tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54866132011-08-20T14:19:37.179+02:00Two eager American ragazze and their adventures in Italy during the summer of 2003 (including hail storms, exploding televisions, porcupines, homemade ravioli, and pipistrelli). "Niente interesante succede MAI in Italia!" allora, aspetta! <b>UPDATE:</b> Since that summer, the adventures have only continued, and so has the blog!Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.comBlogger4591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-51939285066795308012010-11-08T23:37:00.004+01:002010-11-09T02:06:07.461+01:00

I'm doing it! I'm blogging! I guess it's like riding a bike....although it did take about a dozen tries to get the right username/password combination.While faced with the monumental task of blogging again after such a long, long silence, I find myself faced with another challenge: processing pictures from a week in bell'Italia...made only more bell' since Jackie came all the way up to Torino to

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-9819121476156982892009-10-02T17:31:00.001+02:002009-10-02T17:31:33.760+02:00

Lucky Bowden is going to eat at Cochon in New Porkleans ... I mean Orleans.

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-54843830206302499962009-09-15T14:11:00.001+02:002009-09-15T14:11:49.825+02:00

Only four days left to study up (mateys): http://ping.fm/bWvlv

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-47058070907149008762008-08-01T23:59:00.002+02:002008-08-02T00:05:35.522+02:00

flowers from my parents' backyard in IndianapolisNo posts for a while here from me, so I wanted to just send an update: I'm back in the states again visiting family--another one of those last minute trips home. I've been home since July 6th, and I'll be here until the end of August. It's hot, humid, and typical late summer weather here. I've had a chance to photograph plenty of flowers in the

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-61592746156304601232008-06-26T14:40:00.003+02:002008-06-26T14:55:21.546+02:00

I loved Jackie's description of the Italian sunset between the Cypress. We've often confided in each other our affection for the blue Italian sky. It sounds hyperbolic and over-affectionate, but the blue over the boot really is more vibrant than any other sky I've been under, and it produces some amazing sunsets. Anyway, her great description makes me miss Italia, and her, and almost makes me

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-52345287700045265982008-06-26T10:03:00.005+02:002008-06-26T10:33:14.719+02:00

First, welcome back to Corrie, who has been blogging again! Yay, Corrie! Lucky you with the tomatoes--that tomato pizza and chard pizza looks delicious!The course has finally ended, and since it was such an intensive course, I'm ready for a little bit of a break. It seems like I've been running around like a mad woman since returning from Indy, so these last couple of days since the course ended

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-13023876416976607552008-06-20T13:23:00.008+02:002008-06-20T13:58:41.120+02:00

We're so proud. Last night Bowden and I harvested our first tomato! Of course, we're biased, but it was perfect -- not a blemish on the tight skin and lots of flavor. As thin slices, it was the crowning addition to last night's Pizza Primavera with veggies from Hoosier soil not too far away from our own backyard: summer squash in two colors from Goose The Market, Swiss chard from Balanced Harvest

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-40741935696109234062008-06-19T12:58:00.005+02:002008-06-19T13:01:29.875+02:00

I wasn't sure what to think when I heard about the world's most expensive burger on NPR this morning. The story made me hungry for a good burger but certainly not for "The Burger." Available only on pre-order from one London Burger King, "The Burger" includes "Wagyu beef, white truffles, Pata Negra ham slices, Cristal onion straws, Modena balsamic vinegar, lambs lettuce, pink Himalayan rock salt,

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-54458471659493351382008-06-18T13:41:00.002+02:002008-06-18T13:50:10.638+02:00

Sorry for not writing anything since returning to Italy: my second day back I was placed right back into the world of crazy working hours, and I'm still there. I just have two things that I wanted to mention today, though, before I head back to work:1. The Celtics won the Playoffs!!! I love those guys, and I'm so glad they won. More on that when I can devote a bit more time, but just wanted to

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-79186151331142896792008-06-18T01:31:00.012+02:002008-06-19T03:42:02.801+02:00

So much has happened since I last posted. Granted, that was a very, very long time ago. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, right? So here's a quick visual summary...The University of Gastronomic Sciences celebrated the graduation of the Masters in Communication class of 2007. The good folks at Goose the Market let me work behind the counter at this neighborhood specialty food and wine

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-37459737905282771122008-06-09T22:05:00.003+02:002008-06-09T22:13:50.093+02:00

I've been here in Indy for 2 weeks now, and I'm leaving on Wednesday to go back to Italy. During everything, I HAVE had some time to catch up with friends, which has been a real blessing. Here are some photos of us together, and what we did. Thanks you guys! Corrie and Cassie from a restaurant in Noblesville, Indiana, where we had dinner. More on that dinner later...A black and white shot of a

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-31333999365124007052008-06-09T05:09:00.004+02:002008-06-09T22:05:44.871+02:00

Well, the Celtics have survived in Boston. After two home games (this last one, which ended only moments ago, coming down to the wire), the Boston Celtics are up 2-0, and the next game is in L.A. What an exciting series, and what a great team to be all for--I decided I was a Celtics girl since they traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen at the beginning of this year. When speculation about

