell - unlike the one on the station. no wonder they don’t advertise its existence! but the ticket from Orbetello to Pisa is more than 2x the price - €25 as gainst €10. but I have a nice comfy seat with a table where I can use my laptop [ until it runs out of power as i forgot to charge it up last night] and it’s quite a lot quicker - we don’t stop at every little village as we appeared to on the way here.

My plans for today?

I decided before I left that I would treat myself to a bit of a splurge - brunch at the Four Seasons. My excuse is that they have a garden I very much want to see which is only open to guests; also it is reasonably close to my hotel, so I can get a taxi to the Four Seasons, and then after lunch walk round to where I am staying. Perfetto! After that - no idea. The weather appears to have changed today, so I’m not sure what I’ll do if it rains - I had an idea to catch the bus up to the Piazzale Michelangelo [thanks to the fodorite who told me that it’s the no 12 or 13 bus!] and then walk back down.

Tomorrow, I am intending to do a tour of all the museums that I have’t done before - San Marco, the Bargello, possibly the Pitti Palace, and the church of Santa Croce, which I don’t know at all. Also because Maria talked me out of the jacket I wanted to buy for DD, I’ll need to do some shopping; this morning she very sweetly offered to get it for me and post it, and I would send her the money! I wasn’t sure about her at first, and she is a bit disorganised, but she had been tremendously kind and helpful to me, and shown me places I would never have found by myself - and she had no obligation to take me anywhere. If in Friday afternoon she had simply said that it wasn’t worthwhile to do an excursion for one person, I could not have grumbled; instead she spent the whole of the rest of the day and evening with me, and the whole of Saturday, and took me to the station today. We had so many laughs as well, and I’m sure that talking to her has been just as useful as the formal lessons, if not more. I also doubt that I would have got that from one of the schools in Florence, without paying a whole heap more on top of the basic price.

We’re coming up to the place where I saw the deer on the journey down - I saw some egrets this morning, and yesterday a hoopoe or two, also some wild white orchids. The countryside is amazingly rich in flora and fauna once one gets away from the towns and there are apprently lots of marked footpaths in the national parks. There does seem to be a bit of an obsession with having a guide on such excursions, or perhaps that’s just Maria, who as a guide herself, expects to have one when she goes somewhere new, whereas we would be more likely to use a map and go by ourselves ....and probably get lost and miss loads of interesting things!

well - now we have the refreshment cart - who knew? but I have brought my own small bottle of water [filled from the larger one I bought at the corner shop; 1.5 litres for 50c] so I’m using that instead. Note to self - if forced to buy a small bottle in a cafe, [usually €1] keep the bottle! I stupidly threw the first one I bought away when it was empty, and had to buy another. BTW, I should also mention that in the Fretta Bianca train there is a luggage space in the middle of the carriage, so that you don’t have to worry about leaving it out of sight at the end of the carriage and it being nicked. And two armed police just walked through the carriage - are italian train passendgers particularly unruly? or perhaps it’s because there are elections today, who can tell?

Stopping now as the power is about to go ----ciao!

THat's "freccia bianca" BTW - my laptop keeps using some sort of automatic spell check which is getting very boring.

Ann, I have just finished reading your entire report while drinking my morning tea. What a nice way to start the day.

I have long been wanting to attend a total immersion language school in Italy since the local college here will only do a very basic beginner class. Thanks for sharing.

Great fun reading your report! Thanks (or should that be Mille gracie?

Getting hungry, waiting for brunch at the Four Seasons!

Mille grazie, uhoh, but close enough!

Lovely, interesting and a fun trip report annhig. Thanks for sharing your special time in Italy with us. I look forward to the Florence segment of your trip.

Thank you so much for this great report. I have been studying italian for two years and have been thinking about going over to a school in Rome for the same kind of immersion. The same questions have been in my mind.....host family....hotel? ...where to go, etc., so it is really very helpful to read about your decisions and thoughts.

Ann, what a lovely report! I'm so jealous! Your experience sounds wonderful. You've inspired me to consider a similar adventure sometime.... I've always been rather intimidated by the thought of attending a language school, but your report makes it sound fun and accessible. Good to know that you can take classes and still have your own space at a hotel. That is certainly a more attractive idea for me! Well done, managing to have your tooth taken care of on the fly...brava!

Thanks again Ann for keeping up your report! Love reading your impressions and about your experiences!

Thanks annhig, great report and makes me want to rush off and study in Italy again.

I know it is no help now, but many of the modern trains in Italy have a table that slides up and out, and underneath a set of plug sockets for laptops. Until I saw one used, I had presumed it was a standard litter bin.

Continued bravas, annhig. Bargello was a fave of mine so am hoping you will get there on this trip.

annhig, what a fun report! Turns out I was in Rome (staying near your old "neighborhood") while you were in language school! Having just got home Friday I'm eagerly reading Italian trip reports so I can pretend I'm still on vacation. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your time in Florence!

thanks all of you for your kind words and encouragement.

willit - i had no idea about the sockets; i had one of those nifty little tables [i came across them first on the eurostar] bit it wouldn't have helped if I'd found them as I had packed the lead and adaptors.

TD - no, i missed out on the Bargello - again. just ran out of time.

wayfinder - of course it was a bit daunting at first, but the people were very friendly and the lessons were very similar to the format I'm used to at home so it wasn't difficult to slot in. I'm pretty confident that 2 weeks at a language school would improve anyone's language skills immeasurably. Why wait? i wish I'd done it years ago!

Arrivo a Firenze!

