Un Mese

So it has been a month since my last post, and while much has happened, all that is on my mind is that I will be leaving for two weeks in Morocco and Spain tomorrow morning!!  That is all I will want to share when I get back, so here is a little update on the past month:

Lizzie came and went.  I will be seeing her again in mid-may, when I will be taking off from Milano indefinitely and heading to Amsterdam (where she is studying) for a little while.  While she was here, we did a lot of city walking, had long chats in various historical places, and went on a dayhike to Lungano Switzerland. So pretty!  

The next week brought another exciting visit from Ben!  He stayed in Milan for eight days while on Spring Break.  Although it was mid-term week for me, we still managed to get out and walk around the city most days (and I still got some study time in).  We climbed to the top of the Duomo once we finally found it open (3 times the charm), went to a fair in Park Sempione where prizes in the ring toss included a carton of Marlboros and a bottle of gin, and wandered around the Navigli Canals doing what we do best - exploring alleys and window shopping.  It was so nice having him here to show off my newly acquired panini making skills.  Many days were also spent eating and sitting in the sun on the kitchen balcony.  He brought sunny weather with him!

Last weekend, a group of 84 students went to the smaller towns in Italy: Cemona, Parma, and Mantova for a Cuisine and Culture trip.  To prepare, I made a little dish of my own (see last photo).  I am getting so good--shocking I know!  

In Cremona, we went to a violin maker's shop where I literally sat with my mouth open in awe at how tediously handmade instruments are put together.  The craftsman demonstrated the sound quality of different woods and let us smell the various natural ingredients in his homemade varnish.  So fun.  

In Parma, the main event was dinner.  Five courses of delicious food and wine.  Highlight:  pumpkin ravioli and the best risotto I have ever tasted.  We stopped at a parmesan cheese factory on our way to Mantova.  despite the extreme stench, it was fascinating to see how cheese is made.  The amount of cheese in the little building was almost unbelievable!  

Mantova was a quaint small Italian town where I spent most of the day wandering away from the group to take photos.  So many little alleys.  The town overlooked a beautiful stretch of Italian countryside full of vineyards and farmlands.