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-16765954702597947852008-05-28T11:55:00.003+02:002008-05-28T12:01:44.461+02:00

Just a quick post--I've arrived in America. I got in very late at night on Sunday, and as you can see already I'm experiencing serious jet lag, as I'm writing this post at 6 in the morning (and that's two hours later than when I woke up this morning...I know, it's crazy). Wanna guess what time I went to bed?Anyway, not sure how much posting I'll be doing these next few days (although I do have a

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-46427093897863225662008-05-25T01:07:00.004+02:002008-05-25T01:28:26.034+02:00

It's pretty late here (or early in the morning, I should say), and we're trying to keep our eyes open because Antonello and I are not going to get any sleep tonight. We are going to catch a 4 am train to Rome (and get some sleep onboard), and then from there I take an airplane back to the states--a last-minute, two-week trip to Indianapolis. Needless to say, it's been hectic these past few weeks,

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-49557100959249582472008-05-14T21:32:00.005+02:002008-05-15T00:08:23.466+02:00

I didn't forget about the cheese of the week. Really--I didn't. While things have been busy, it doesn't excuse me from leaving you readers (all three of you :) ) in suspense for weeks, wondering what cheese could possibly come next (and wondering what the name of our last cheese was--that mystery has been solved. It was called Pincion). Part of the reason, though, is that WE haven't really found

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-78091478743841859492008-05-13T08:16:00.010+02:002008-05-13T08:51:07.025+02:00

It's Tuesday, but it's pretty early...doesn't that count as being Monday?I know I post way too many windows on this blog, but I love taking photos of windows. This window here happens to be one of my favourites in Macerata. I know the structure of the actual window is simple, but when it's decorated by all of those plants, it's a pleasant thing to pass by. The window is located in my old

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-50083468061519197062008-05-07T08:18:00.002+02:002008-05-07T08:22:04.542+02:00

Today is the last day of the Intensive English course that we started in late April, but I wanted to share with you the blog we have been working on over the last three days: English No (Know) More. Like courses in the past, we try to create memes and write about our lives...all in English of course, hoping to become part of the larger blog community. A few days is obviously not enough time to

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-90671827171039874302008-05-05T09:12:00.003+02:002008-05-05T09:25:41.018+02:00

Or just one cat, really. This picture is for Cyndi, who loves cats (and always snaps pictures of them whenever she sees them). I am actually allergic to cats, so I tend to stay away, but still, they can be cute.This photo is from my walk home from the city centre--every Tuesday I have lessons in town, and when I walk back to my house (which is a bit outside of the main centre), I pass through

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-71198185572747488202008-04-05T20:01:00.004+02:002008-04-05T20:13:41.156+02:00

First signs of spring, in the Indy backyardMarch was a busy and beautiful month. Spending time back at home in Indy with family and seeing friends was great, and since I have been back in Italy, I have been busy adjusting again. As I put everything back in its place, gave gifts away, stacked up all of the girl scout cookies in the cabinet, I finally got around to going through the photos I took.

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-43165484012559798722008-03-23T01:12:00.004+01:002008-03-23T01:16:58.959+01:00

Today was a rather good day, despite the Purdue loss to Xavier this evening. It's my last day blogging, and I wanted to write a little bit more, but I am off to finish up a busy Saturday over dinner with Corrie, trying to squeeze as much out of this short visit home as possible. Also today, I got in last minute shopping for souvenirs and things for me (including a new purse!), I got a

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-70521092999501197632008-03-22T03:09:00.002+01:002008-03-22T03:15:49.203+01:00

Like I said yesterday, I've started to go mad for March Madness, and today was no different. And what a day it was--all sorts of upsets, and my bracket is starting to look like a mess! Two games were particularly exciting to watch: Western Kentucky's upset of fifth seeded Drake, and then a similar overtime game with San Diego upsetting UConn, of all teams! Last minute shot games are the ones that

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-52840076807078946122008-03-20T15:41:00.005+01:002008-03-20T16:02:26.887+01:00

It's official. With the first games of the NCAA Men's tournament starting today, March Madness has finally arrived. This morning, I filled out my bracket, and this afternoon we are set to watch some of our favorite match-ups, especially Purdue University vs. Baylor--and of course we are cheering for Purdue! Don't feel like you're in the spirit yet? Feel like maybe you don't know enough about the

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-27868701163545194362008-03-20T00:31:00.003+01:002008-03-20T00:54:28.587+01:00

Another rainy day--no signs of stopping--but also a day spent seeing friends, so things were relatively bright in that sense. At lunch, I met up with three friends--Cassie, Corrie, and Eric--to spend the rainy lunch hour at a window seat, chatting and eating and enjoying being inside and able to watch the weather from a distance. Some of the highlights of the rest of the day were:- freshly made

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-58366532784862964472008-03-19T01:01:00.004+01:002008-03-19T01:16:31.304+01:00