I arrived at Pisa Centrale in a rain storm, and i was not looking forward to lugging my case down and then up all those stairs again, but this time I had my wits about me, and had no problems finding the lifts - right at the end of the platform - and changing onto trin for Florence. As usual it was packed to the gunnels so I sat on my case in the carriage entrance, and fell into conversation with 2 very nice lads from Florida, who were on their way to spend 6 weeks studying art and art history at the University of Florence. Despite 17 hours of travelling they were chatty and fun, and we had a laugh when, 5 minutes after I’d warned them about the people coming through the carriage leaving little begging cards, who should turn up but two women leaving the self-same cards. I hope that they are having a wonderful time.

After about an hour, Florence rolled into view, and I was pleased that I had remembered the station lay-out from 5 or so years before, so knew to go to the front left of the station for the taxi rank where, due to the rain, I was expecting there to be a massive queue - but not a bit of it. “Hotel Quattro Stagione” I said confidently to the taxi driver, keen to show off my newly acquired language skills, only to be met with hoots of laughter - as he said, that’s not a hotel, it’s a pizza! anyway it broke the ice, and we chatted away in something like Italian for the rest of the journey, though my confidence was dented a little when he asked if I wanted the main entrance to the hotel [as opposed to the staff presumably!]

20 minutes and €13 later, we were rolling up to the entrance, complete with flunkies with umbrellas and more porters that you could shake a stick at. For the mere cost of brunch, I was transported for a few all too brief hours into the world of 5 star travel. First stop, the powder room [what else could it be called in such an elegant establishment?] to find the rather less elegant “smart” clothes that I’d put at the top of my case for me to change into, then after deposting my case with the porter, I was escorted into the dining room. In fact, they appeared to have 3, all in use for this very popular repast, but thoughtfully they had put me in the heart of the action, near the food! Also, very thoughtfully, as I was a sole diner, they had provided newspapers, both english and italian, at my table.

Thus seated, I looked about me for a few clues as to what happened next. On the table was a menu stating that the price of lunch - €70 - included all drinks [which was the information I’d found, not without difficulty - on the net] which were to be “presented” by a french champagne house of which I had never heard, and an agritourimso from near Siena, which produced both white and red wines and what turned out to be some very yummy cheeses from their sheep. Next, I was offered a glass of champagne - very nice too - and then rather left to my own devises, so following the lead of everyone else, I went to look at the buffet which was laid out behind me.

It dawned on me pretty quickly that the biggest danger was that I would over-eat and drink myself into oblivion. well, why not, you may be saying, but I had somehow to get to my pensione after this, and I didn’t want my 2 1/2 days in Florence ruined by gluttony, so helping myself to just 3 oysters and some prawns [actually, the prawns, being totally tasteless, were the only dud element in the whole meal] I sat down again.

After this modest antipasti, I decided I’d like to try something other than the champagne so went up to the table where the wine was being served and discovered that the girl serving spoke perfect english [being from an american/swiss family who had bought this agritourismo when she was very little] so it was pointless trying to practice my italian on her! but we had a nice chat, and then I went and talked to her sister who was handing out the cheese and prosciutto in the other room, and tried some of her wares of course. Then I sat down and sipped some very nice white wine whilst reading the paper and watching the other clientelle. I decided that they divided into 3 distinct groups - traditional italian families having a celebration meal, the great and the good of Florence, who were dressed up to the nines in Versace and Max Mara, and the celebs - and you could spot them as the male celebs were dressed in jeans and white shirts, and their womenfolk were in Versace!

Then I saw some people walking round with plates of hot food, and on investigation, found that at the servery of the main kitchen, they were serving such delights as trippa alla fiorentina [it looked lovely but I’ve never liked tripe since my mum used to cook it for my dad] but I chose some rare roast fillet of beef and rosemary potatoes, which accompanied by some red wine proved absolutely delicious. Finally [and not before time, you’ll be thinking] I had some strawberries, followed by coffee - in fact 3 coffees as you could have as many as you liked.

By now it was about 3pm, and as I had said that i would be arriving at my pensione at between 3 & 4 pm, it was time to pay the bill and re-enter the real world. The concierge showed where on my map I was trying to get to, and as it had stopped raining, I walked the 10 minutes or so to the pensione I had booked http://www.residenzacasanuova.it/ After sounding the bell I was buzzed in by Max, who with his sisiter Beatrice runs the B&B in the apartment they inherited from their grandmother. They had both been very friendly and patient with my italian when I was booking, and Max was very welcoming, showing me around and making sure I had everything I needed.

Getting in was a bit complicated - after opening the vast front portal, you had to negotiate the grill across the entrance, then the lift and finally the front door to the apartment. But once inside, it did not disappoint. All the rooms were very spacious with high ceilings and decorated with antiques. As well as the entrance hall, there was a reading room, and breakfast room cum lounge, and a lovely terrace looking out over the roofs of Florence. I had booked their superior single “Belle epoque” room, which had a small but very comfy double bed and large wardrobe, as well as a very generous bathroom and shower. Perhaps best of all, it had a small fridge and a kettle with tea-bags! oh, bliss. OK there was no milk for the tea, but that was easily remedied when I went out to explore, which after dumping my luggage I did straight away. Max had said that if I turned right out of the apartment and first right, the Duomo was only 10 minutes walk away, but long before I got to the Duomo I was sidetracked, and soon found myself outside the Museo del Palazzo Vecchio which I discovered to my surprise was open until midnight! fancy that! Feeling suddenly far too tired to manage it then [and in fact I never saw it, despite the amazingly long opening hours] I promised myself a visit on another night, and after buying some milk and a bottle of water I trudged back to my hotel, which wsa surprisingly easy to find, once I’d located the borgo della croce, which intersected the via della mattonaia where the residenzia is.

although it wasn’t even 9pm I was exhausted and before I knew what had happened, I had fallen into bed and was fast alseep.

