Umbria!

With time winding down, I'm finishing up the last few trips, the last few papers and writing my last few blogs.

Place setting at a Chinese food place

Emily and I had lunch at a nice Chinese food place in Siena last week. We were missing home a bit (we both  have Chinese food places we go with our fathers) and it was awesome. It's a bit bizarre to see Chinese translated to Italian and then English, but it was fun. And delicious.

Our second cultural trip this weekend was to Umbria. We went to the cities of Perugia, Bevagna and Assisi. You may recognize a couple names, Perugia especially, because Cesca was there last year, and I'm sure she could tell you tons more about it than I can.

Our tour guide explaining things about
the Etruscans

A bishop was thrown out of a window of
this church

In the city center

The Cathedral and Fountain. Also, finally some sun!

Still as lovely as I remember!

Umbria is beautiful

Personal pizza at one of the best pizza places in town!

om nom nom chocolate

We didn't have a ton of time in Perugia because we set off to Bevagna. It's a tiny city, but what's interesting about it is they still keep up medieval crafts as they were done centuries ago. It had begun to pour at this point, but it was very cool to see the workshops!

how they used to make paints

the painter explaining how to make a bigger painting by
combining two pieces of wood and smoothing it out

showing us how they put the gold flakes on 

Lady weaving a basket

A silk maker/weaver

Candle making!

paper making

After a bit of panic because our bus was broken down, we made it back to Perugia for dinner. It was a 5 course meal at one of Cesca's favorite restaurants! (I found that out after- the school had chosen it).

DRAGON

The next day we headed off to Assisi- famous for being the birthplace of St. Francis and St. Claire

Where Saint Francis died

his church- there's a pilgrim finishing his journey on his knees
but I didn't see him till after I took the picture. I wasn't
trying to be rude

No pics inside but it is a beautiful church!

A street performing dressed as a Franciscan Friar

Lovely views

The parents of St. Francis

The door to his parents' house

Lots of nuns around!

Emily and I went to a tavern that serves
semi-authentic food- my sandwich had
pork cut straight off the pig

we wanted the giant nutella!

San Francesco

Santa Chiara

Heading out of Assisi

I forgot to write about my cooking class, so here's some quick pics of that. It was delicious (though it took about 3-4 hours to prepare- Tuscan cooking takes time!)

Homemade pici- a typical Tuscan pasta

the menu

Our teacher

I have one last major trip left- Sardegna and Sicily, and only 17 days left. I miss home and I want finals to be over, but I will definitely be sad to leave this wonderful place. But let's not dwell on it! I have 17 days left to enjoy it! Ciao for now!