The weather during these last few days here in Indianapolis has been less than springlike--it has been cloudy and rainy and cold, more often than not. Today was no exception--we almost skipped the morning run due to what looked like an entire day of rain, but it turned out that the rain was mostly in the afternoon, and it was merely damp and dreary out all morning with no actual rainfall. However

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-41288567873799525732008-03-17T17:21:00.005+01:002008-03-18T11:52:15.953+01:00

Bowden and Corrie, gli sposiniIt's Monday of the last week of lent, meaning that my lenten promise to blog six days a week will soon be fulfilled, even if my blog posts have been rather boring! I apologize for that--as you know, I have been very busy, but I still am trying to make the most of the time I have, and hopefully this week's blog posts will be top notch! Or at least a few notches up

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-8423594805569174802008-03-15T10:21:00.002+01:002008-03-15T10:31:40.636+01:00

"Now join your hands, and with your hands, your hearts."-William ShakespeareWell, today is the day! I am up extremely early due to jet lag, but it is still technically Saturday, the day of Corrie's wedding. I don't know if I wrote about the actual reason I was coming home before, but the main reason is this one--to attend Corrie's wedding. So, despite the hassles with luggage and the delay with

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-31881245946538061522008-03-13T22:32:00.002+01:002008-03-13T22:36:30.350+01:00

but my luggage isn't. Big surprise--this has actually happened every time I've come home over the last 9 months. I'm getting really tired of all of this lost luggage! Keep your fingers crossed that it arrives tomorrow!Also, wondering why I am writing this on Thursday instead of on Wednesday? A delayed flight is to blame--I ended up not even leaving on Wednesday due to a delayed flight and very

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-88160551826969237032008-03-12T10:47:00.000+01:002008-03-12T10:48:28.716+01:00

I really am on my way out the door, but I wanted to add one more thing to this days wishes:Happy Birthday Corrie! Bella, tanti tanti auguri a te oggi! I hope that your day is wonderful, and that you take some time out from the wedding planning and get yourself a gelato :). Mi manchi! Ci vediamo presto!-Jackie

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-41953628100603638072008-03-12T09:12:00.002+01:002008-03-12T09:18:51.144+01:00

These are the last minute moments before my flight, and I'm running around the house like mad, getting things together, cleaning things up, making phone calls, and certainly forgetting many things. I've been like this for two weeks now--this crazy fast pace that I really can't keep up with anymore. I have been trying to organize myself better, but the truth is, there has just been too much. It's

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-14839998727414358112008-03-11T23:37:00.002+01:002008-03-11T23:40:50.572+01:00

As alyways, it's another busy day, but today meant not only working long hours, but also betting ready for the trip tomorrow. That's right, my flight leaves tomorrow! More packing to do, but I just wanted to check in to write a post. I know my blogging has been little more than just words jotted down lately, and now that work has finally ended and I'm on my way home tomorrow, I hope to do a

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-17409709462437025112008-03-10T23:41:00.002+01:002008-03-10T23:43:47.306+01:00

Yikes, it's late! Well, the weekend did indeed end, and it's been busy all day. I'm still working on writing a last minute test for my business English course which ends tomorrow--all just in time for me to get on a plane and leave for America the next day: Chicago here I come! I'm behind on pictures and cheeses, but I hope to make up for it tomorrow, if I have time! I'm going to haul my camera

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-66933938234871755592008-03-09T21:03:00.002+01:002008-03-09T21:19:44.303+01:00

It seems like the weekends pass so quickly. Today we had lunch with Antonello's family at a house in the countryside that is connected to the factory of Antonello's uncles (somehow there is always a house in the countryside available for outings and lunches, but never for actually LIVING in...don't ask me the details!), and it was sort of an early Easter get together, seeing that I'm leaving to

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-84192993739711835112008-03-08T21:32:00.002+01:002008-03-08T21:46:30.013+01:00

Today in Italy it is La Festa della Donna, or International Women's Day. In Italy, it is celebrated annually with sprigs of flowers from the mimosa tree given out to all women--by friends, family, even local stores, coffee bars, and restaurants--as a way of appreciating and celebrating the importance of women. Antonello participated by bringing me mimosa flowers and roses, and he bought some

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-19642578223089583562008-03-07T22:40:00.002+01:002008-03-07T22:41:58.666+01:00

Finally Friday. The intermediate course ended well--last lesson lunch together with the students and teachers (there were three of us teachers this time), and a movie to help us all get through the afternoon. As I walked home this evening, I got messages from my Saturday lessons--both lessons cancelled. That means no work tomorrow. Do you know how long I've been wanting a weekend?Thank goodness

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-10398744146385372722008-03-06T21:10:00.002+01:002008-03-06T21:18:57.164+01:00

With the weather, it seems miles away from Sunday's beautiful spring day, but I realize that the rain is necessary. It's been paradise here for so long with sunny skies, so I shouldn't complain about a bit of stormy weather. Tonight, I'm skipping my usual Thursday night routine of Speakeasy and opting for some rest. Tomorrow is finally Friday, and I'm so grateful. Doing two courses at the same