Tomorrow - a perfect day.

I am so enjoying this.

DAY 9 Monday May 16th

Although I had been greatly looking forward to being back in Florence, I’d been a bit nervous too as I have rarely spent too many days entirely on my own without children &/or husband in tow. Mainly I was worried that I’d get bored as when I’ve had to go away from home to work, I’ve found that I’m bored within about 30 minutes of booking into my hotel, even though i look forward to it before I get there. So I’d got lots planned for my 2 precious days in Florence. On my itinerary for today was the museo di san marco, the Bargello museum, and the palazzo Vecchio, plus anything else I came across that I’d not done before. I’d considered getting a Firenze card [entry to all the official museums of Florence plus free transport throughout the city for 3 days] but firstly I’d only got 2 days, and secondly, you’d have to go a bit to get your money’s worth, even in 3 days. Also, in the morning, I’d woken up to find a note pushed under my door to say that our hostess, Beatrice, would be running a lunch-time tour of the local San Ambrosio market for any guest who cared to take part, at a cost of €30 including tastings and lunch. I’d researched other such tours and they were much more expensive, so this looked ideal.

So after a pleasant breakfast - nothing very special but the cappucino was nice as was the custard cornetto - I set out for my first destination, the monastery of San Marco, in the piazza of the same name. On our previous visit to Florence we’d stayed in an apartment very near here, but we had never made it to the monastery when it was open [mornings only according to the schedule of museum opening times that I had downloaded and printed off]. It was very pleasant walking through Florence in the morning before all the tourists were up and about, and in about 10 minutes I was there, and at 8.45 am, I was one of their first visitors. Well, what a lovely place. You enter a sqaure courtyard dominated by a huge tree covered in roses, around which there is a loggia covered in remarkably well-preserved frescos telling various biblical stories, and off the loggia there are several rooms containing paintings, frescos, etc. Finally, if there are not too many people up there already [it’s 100 at a time I think] you are allowed upstairs to see the monks’ cells and the frescos on them telling the story of the birth of Christ to his crucifixion [though many seemed to be in the wrong order even to my untutored eye] and the cell and study of Savanorola, complete with his rosary and hair shirt!

I suppose that I was there for about an hour and a half [a record for me in a museum] and after this great start to the day, it got even better as behind the Piazza San Marco I found the botanical gardens. I am a bit [my family would say very] batty about gardens and I couldn’t give up the chance to have a look round this one. Whilst it wasn’t a patch on Kew or Wisley, it was very interesting, with some lovely old trees and beautiful rose bushes and other specimen shrubs planted mainly in huge pots. One long border was entirely planted with herbs of all types which was very successful, and another [mostly more in hope I suspect] with ferns, which they had wisely covered in a net to keep off the sun though even in a north-facing border, I doubted that this was going to do the trick. They even had a glass house full of cacti and other tender subjects, though as it was south facing, even the cacti might struggle when it gets very hot in there.

I didn’t have that long there as I wanted to get back to the apartment for the market tour with Beatrice, but on the way back I had time for a spremuta d’arancia at a local bar [which also offered various other fruits and veg juices as well, all at a very reasonable €2.50 or so] and as it was I was back with 10 minutes or so to spare.
Beatrice had asked my before I arrived if I’d be interested in doing a market tour with her as I had asked her about some of the tours run by other companies, and at €30, hers was definitely competitive. Two other guests, a russian couple who fortunately spoke english joined us, and together we walked down to the San Ambrosio Market which is about 200m from the apartment. First of all she took us round some of the outside stalls, all of which had their own specialities - the fruit and veg stall that sold numerous different varieties of tomato all with their own use, [one for sugo di pomodoro, another for tomato salad, a third for roasting] - the stall with the herbs and spices, yet another with the largest porcini I’d ever seen...she said that they regularly move around the city’s markets so that you may see different stall holders on different days. We tasted the wares of several stalls [with the owners’ permission of course] and I noticed that Beatrice bought some broad beans from one stall - for future use perhaps? Then we moved inside and walked past several enticing displays until we stopped at a stall selling hams, salamis, and cheeses. We started by trying some pecorino cheese with the raw broad beans - who thought of that? - and then were offered a variety of hams and cheeses, until I was beginning to feel quite full. Possibly co-incidentally, [or was this why Beatrice had chosen this stall?] the assistant at the stall was Moldovan and spoke russian, so she and the other guests were able to have a nice conversation. Or I assume it was nice! The prosciutto was outstanding so I decided I would come back the next day and buy some to take home, as well as some of the ravioli I’d spotted on another stall.
By now it was time for lunch and Beatrice was anxious that we sat down beofre 1 pm else we might not get a table at the market restaurant, which specialises in the sort of traditional Florentine dishes that appeal to market traders - and at the sort of prices they like too. Nothing was more than €5, and the wine was charged for what was consumed - we managed to put away the best part of a bottle plus two bottles of mineral water between us, as well as sharing numerous dishes that Beatrice suggested, ranging from tuscan bread and tomato salad, tripe salad, to ravioli in brodo, a minestrone-type soup, trippa alla fiornetina, and several others that I’ve forgotten. Apart from the tripe salad they were all very tasty and I’d happliy eat there again.

