First Day of Class

So back to school. I am taking 2 classes and one hour of independent study, which I just learned I have a year to complete: Beginning Italian from 9-12 and Italian Cinematography from 2-4. The first class is moving much too slowly for my tastes though it might be unfair that I have been studying it on my own for the past few months. I did pick out a new name for myself---Valeria. The film class is going to be much too technical and alot of work. I just want to wach movies and talk about them and not deal with numerous technical issues. I can audit the classes versus getting grades but I should see if this would affect me getting reimbursed for them. Classes were hard to deal with the first day as I was quite sick. I have had fairly severe heartburn since coming here that popping Rolaids every few minutes didn't help and I am almost out of my month's supply. Drew lent me a Prilosec, which helped after a while. I went to Castelvecchio (pop 1200) to get drugs (generico 6 euros vs 24 euros for the name brand-as I only had 10 euros with me, that choice was easy) which are fortunately working. Castelvecchio sits on the side of a canyon which gave great views. Also we were able to get gelato, nocciola for me. They also have a supermercado. I always love to look at grocery stores in foreign counties. Montepulciano is only 1.2 euro there and fancy liquors 5 euros. Nancy bought this roll of prosciutto, cheese and argula to share. Very tasty. Our little town has a bakery and a Bar but you can buy wine and fruit juice at the bakery. A fruit truck comes occasionally.

The food here is simple but good. Breakfast is only a roll and coffee with nutella and really good cherry jam to spread on it. I need to stock up at the supermercado for their really good peach juice. Yesterday for lunch we had a plate of pasta, which we have for every lunch except for breakfast, a porkchop and salad. They vary the sauces. There is always a pitcher of wine (rose or white-never-sigh-red) and bottled water for all and fruit for dessert. At dinner, there is always soup: tonight-pasta fagioli soup, bruschetta, eggplant with cheese melted on it , and really good greens that were cooked in butter and garlic. There is usually a salad but the only dressing is olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Coffee is only served in the morning but we could always walk to the Bar and get a cappuccino for .9 euro. I had read that drinking milk in your coffee after breakfast is considered very weird in Italy but noone has criticized me yet. Fancy liquors are 1 to 1.5 euros per shot. Beer is the most expensive at 1.3 euro for a bottle. Wine-1 euro a glass.

Later that night we saw "Le chiavi a Casa" Keys to the house about the relationship between a father and his probably autistic son. They had just been reunited as the father had bailed at the kid's birth. The movie was unclear whether the father still could deal with his really demanding child.