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-91527394208191786142008-03-05T21:05:00.002+01:002008-03-05T21:11:24.786+01:00

Today I worked a full eight hours at the intensive English course, and I'm exhausted. We started a whole new intensive English course today, but since the other one is still going on, we're doubling up. I did four hours with beginner English students, then four hours with advanced students. Did I mention I was tired?While there's nothing new now on the students' blog, I hope to make some progress

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-45677560890928633972008-03-03T07:34:00.002+01:002008-03-03T07:50:13.791+01:00

It's actually early morning when I write this, and I need to get ready for work, but I thought I'd post this shot that I took last night while I was getting some photos of the pink sunset behind our house. I haven't really posted any views from our apartment before, but I liked the way the city was lit up last night, the cars driving up the hill to the center. We live down the hill from the

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-75681319702884067982008-03-02T22:37:00.003+01:002008-03-02T22:50:00.146+01:00

Today was a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and Antonello and I put it to good use. Having one completely free day a week makes me a little anxious, but it's also a good excuse to use that day in the best way possible--doing everything on the list, including sleeping in. I FINALLY went running, and, while it was windy much of the run, there was also this sudden springtime rush of heat and sun.

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-82895355595358614922008-03-01T18:59:00.008+01:002008-03-01T21:48:23.663+01:00

unfortunately I've forgotten the name of this cheese, but it sure was good! I'll find out the name as soon as possible!Yesterday I was at Il Contadino, that fancy grocery store that I've mentioned before which has recently been renovated and where you can find a wonderful selection of cheeses. There are a few good cheese stores in Macerata, and I have typically stayed loyal to one called La Casa

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-78998386068876390922008-02-29T23:11:00.005+01:002008-03-01T09:49:32.022+01:00

With all of these hectic schedules, it's a miracle Antonello and I have actually had a chance to have lunch and dinner together this week, much less prepare the food we eat. In fact, it hasn't been easy at all: two days this week, when I only had an hour for lunch between lessons, we met at the Chinese restaurant near my work and ate springrolls and tofu stir fry, and the ever-popular fried ice

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-65144497898851595072008-02-28T23:02:00.003+01:002008-02-28T23:18:37.917+01:00

It's so late, I have worked ALL day and, unfortunately, I didn't have time to run. Plans were changed, so I had to work eight hours of intensive English, plus another couple of lessons too. What a day. I'm exhausted. I hope to run tomorrow, since it's a bit of a better schedule, but right now I'm ready to hit the hay.Anyway, here's what I've got to show you--my English students' blog:Pasta,

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-69362769259332840122008-02-27T19:55:00.003+01:002008-02-27T21:29:50.944+01:00

Today was Day 3 of "Jackie's Hectic Week." It was technically a day off--I only worked a half day today. What did I do?1. Slept in. Just slightly.2. Watched American television by way of Quarterlife, an internet series that will soon be on NBC, and got caught up (read: watched WAY too much TV) with the series. Soon after, I began to stress about the fact that, technically, I'm too old for the

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-40231159269824423372008-02-26T23:06:00.003+01:002008-02-26T23:32:28.119+01:00

"If it were not for hopes, the heart would break." - Thomas FullerWhy are Tuesdays always bad days? It just seems to be working out like that for me lately, and today started out with me not wanting to even get up out of bed, and now is ending with me just wanting to get some solid sleep. Ugh. I'm tired after two long days of work (yesterday was especially tough), and I ended my lessons today at

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-71668289520865622892008-02-25T00:33:00.006+01:002008-02-25T22:21:17.825+01:00

I used to believe that this church of The Immaculate Conception (Immacolata Concezione), which is on a busy street leading to Macerata's city walls, was one of the oldest churches outside of the city center. As you might have seen last week, I posted a photo of the facade of the church of Santa Croce, which really is one of the oldest churches in the area outside of the medieval walls. Anyway,

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-29429434980935230362008-02-23T22:34:00.005+01:002008-02-23T23:30:28.098+01:00

I had never heard of the Piedmonte DOP cheese Raschera before this week, and it made me realize that I really don't know which DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) cheeses are out there, so I decided to take a look. I found this list. It's good to see some cheeses that I'm familiar with (and like), as well as to find the Marche represented with the Caciotta d'Urbino cheese (hmmm...future "

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-5068826643463342032008-02-22T21:16:00.003+01:002008-02-22T21:28:59.185+01:00

I have just gotten home from work, put something on for dinner, and I'm exhausted. Antonello's not even home yet--that is how busy he has been lately--working really late hours and getting little sleep. I've had things much easier. In fact, this is actually my down time, in between intensive English courses, when all I've got are private lessons and some work at one of the middle schools in town.