After Beatrice had settled the bill, [her profit margin much have been small] we all went our separate ways; for my part I wanted to go to Santa Croce which I had never visited before, so I headed south and ended up round the back of the church, at what is called the Leather School. It appears to be a workshop for very high-end leather goods, way out of my league, but I had an interesting conversation [well, I was interested] with one of the workers who was the assistant of a lady who made the most exqusite bags, and looked at some ostrich wallets, which though small, were perfectly formed - and still beyond my means. It turned out that I could get into Santa Croce itself this way by buying a ticket at the leather shop [not at the church gift shop; I would think this strange were it not Italy, where such things, however illogical, are everyday occurances] and I had a lovely hour or so wandering around the church and the cloisters. I was particularly taken by the tombs - Marconi, Gallileo, a few others I’ve forgotten.

Then I remembered that someone [ekscrunchy? - apologies if I’ve got that wrong] had mentioned that you could catch the bus [no 12 or 13] up to the Piazzale Michelangelo so I set off across the Arno to find the bus stop. And walked and walked but didn’t find it. Eventually I decided to give up and just walk anyway - it would probably be quicker. Despite the heat it wasn’t too hard, and every time I stoped for a breather, I got the pleasure of being able to enjoy that fabulous view of the Duomo against a pure blue sky. Finally I got to the top, which was a bit of an anticlimax give the huge number of other tourists, people fighting for spots to take the statutory photos, the gelati sellers, the hawkers...and not a spot of shade or a seat for the weary. Just below the parapet however I spied a bar with some very enticing parasols, so I made a bee-line for a seat and ordered a drink. All right it was €7 for a medium beer, [with a bowl of crisps!] but for half and hour in the shade with the best view in town, I thought it was worth it. There was even a cabaret in the shape of a japanese couple having their wedding photos taken - the one where he lifted her up and her hooped skirt flipped over her head was particularly entertaining.

But even I couldn’t make a beer last more than 30 minutes, so following the theme of doing things I’d never done before, I decided to walk up to San Miniato, again mentioned by someone here on Fodors. It was a bit of a hike, but worth it just for the mosaics [€1 for 5 minutes illumination] though the whole basilica is very beautiful. After a quick look round the herbalist’s shop and a consultation of the map, [my favourite flip-out one - very useful and small enough to fit in my trouser pocket] I started to head downhill with no thought except to head back in the general direction of the apartment. Then joy - I almost fell over the Rose Garden. I’d read about there being a rose garden in Florence before I left, but totally failed to work out where it was and - well - it was here. And open. For those who might be interested, I have already posted another thread, but if you don’t fancy looking for it, here’s the link : http://firenze.repubblica.it/cronaca/2011/05/15/news/riapre_il_giardino_delle_rose_dopo_due_anni_di_lavori-16288702/
It was really a delight to walk amongst the roses, already more or less in full bloom, with their lovely colours and heavy perfume. really, worth the trip all by itself.

However, after about an hour I felt quite tired after my day’s exersions, so I decided to tear myself away and I had every intention of heading back across the river, but was distracted when I came across this place: http://www.fuoriporta.it/ . Featured in fodors as primarily a wine bar, [with better service than the reviewers have said] as well as serving basic florentine dishes it has a huge selction of wines including many by the glass, and some lovely tables outside, all of which I found impossible to resist. So I sat down and enjoyed a couple of glasses of red wine, some crostini, and a long phone call with my mum, who shares my love of gardens, and of course, roses.

After the wine and crostini, the walk back to the apartment didn’t seem quite so long, and by 7pm I was sitting down drinking tea on the terrace overlooking the roofs of Florence - could things get any better than this?

I am so enjoying "travelling" with you, annhig, as you explore Florence. I so love roses also and found the rose garden absolutely beautiful. I am trying to remember where the garden was that had all the irises, the flower of Florence of course. If memory serves me right it was in that general area. Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful adventure.

That DOES sound like a perfect day! Still reading and enjoying along with you.

Yep, a perfect day.

Ann, you are right. Things couldn't be any better than that.

Love - I found it below the piazzale michelangelo but the irises were all over, so i had forgotten about it until you mentioned it. I'm not sure how you'd get to it, but it was visible from the path up to the piazzale so I assume that if you wanted to get to it, you'd be able to do so.

jent, leely, bfrac - patience!

Could things get any better than this?

OH YES THEY COULD.

By 8pm I was beginning to get peckish [that may be a surprise to you, dear reader, but it would not be a surprise to my family!] so I thought that I would go out and inspect some of the nearby restaurants recommended by Fodors and my hosts. So instead of turning right out of the apartment and walking towards the market and what had looked like the somewhat downmarket eateries on offer in that direction, I turned left and left again, and strode along until I reached the Borgo Pinti, and instead of turning right towards the “quatr...sorry, the Four Seasons” I turned left towards La Gioastra, which is recomended by both. Described by Fodors as a “clubby spot” and by my hosts as refined and romantic with a delicious cuisine, let us just say that it was not “sole female diner” friendly. I kept walking down the road and came across a trattoria which looked ok, the menu was interesting, so I went inside. I suppose the fact that it took them 5 minutes to notice my existence ought to have told me something - but I was eventually shown to a table and given a menu, and then left to look at it. So I looked at it, and at my fellow diners, and back at the menu, and at my fellow diners again, and back at the menu which was getting less exciting by the minute, so after a good ten minutes, I just got up and left. I didn’t say any thing, just left. [note to restauranteurs - if you want to stop bored customers walking out, and lone diners get bored really fast, make sure that you bring them some drinks and bread within 2 minutes of them sitting down. It’s MUCH more difficult for them to walk out then].

