One of the most frustrating things about being in Italy and learning so much Italian so fast is that I have (hopefully temporarily) to think quickly in French. Before coming here, I was able to translate English into French pretty easily in my head and if I ever thought in a different language, it would be French, not Italian. However now that I've been here for four weeks and have rarely heard French, I mix the two up so much! Last night I was talking with an Italian who is learning French and actually has a French exam today. We wanted to talk in French, but I couldn't pull the words to the fore of my mind quick enough to have even the simplest conversation! Maybe only other people who know multiple languages can relate, but I thought I would write about what, for me, has been a strange experience.

Today we had our midterm, which went well I think. In our second class today, we went to a cafe for about an hour because we learned about the Italian coffee culture. Did you know that it is unheard of for an Italian to have a cappuccino after breakfast? Italians can always tell who the stranieri (foreigners) are, or at least the Americans, because we will drink a cappuccino at any time of the day. The rest of the time Italians drink espresso. They will even take espresso after a dinner complete with wine and a digestivo because they think that coffee is the magical elixir of life- it helps one get up in the morning, it helps one go to bed at night, and it keeps one healthy. I can't understand this at all, seeing as I don't even drink coffee.

Tomorrow we have an "Urban Trekking" activity with Umbra Institute. We will be walking around Perugia going to various workshops and monuments here. It should be interesting. I think I'm looking forward to the Perugina Chocolate Factory the most! If you see Perugia Chocolate in the United States (I think it is now carried at Whole Foods and Central Market), try it!! It's so good! The most famous product is Baci (kisses), which are individually wrapped chocolates with a hazelnut filling. Mmmmmm!!!! These were actually predecessors to Hershey's Kisses. I'll let you know more after I have visited the factory.

After we trek, four of us girls will head to Cinque Terre on the west coast of Italy. It means, literally, five lands, and there is a path along the cliffs (and from what I've heard, RIGHT along the cliffs) that takes you from village to village. The entire hike should take about 6 hours, and we're up for it. Our goals is to see all five villages and then jump into the Mediterranean for a refresher, and then we'll take the train back to the town we're staying in , Sestri Levante, which is a couple of kilometers north of Cinque Terre. I'm really excited!

Ciao! -Ellie