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-90387406101212033242008-02-21T09:59:00.003+01:002008-02-21T14:56:39.129+01:00

I keep mentioning how beautiful the days have been here, and it makes it awfully hard for me to put off running. It's too easy to go outside and run when the weather like this. Even though there are definitely days when I want to stay in bed and not go running (Monday was a prime example), I still want to try and get in my miles.It's been a couple of years now that I have been running, but my

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-6118991527965429542008-02-20T20:30:00.008+01:002008-02-20T21:11:19.489+01:00

Here are some pictures from Sunday's excursion in the mountains. It was not much of a mountain trip at all--just a morning of hiking near the town of Amandola with Antonello's cousin Daniele, his girlfriend Virginia, and a friend of theirs. Driving up the mountain in another day of beautiful weather, we got to a certain point where, underneath the car, the crunch of fallen snow, and the

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-53113429266803605942008-02-19T23:10:00.002+01:002008-02-19T23:17:03.009+01:00

It's almost midnight, and I just got home from a two-hour English course...I'm exhausted and need to eat dinner. Sorry for this last minute blog: I've been racking my brain all day for what to write about, and there just isn't much. I need to post my pictures from the weekend's trip the mountains, and I hope to do that tomorrow. The weather has been breathtaking this past week--it's amazing how

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-27412948617976257582008-02-18T22:31:00.002+01:002008-02-18T23:14:13.974+01:00

I hope you are all having a nice Monday--Mondays here have really become my least favourite day of the week, because I have long afternoon lessons that require more preparation than maybe I'd like, but now, as the day is coming to a close, I can sit back a bit and relax. Here's a shot of the church of Santa Croce (Holy Cross), one of the oldest churches found outside of Macerata's city walls.

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-84475673912611691432008-02-16T21:24:00.008+01:002008-02-16T22:41:47.877+01:00

To start off with: cheese of the week has been not very "weekly" lately, so I wanted to apologize for that. Hopefully, now that one of my lenten promises (the other was to give up soda) is to blog six days a week, these cheese posts will show up more regularly. Really, it isn't hard to blog about cheeses here in Italy: first off, I am a cheese-loving person, and secondly, cheese is everywhere

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-69290639078117429942008-02-15T17:33:00.005+01:002008-02-15T17:58:56.821+01:00

There are a lot of movies I have wanted to see lately. Antonello and I haven't been renting as many films as we normally do (we're not big into going to the theatre). So while we were there at the video rental last night, there were all sorts of films I would have liked to pick up and see, but it was Valentine's Day. We had to get something a little bit romantic.So the one romantic film that's

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-57128019517563437072008-02-14T19:29:00.004+01:002008-02-14T19:45:54.592+01:00

Valentine's Day flowers from AntonelloThis week, which has gone from dismal and gray to gloriously colorful over here in Italy, has been reminding me gently why it is exactly I chose to make this move to Italy--this crazy decision that I never would have thought I'd make. And there are still moments when I forget what it is I am doing here, why exactly I chose to come to this country. It's not

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-66904668221791599392008-02-13T10:26:00.007+01:002008-02-13T21:42:52.640+01:00

Every year a group of some of my closest friends and I remember a special day in Florence, that happened years back when we were students. Who knows why we're so serious about the celebrating, and remembering, of that day--all in all, it was really just a little moment in what has since become a long lasting friendship, but as it turns out, that little moment meant a lot.We call it "Bottle Day."

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-57251019471717913872008-02-12T19:15:00.000+01:002008-02-12T19:42:37.925+01:00

Not much to say here--it's been kind of a grey, lonely day. This week seems to be turning into a grey week actually, but hopefully it won't be so gloomy. I don't know why, I've just been in a bit of a funk lately. Even though I have a little bit more time on my hands since I'm in between intensive English courses, I can't seem to get anything done, and there is a lot to get done! I hope to make

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-33794946282267887082008-02-11T22:04:00.000+01:002008-02-11T23:22:39.439+01:00

I hope that everyone has had a good Monday. Today hasn't really been the best day to start the week on, but it's okay. It's kind of a gloomy day outside, and I skipped my morning run as a result. Anyway, it's Monday. Monday is always Monday--that kind of day that you look forward to getting by.Here's a picture for Macerata Monday (yes, Macerata Monday is finally back!) that shows detail of one

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-91878261907312007762008-02-09T21:36:00.000+01:002008-02-09T23:11:09.969+01:00

"The older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune."-English ProverbAs seems to be the case lately, I am a little bit behind on blogging, specifically, blogging about birthdays. There were SO many birthdays to celebrate in January, and I completely spaced it. January tends to be one of the big birthday months among friends and family: especially for my father, who celebrates his birthday on the 20th.

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-32390552298838935022008-02-08T16:22:00.000+01:002008-02-08T21:02:37.726+01:00

Today in my inbox, I got some pictures from a friend of ours (and caving companion) Roberto--pictures from a recent caving-related outing. Some of you might remember old posts about Roberto. He's definitely one of my favorite fellow cavers, in that caving-related activities with him range from crazy cave hunting to serious cave scene investigation, which, of course, included florescent powder.