I knew that if I turned left again, I would come to the Borgo la Croce where there were a number of restaurants, but none of them greatly appealed, and I was beginning to give up hope, when on the corner of my own street, via della Mantonaia, I came across the exceedingly unprepossessing trattoria “il Giova”. Really, the website sums the place up completely.

http://www.ilgiova.com/

Even now I am not sure what made me go in. Perhaps it was the thought of “cappallaci al fiori di zuca profumi al tartufo” or “tortelli maremma in salsi di burro, salvia, e arancia” or tagliata con carciofi e panico [sorry, that means panic, but that’s what I’ve written!]..but whatever it was, in I went. What a difference to the other place. I was politely shown to a table, offered the menu, then wine, bread and water, smiled at by the waitress from time to time in an encouraging way, and generally made to feel welcome. Most of the menu was completely mystifying - what, for example, was the dish that they had translated as “cut with its sauce and vegetables”? or “Pentolaccia”? [the insides of a sheep, I think!]

In the end I settled on a primo of tortellini of potato in a saffron sauce, and secondo of fillet of duck in an onion sauce, both of which I had seen going out to other diners who were obviously enjoying them hugely. Wow. The pasta was just terrific. Silky smooth with a sauce to match. I ate every bit and mopped up the sauce with my bread. [don’t you do that? oh, you don’t ? well, you don’t know what you’re missing!].

By the time I got to the duck I was possibly a little full of pasta, but it was still very delicious, and I almost finished it. Coffee was enough however, and full of the duck, I waddled back home. Trip advisor tells me that “il giova” is about no 450 out of 850 restaurants in Florence, in which case the 449 above it must be pretty good. but it would be hard for them to be friendlier.

Tomorrow - my last day in Florence or how many tortellini can I squeeze in my case and other party games.

Sounds delicious.

I hope you'll entertain some questions about the language school, even though you've moved on to Florence. How many students were enrolled in the school? How many instructors? If you don't mind, what did they charge for a week?

Looking forward to the rest.

I love the "website" for Il Giova. HAving seen it, I feel it is a "must do " next time I am in Florence.

certo, Marija. paziente!

willit - me too. so much information! but you're right - it is a MUST DO!

DAY 10 Tuesday May 17th

For my last day, I thought that I needed a plan. Step one was to go shopping at the San Ambrogio market for food to take back home, and then to store it in the fridge in my room. After that, I would hit the shops to hunt for presents for the family, particularly DD who had been looking after all my plants for me at home. Only then would I allow myself some more sightseeing and relaxation. So after an early breakfast, I set off for the market again. How difficult it was to walk past those lovely-looking porcini and delightful-looking carciofi. But knowing how little room I had in my case, I kept walking til I got to the salumi stall that we’d visited the day before.

The quality of the produce is not the only thing that is different in Italy - the standard of service is far higher too. Unlike the deli at home where I shopped once a week for 15 years and was never recognised, here I was greeted like an old friend and offered any number of different hams and cheeses until I made my choice, of some of the best prosciutto [no point in cluttering up my luggage with things I can get at home], the sweetest cooked ham I have ever tasted, [from Modena, apparently] and some very old parmeggiano, all of which they vacuum -packed for me. Then I went round the corner to another stall where I had spotted some very interesting-looking pasta, and bought some tortellini filled with iricotta and nettle [fine when it’s cooked] and pear and pecorino. The stall-holder even wrote on the packaging how long to cook them for.

Having deposited my treasures back in the apartment, next stop was the bongo la croce where in my wanderings, I had spotted a number of shops selling top end clothes at low end prices. surely I could find something here for DD? Well, I had a lot of fun looking at last year’s Max Mara and Prada but nothing was completely right. Soon I found myself near the Duomo, so after a restorative spremuta [€5 around here, but what the heck, it was my last day] I decided to have a look in the leather shops along the Via dell’Oriuolo. Plagued by the noise of the road workers, these little workshops didn’t seem to have many customers so I was made very welcome, and ended up with a lovely handmade wallet for DH, and a scarf for DD. [no, not a leather scarf, but a very smart linen one, just right for those cooler english spring days].

Mission more or less accomplished, I thought that I would walk over to the Santa Maria Novella, possibly having a look inside the Duomo as I went past, but the queue was even longer than the queue for the Dome, so I just kept going. Sadly, the same happened when I got to the church, so deciding I’d have to leave it for the next time, I headed back over to Oltrarno to see what I could find there.

What I had forgotten of course was that almost without exception all self-respecting shopkeepers in Florence have their lunch between 1 & 3pm, so after finding a shirt for DS I gave up the shopping, and started to think about my own refreshment. I really don’t think that I’m the pickiest person in the world, but try as i might, I couldn’t find anywhere that I liked. Not even the places that are raved about in fodors attracted me. So I kept walking up past the pitti palace, and headed to the area where I remembered that we’d eaten when we’d been in Florence several years ago with the kids. However these restaurants were all full of tourists [OK, I’m a tourist too] and very busy, so I just kept walking, and walking, thinking that any minute I would find an enotecha or a bar, but not a bit of it...there was nothing. Finally, hungry and thirsty [and in need of a loo] I happened upon the Giardino Bardini, where for €6 I was not only allowed into the gardens, but also had access to the cafe and toilets! whoopee!