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-33258784610515725422008-02-07T18:46:00.000+01:002008-02-07T19:06:54.837+01:00

Like Rowena commented in my previous post, sometimes it's really hard to get all of the things that have happened in one's life recently into separate posts: to sit down and really unravel how to write a blog. Or how to write a blog entry, at least. This, mixed with laziness, mixed with moments of complete chaos, have made writing in this blog a little challenging of late, but, like I said, I'm

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-57769812642769403552008-02-06T21:05:00.000+01:002008-02-06T21:42:06.768+01:00

It's been a bad year for blogging, so far. I simply can't seem to get back into the swing of blogging, and I would really like to! It's not too much for me to be blogging, but somehow I've just gotten out of the loop. Anyway, the point is, I've made myself a little lenten resolution, today being Ash Wednesday and all (after filling up on pancakes yesterday for a little English-American Shrove

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-52535503763424121712008-02-04T08:42:00.000+01:002008-02-04T08:54:03.021+01:00

Even if the Colts didn't make it to the playoffs this year, two Mannings in a row is fine with me. Congrats to the New York Giants for winning this year's superbowl!! Yay! What a good way to start the new week.-Jackie

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-87112539342822735532008-01-25T07:34:00.000+01:002008-01-25T07:35:43.337+01:00

My new group of intensive English students is a suprisingly large group, but we have managed to put together something of a blog (something I do with every group). While it is still in the starting stages, we hope to add some more today: Almost Mother Tongue. Take a look and write comments, please! :) Thanks!-Jackie

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-54030317439423225292008-01-17T19:49:00.000+01:002008-01-17T20:12:23.885+01:00

Sorry to everyone for being so bad about blogging lately...I am currently back in the beautiful country of Italy, after having a great little Christmas vacation back home in Indianapolis. There's so much to write about right there--ten days in Indy was great, and being with family and getting to spend quite a bit of time with my friends too just made everything worthwhile, even if Christmas day

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-48973001311344826152007-12-24T20:09:00.000+01:002007-12-24T20:46:55.436+01:00

We're lucky to celebrate Christmas this year with family (and snow!) in Penfield, NY. The trees are sparkling (white AND colored lights, no less), and we lit the last candle on the advent wreath last night before a pasta dinner complete with Sugo delle Zie. It was delicious, Aunt Betty and Aunt Gigi! Grazie!While I've never actually tasted this holiday Cheese of the Week, it seems too festive not

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-90747349299142343152007-12-17T18:35:00.000+01:002007-12-17T23:28:09.901+01:00

I'm in the middle of last minute dashing-around, buying the finishing touches to gifts, doing one more lesson before the Christmas holiday really starts and, at four in the morning, Antonello and I will make our way to Ancona to drop me off at the airport, my flight back to the states awaiting me. I'm sorry for the lack of posts: it's been a mix of being really busy and being really lazy which

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-77856164550346058572007-12-07T18:21:00.001+01:002007-12-07T18:43:15.093+01:00

We saw our first snow of the season in Indy on Tuesday night! There was at least three inches on the ground here and another couple inches fell last night. I'm enjoying the festive, wintery scenes now since the forecast promises warmer temperatures and chances for rain over the weekend.The colored lights on this pine were finished just in time to catch the first flakes. After trimming the tree,

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-54984655548876337332007-12-07T17:39:00.001+01:002007-12-07T17:51:51.592+01:00

Hoosier cheeses are making a name for themselves. When I was at school in Italy, some of our faculty members associated my home state not with that silly race track or its proximity to Chicago. They knew Capriole Farms and its line of delectable cheeses produced by Hoosier goats. Stateside, Jackie found a great article from San Francisco that referenced another Indiana fromage, Traders Point

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-19245112163156322892007-12-03T19:10:00.000+01:002007-12-03T19:21:55.666+01:00

It has been all of the sudden warm here in Macerata, and when I stepped onto our balcony this morning, after hearing what seemed like hours of furious winds, I noticed that, not only had the wind stopped, but it was almost warm weather--I even considering shedding my jacket. It has been like this for a couple of days, although I am still expecting cold weather. In the meantime, I'm thankful for

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-70995484779373749852007-11-30T17:30:00.000+01:002007-11-30T18:48:55.481+01:00

Although my blog posts don't quite qualify for the post a day challenge over at NaBloPoMo (I missed the first four days and didn't start blogging regularly until the 5th), I still feel like I've accomplished something pretty big for this little blog. Yay blog! So today, being the 30th of November, is the final day of the month of daily blogging, and while I don't know how exciting it was to read

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-7188939693367108462007-11-29T17:21:00.000+01:002007-11-29T19:34:22.966+01:00

December is nearing, and the seasons are changing, but it doesn't yet feel quite right to me. I always get the holidays in Italy mixed up because of the lack of Thanksgiving--seasons seem to change from Halloween candy and fall colors straight into Christmas ornaments around the beginning of November, and I'm still used to there being a holiday right in between those, perfectly placed to

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-66679634341953563772007-11-28T20:04:00.000+01:002007-11-28T20:34:55.284+01:00

Remember two weeks ago when I promised that my next submission for cheese of the week would be a good one? Well, after a week of tasty cheese adventures (which even included some honest-to-goodness green English cheese...that one's got a good story to it), I discovered not only one cheese of the week candidate that fit the "good cheese" category, but many! So it looks like we've got some

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-42579597047466073132007-11-27T20:13:00.000+01:002007-11-27T22:05:49.255+01:00

I have been battling all week with buying a ticket for the states for Christmas, and finally, after adjusting my dates a bit, trying to purchase various tickets and getting in response (after having completed ALL of the info and even chosen my flight seats!) a simple "Sorry! That flight has been sold out!" I, on a whim, typed in the 30th of December as my return date (I had originally planned on

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-337440208742665192007-11-26T19:58:00.001+01:002007-11-26T20:12:00.013+01:00

Well, it's Monday again. And that means a lot of things: back to work, back to the routine, the first day of the week. But it also means Macerata Monday! Yay! Today, on my way to work, I decided to take a few photos of the landscape around Macerata, looking north toward Ancona. The church that you can see in the middle of the shot, lit by the sunlight, was where I used to take my daily morning

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-30291386654697183692007-11-25T19:23:00.000+01:002007-11-25T20:07:46.418+01:00

The feast is over, all fourteen guests have gone home, including our friends Cyndi and Danilo, who stayed an extra day to spend a little more time in Macerata with us (and help out with clean up! Thank you guys!). Even with all sixteen of us, there was too much food, and what we had worried was a small turkey (12 pounds) was way more than plenty--all of the leftovers stuffed in our fridge are

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-39891123119110756052007-11-24T19:41:00.000+01:002007-11-24T19:44:52.079+01:00

Just a quick note and a picture to show you what we're up to (yes, those are devilled eggs)--we're in the midst of making Thanksgiving dinner, so this is just a post and run...hope that you are enjoying your weekend, even if it means lots of expat Thanksgiving cooking! Good luck!Happy (Saturday) Thanksgiving!-Jackie

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-75206897483020431442007-11-23T23:44:00.000+01:002007-11-23T23:55:07.538+01:00

It's just about midnight, so I'm just barely making my daily blog (for NaBloPoMo) entry in time. I have spent almost the entire day in the kitchen, baking and preparing food for tomorrow's big feast, so there's really not much to tell, except that the apple pie is ready, the persimmon pudding is done, and I'm working on the stuffing as we speak. While Thanksgiving was yesterday, today also

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-11018303776125451232007-11-22T18:08:00.000+01:002007-11-22T21:05:05.335+01:00

When I woke up this morning, it didn't hit me right away that it was Thanksgiving. Being so far away from the states makes it kind of an ordinary day at first glance, since there's no turkey today, and no big feast to celebrate along with family. Our Thanksgiving day will be this Saturday, and we have invited a big group of friends and family to celebrate with us, but that's still two days away,

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-14625404522711720202007-11-21T18:26:00.000+01:002007-11-21T21:26:53.318+01:00

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and while that doesn't mean much here in Italy as we're going to be celebrating on Saturday, I know that people back home in the states are getting their preparations ready, tweaking the menus, and baking pies. I wish I could be a part of it too, and even though I feel a bit far away from the action, my brother is having Thanksgiving at his house this year, so

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-87105275200936439892007-11-20T09:35:00.000+01:002007-11-20T17:01:12.737+01:00

I'm a listmaker by nature, and recently Antonello and I have been busy savoring a bit of Thanksgiving-related listmaking. From a list of guests (we're still trying to organize this a bit better) to a list of dishes, to a list of ingredients, our list have grown from short to long to really long. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving and list making, I decided to get started on a short list of online

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-68178462386444452602007-11-19T21:59:00.000+01:002007-11-19T23:06:00.475+01:00

Earlier this month, it was a gift to return to bell'Italia, even if only for a quick trip of thesis presentations, graduation, packing up the apartment, and -- the sweetest part -- visits with friends. Jackie and Cyndi cheered me on during the UNISG graduation ceremony (grazie, amiche!), and we laughed our way around Parma's winding streets, crumbling castle, and best gelato shop. With entirely

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-27461575497701869932007-11-19T21:08:00.000+01:002007-11-19T21:41:05.280+01:00

Considering all of the times I complain about how autumn and winter are cursed with the sun going down so much sooner, and the sky turning dark when I firmly believe that there should still be a steady stream of sunlight coming through, the fact remains that I actually love walking around Macerata as the sun goes down, seeing the sky take on that unmistakably clear blue that somehow I never

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-7122674894920575292007-11-18T17:44:00.000+01:002007-11-19T00:00:02.962+01:00

Two Sundays in a row, Antonello and I have been good, busy caver people. Not usually a rarity for us, lately, we've been a little bit slack in terms of caving. In fact, these 2 Sundays just begin to make up for the last few months, during which we have done very little to even approach a cave, and our spelunking flexibility skills (climbing in and out of small tunnels, climbing up and rappelling

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-24324067717523932542007-11-17T16:22:00.001+01:002007-11-17T22:13:35.204+01:00

Not much to say on this rather sleepy Saturday in Macerata: it's grey outside, and we've spent the good part of today inside, watching really bad movies and getting some chores done. We're about to escape into the cold though--as it seems like it is quite cold outside--to head to a birthday party. We also need to get started on some Thanksgiving day shopping: it looks like we are going to have