Directed by the vey nice lady at the desk to follow the path to the right, I soon found the cafe [con i servizi, thank goodness] which was really an open terrrace and grabbed the last table overlooking the gardens and beyond that, the Duomo. For about €7 i was able to have a small beer and a sandwich, the view, and, best of all, a good sit down. Phew.

Like the rose gardens, the giardino Bardini is built on a hill-side and takes full advantage of the site. After lunch I walked under a pergola covered in roses down to an orchard of apples and pears where you could see the remains of the iris garden - I was about 2 weeks too late for them, I guessed. Then round to a formal terrraced garden where you could look back up the hill to more terraces adorned with statues and fountains. Finally, I walked out past a grotto decorated with shells and stones, and down a path boarded by scaffolding laden with every sort of statue and architectural feature you could possibly imagine - just the thing for anyone contemplating renovating a renaissance palace!

The shops were re-opening now, so I wended my increasingly weary way back into town, where suddenly I hit gold - a little shop full of beautiful handmade clothes, where I found an absoutely perfect jacket for DD. Sorted.

The only thing I was missing now was a gelato, and I found a very nice one at the local gelateria near the market [just next to the bicycle repair shop and opposite the basket makers] where I had strawberry and pistaccio for €1.50. So there ARE still bargains to be had in Florence. Finally I walked back to the residenzia and collapsed on the terrace with a cup of tea.

Next - the perils of a lone diner.

Wow, what an amazing time in Florence! I'm even more inspired to spend a week or so there on my own!

wayfinder - honestly, it was much more fun than I thought it was going to be. Really i was just getting into it when i had to come home.

If i were going to be there for a week, I would want I think to do the same sort of thing that I did this time - to find a pensione near but not in the centre, and get to know that area really well, so that I would start to have a bar and cafe where I was known, shops that I was familiar with, streets that looked like home. I'm not sure whether i would want that to be in the area i stayed in, which I looked very much, or Oltrarno, which you will see I felt very drawn to.

From my previous posts you may have got the idea that I never travel alone - far from it. I regularly have to stay away from home for a few nights because of work, so i am well used to shifting for myself and my own company, albeit not in a foreign country.

but it's one thing to walk into a restaurant at home, book in hand, and sit and eat a solitary meal, it's another to do it in Italy with no book, and no-one to talk to besides the waiting staff, So when i do it, i want it to be as positive an experience as possible.

as this was going to be my last night, i wanted it to be a memorable one, and during the day I'd been sussing out some of the options - though I'd not bee blown away by any of them, and it was difficult to tell what they were going to be like just by reading the menu. So after doing my packing, [including trying out whether all the ham, cheese and pasta were going to fit] i went out without any particular idea of where I was going to eat, except that i knew I didn't want to stray too far as i had to get up early to catch the train to Pisa for my return flight home.

My hosts had recommended a little wine bar round the corner in Borgo la Croce so i decided to start there and see what happened. Looking like a wine merchants at home, with bottles in racks all round the walls, the only thing that suggested that you could actually taste the wine were the table and chairs at the back and the bruschetta set out on the counter. But nothing daunted, I went in and asked if I could have a glass of wine. The result was a invitation to sit down, to choose what I would like -i left it up to him - and then a glass of wine and a selection of the bruschetta. In truth the wine wasn't brilliant, but I had a nice chat in italian with the lady who turned out to be the proprietor's mother, who I had engaged in conversation by saying how much I liked the bruschettta [which were quite spicy and much better than the wine] which she of course had made, so that was a good start.

after half an hour or so, I decided that i was feeling ready for a proper meal, so after paying my very reasonable €3, I set off to find a restaurant. The tripe van was still there, but i really didn't fancy that, so I carried on walking until I had more or less completed all sides of the rectangle, never really finding what I wanted - ok, well perhaps i am picky, but did I really want pizza on my last night? Eventually i was back at the market standing opposite a restaurant called Semolina, which came highly recommended by my hosts, and had tables outside. First of all i went inside looking for someone to ask for a table - nothing. people kept walking in and out, but they seemed neither toe staff nor customers - strange. Then finally a waiter came towards me and went outside so i followed him and asked for a table, and was somewhat surprised when he pointed at one and threw a menu onto it! [note to anyone thinking of taking up waiting at table as a career - throwing a menu onto a table does not impress the customers even if it lands on target]

singularly unimpressed [would they throw my food at me as well?] I made the only decision open to me, and went back to il giova, the restaurant that I'd eaten in the night before. What a difference - a smile from the waitress, a nice table, the menu brought and presented to me along with wine and water - this was more like it.

This time I had the most lovely gnocchi, followed by something that turned out to be a fritto misto, but with chicken and veg rather than the usual fish, and in an act of complete self-indulgence, I treated myself to a creme brulee to finish. as with the night before, the restaurant filled up with a mixture of locals and the well-heeled who had obviously heard about it, and the odd tourist like me. There was much laughter and sharing of dishes, and a good time was had by all including me.

Sadly I had to go home in the morning so at about 10 pm I let myself into the apartment for the last time and having written myself a note to remind myself to get the food out of the fridge, i went to bed.

Tomorrow - Will the food survive the journey home? what will it taste like when i get it there? will it have been worth the hassle?

I never have a problem with returning to the same place for another meal when on vacation. After all, it's not like I can eat there again next week after I've gone home. Good choice to have a final meal that you know will please you.

good point ellenem.

but I did feel a bit of a wimp; probably if I'd not been by myself I'd have tried somewhere else.

I always take a book when dining alone, even in Italy.

However, the best part of this story is that you can conclude, " NEXT TIME I will . . . take a book . . eat somewhere new . . . whaterver." Having a "next time" planted firmly in your mind is a wonderful thing.

It is for this reason that I make reservations, based on buckets on internet food/resto research, in advance. I never do that at home, but I like to book something every few nights when I'm traveling solo just so that I'll have a destination and they'll know in advance that I'm coming. It's not foolproof and really wouldn't work for every personality, but I'm often plagued with "Should I go here? Or here?" syndrome, even when traveling with others. That plus solo-traveler hesitation is enough to derail a whole evening for me.

Which is not to say that this hindered you at all, Ann. Your final dinner at Il Giova sounds delectable. And I don't think ordering creme brulee is an act of complete self-indulgence; I am certain you were just being polite to your restauranteurs. Or something like that. Erm.

ellenem - like you I am a definite "book with me at all times" type of person. however i was hindered by the fact that I was saving my last book for the journey home. I found a book shop in Orbetello which amazingly had some english language books, so i splashed out €11 on a paperback thriller, only to find that it was the self-same library book that I'd brought with me and put at the bottom of my case for the return journey. "come sono una idiota" or words to that effect.

I found that a way to amuse myself at Il Giova was to copy out the menu onto the back of the museum opening times that i found in my handbag. However, my handwriting is not brilliant, hence the slightly hazy details of what i was eating. [or was that the wine?] Also the english translations were a bit approximate - it turned out that "cut with vegetables" was a steak which had been sliced up with vegetable garnish, or so i worked out from what was emerging from the kitchen.

Leely - just as I am book at dinner person, i am not normally a dinner reservation in advance person, however i take your point. Had I found somewhere in the day that I really liked the look of, i would have booked a table for the evening. but i do like to see the place I'm going to be eating, so I would not normally book in advance unless for somewhere like the four seasons. Another time, i may follow your example, though i could happily have eaten at il giova for at least another night, there was so much on the menu that I wanted to try.

I do like the idea of having a dessert as an act of courtesy to the restauranteur. I shall adopt that as my excuse in future.

annhig, I've really been enjoying your report (trying to catch up)! I admire your independence and seeming ability to handle your solo travels so easily. But I did get some good laughs about that bicycle - although I'm sure there was nothing comical about it at the time.

Thanks, Elnap. glad you've enjoyed being along for the "ride"!

Actually, the episode with "la bici" was funny, even at the time. the point when i hit the hot asphalt and realised that it was sticking to the tyres of the dratted thing was just ludicrous, and what the chap who saw me sitting outside his shop picking bits out of the tread thought I can't imagine. "Mad english" probably.

but it had its good side- it reminded me of the fun of cycling [on a decent bike] and when i get the chance, I'm going to try to do some this summer. when it arrives. but i will be a bit pickier about the machine!

Thank you for posting this to the end ann, I've followed you all the way..

(I know how difficult it can be once several days have passed to summon up the enthusiasm to finish a TR - I also know how frustrating it can be when a TR dries up half way through...) Is this the right time to mention that I'm kind of half way through the Cornwall to Yorkshire and Back Again TR that seems to have stopped in Wharfedale, Yorkshire after the victorious rugby match and before Dr Who?

So where are you going next? I always enjoy your TRs, and know that one day we'll manage to meet somewhere!

hi julia - thanks for the "hint".

let me finish this one, then try to get the yorkshire one finished BEFORE we go to Brittany in August.

yes - Paimpol seashanty festival here we come!

and i look forward to meeting you too. I'll be the one in the corner with the laptop desperately trying to finish the trip report!

DAY 11 - Wednesday 18th May.

The last lap or will my case be overweight????

With an early flight out of Pisa, i had arranged an early breakfast and checkout with Max, and Beatrice was there to take my money [no nonsense about the credit card, thank goodness] and get my cab, which whisked me to the station in such quick time, that I was in time to buy my ticket from the queueless biglietteria and catch the 8.03 to Pisa.

Hold on a sec! the timetable doesn't mention an 8.03 train to Pisa. oh well, it's going from the right platform, so why wait for the next one?

so I settled myself down in a remarkably empty carriage [just some chap going to see his family who confirmed that I was on the right train] and got out my book [yes, the same one I'd bought in Orbetello] and waited for the train to leave.

Dead on time we pulled out, and it soon became apparent why this train was not on the timetable...it was going a different way! the route which i had previously been on between Florence and Pisa is not a thing of beauty, but this one was quite pretty and interesting...but that was not what I wanted really. Had I managed somehow to get on the wrong train????Fortunately the ticket inspector came round quite early, and quelled my rising panic with the reassurance that we were going to Pisa, but by a different and only slightly longer route. Phew.

so i sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the ride, and the train pulled into Pisa at almost exactly the same time as the train I should have caught.

AFter that it was plain sailing. not too long a queue for check-in, [my case weighed in at just one kg underweight, despite everything that I had shoved into it] ditto security, and a pleasant half hour in the airport shops [much better the air side of the airport, IMHO] before we were called to board the aircraft. I even found two lovely purses [wallets to those of from you across the pond] which were about 1/4 of the price I'd seen wanted for the same sort of thing in Florence. I even had time to buy a sandwich to take on the plane with me - no cheaper than easyjet, but tastier. By 12 noon [BST] we had landed, and I was soon picking up my car from the silver zone car park and speeding on my way back home , [via the chiropractor whose appointment I made with minutes to spare!].

supper of course was an antipasto of prosciutto e melone, followed by the pasta I'd bought, which had survived remarkably well, and was extremely tasty. DH particularly liked the ricotta and nettle whereas DD and I preferred the pear and pecorino. we finished with strawberries - home grown of course - which I prepared with red-wine in the way I'd been shown in Orbetello. My only gripe? I hadn't taken a larger suitcase!

POSTSCRIPT - LESSONS LEARNT.

1. Two weeks at the language school would have been 3 x as good as one, but if you can only manage one, it'll still be very worth while. [the only caveat to that is that most schools will not take beginners for one week only].

2. be "flessibile" as they say in Italy. things may not be as rigidly timetabled and organised as you might be used to but go with the flow. the important thing is that you are in Italy hearing, speaking and quite often eating Italian.

3. Don't be shy. most italians love nothing better than correcting your bad italian. Grab every opportunity you can to practise your new skills, even if, as i did in the wine bar, you have to resort to complimenting someone on her bruschetta!

4. leave plenty of room in your luggage for the things you'll want to bring home.

5. be prepared for the fact that you will want to go back. I know that I do!

thanks for taking us door to door. A great report. Do we get to see photos? Really hope so!

thanks Irish. Glad you enjoyed it.

I'm afraid that i haven't yet mastered the technology to download the photos - I need to work out how to do this I know, as i want to send them to the language school too.

Reading your report was an enjoyable experience - vicarious travel fills the time between trips nicely. How "successful" do you think your language school time would have been had your husband been with you (in Orbetella, not at the school?)

thanks, Tarquin. i'm glad that you've enjoyed the trip, albeit at second hand.

you ask an interesting question about non-participating spouses affecting the success of the course, and i have to say that i do not think that I would have got as much out of it as I did had he been along. No matter how often he might have said that he was happy to do his own thing, inevitably I'd have been concerned that he was feeling bored or left out, particularly in Orbetello where rival attractions are not numerous.

it might work in a larger place - Florence or Rome perhaps - where there is so much else to do, particularly were one's partner able to do another course - art history or cookery for example. but on the whole I do not think that it would have worked as well.

What I would like to do is to go on a holiday with him in that area, and while we were there I might have the odd private lesson, if that could be arranged.

mmmm - perhaps he could hire a bike while I was at the school!

Thanks, annhig. This was informative and enjoyable reading. Helpful for those of us who dither and dither about taking such a trip. Classes? On vacation? Etc.

hi Leeley,

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now I've done this sort of "holiday" i wouldn't hesitate to do it again, if I get the chance. Really, it was so worthwhile and fun. I know that it's not for everyone, but if you like language learning and don't mind not sitting on a beach 24/7 you haven't really got anything to lose.

Brava! I enjoyed my virtual trip with you.

I'm longing for that 3 month course in Perugia.

TDudette - forgive me, I'd forgotten you are off the Perugia. .[or have dementicated, as we say in our household].

When are you going? which school? how have you managed to wangle 3 MONTHS???

Really loved reading about your experiences. I certainly would love to take a super-beginner-beginner language class in Italy. Maybe some day...

YAY! What a wonderful trip report.

elnap - what's stopping you? in 2 weeks you could get a real grounding, and have LOADS of fun. i wish I'd done it years ago. but then, i wish I'd done the classes at home years ago as well.

but better late than never. any chance of you doing some classes at home?

busted - thanks! i had a really terrific trip.

I'd agree with annhig, don't just think "maybe one day", if it appeals to you, then do it.

I am just in the process of writing up notes I made on my first trip to a language school (only 5 years late as it was in 2006.

What I now realise is how much I was worried about the trip - not fitting in, being unable to cope with the lessons etc but it was brilliant. I had a great time and it did wonders for my confidence and language skills. I enjoyed it so much at the time that I went back twice more in the following years.

wilit - where did you do your courses? the reason I ask is because there is another thread where someone wants some help about language schools in Rome. I've offered my two penn'oth but she's not interested.

if you were in Rome, perhaps you could chime in?

I agree about the positive effect of these courses - I found the whole experience vey worthwhile.

OH, I'd love to take a language course, perhaps in Siena. As we just returned from a trip, it will take awhile to save up again. Flights from the West Coast can be costly and long, but I'll be watching the fares! Which language school did you consider in Siena?

Wish I were going to Perugia. I thought they had a 3-month immersion class. No plans-just wishing! Sigh.

I went to Saena Iulia in Siena. I couldn't recommend it too highly, although I have nothing to compare it to.

TDudette - many of the young American students were doing exactly that in Siena; 13 weeks from absolute beginner. The first time I went there was an Australian , recently retired, doing the same thing.

These are incomplete, but some webpages with description of the school, typical days and one of the excursions. I will need to do some updating later once I have finished editing the notes.
The Image link works, but I have not yet captioned the pictures.

http://www.microbes.110mb.com/Siena/siena0.html

willit- thanks for posting the link to your blog - very informative. one thing, and I'm not sure if this is because you are still perfecting the blog or because there is a glitch, the links to specific days take one to a website purchase site!

the school sounds very similar to the one i attended, apart from the dodgy staircase, that is.

anyone contemplating spending a fortnight at this school in siena should seriously consider the option they offer of a week in Orbetello - it is truly a special place.

TDudette - sorry I misunderstood you. I'd love 12 weeks in Perugia too. dream on.

annhig - I wanted to get the stuff I written up while it might be relevant to the dscussion, and forgot to modify the menu to only include real pages. So far I have only got as far as the Sant'Antimo/Montalcino trip.