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-29713983307645220622007-11-16T19:41:00.000+01:002007-11-16T20:10:04.308+01:00

I must say, I'm starting to rethink this whole cheese idea. I LOVE cheese, or at least I have always thought so, but here I am, the second week into the weekly cheese, and I am not too happy with my choices. The first cheese, as you might remember, made me sneeze. So this week, I was determined to make the second cheese a cheese of note, one that we'd be talking about for years to come, saying "

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-16424035882313817232007-11-15T19:29:00.000+01:002007-11-15T19:44:53.299+01:00

In all honesty, this has been a strange week for me to be participating in the November daily blogging talked about over at NaBloPoMo, since the whole week has rather been a bit of a bore. There are things going on, sure, but not many things going on right here at home, in my little corner of Macerata. That is to say, most of my lessons have somehow gotten cancelled this week, or rain has been

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-40280631277348672122007-11-14T16:29:00.000+01:002007-11-14T18:16:41.666+01:00

It's been raining all day long, and, since somehow all of my lessons today have been cancelled, I've been snuggled up reading a book and, occasionally, shuffling around to do some housework and some translations, occasionally checking email. It's one of those lazy grey fall days, and, to make it complete, I could really use a big bowl of my dad's veggie soup, a hot mug of apple cider, and a

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-11259582191623289572007-11-13T20:10:00.000+01:002007-11-14T16:15:03.802+01:00

Read here about the first half of our weekend in Lazio.It was morning already, and from our vantage point from window of our hotel room, we could see the day beginning. All of Rieti's valley was before us, not twinkling with nightlights anymore, but now a clear stretch of green and yellow hills, the sky blue above, the city below, and towns perched on the hills all around. I was ready to explore,

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-11628568321841417012007-11-12T22:18:00.000+01:002007-11-12T23:14:17.694+01:00

I know it's nearing the end of the day, and I'm just getting around to putting this photo for Macerata Monday online. But it's been that kind of day, and when I finally got home this evening, after racing around here and there to get things done (even though, in total hours of paid work, I only registered a few, I felt like I was running around all over the place running errands and doing last

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-58215475310611811632007-11-11T20:21:00.000+01:002007-11-11T20:57:40.939+01:00

It's been a good weekend. After yesterday's trip to Ancona to meet up with Corrie, we came back home and ate bagel sandwiches for dinner (thanks to Corrie for the stuff from America!) and vegged out in front of the TV. Then, this morning we woke up early to do some caving practice: we go to a place called Sant' Eustachio where there are the ruins of an old church built into the rock. Along the

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-21686417818853073342007-11-10T21:15:00.000+01:002007-11-12T11:33:51.624+01:00

Loads of Truffles!!Corrie and I have both been featured in this month's San Pellegrino website, and it seems that the two of us were chosen based on nothing else but our photos which fit the monthly spotlights (Le Marche and Truffles), not based on finding us through our popular and lovable blog! In fact, it's very likely that the people who emailed us in regards to our photos didn't realize at

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-39369055647854867812007-11-09T17:42:00.000+01:002007-11-09T18:49:24.071+01:00

After discovering for the first time the delicious, crumbly Piedmont cheese Castelmagno at the recently reopened (and rennovated) Il Contadino grocery store, I decided that it might be a good idea for Allora Aspetta to start a cheese-of-the-week post, talking about different cheeses that might not be listed among your standard cheeses. The reason for this is the following: First off, Il Contadino

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-59845137590848215642007-11-08T10:50:00.000+01:002007-11-08T11:37:04.326+01:00

I'm finally getting caught up on some of this travelling I've been doing, and I'm keeping my promise of one blog post a day! This trip was a couple of weekends back, when we headed down to Lazio.Antonello and I didn't have a destination in mind for the weekend, we just knew we wanted to get out of town. I was right in the middle of a 2 week Intensive English course, and I was exhausted. Luckily,

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-81586788600901963062007-11-07T14:26:00.000+01:002007-11-07T14:42:40.802+01:00

Today is a big day for Antonello and my baby niece, Miriam, as she celebrates her first birthday! Even from across an ocean, we have been so fortunate to watch her grow, with my brother's excellent eye and ability to capture the sweet moments of this one year. His flickr account has been our window into Miriam's world when we can't be with her, from her first days on the planet to her first

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-2233833358203863872007-11-06T04:34:00.000+01:002007-11-06T04:37:45.301+01:00

Not much to say this morning, as I'm getting prepared to leave to go up to Parma. It's still dark out (I dare not tell you what hour, or you'll think I'm crazy to be leaving so early), and I'm already ready to go back to sleep, but my train awaits. That's right--I'm taking a train this time. The car is going to stay at home with Antonello, where it will get to get some rest instead of being

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-87987562788184723542007-11-05T20:35:00.001+01:002007-11-05T21:52:34.121+01:00

Here's your dose of Macerata Monday--windows in one of the small squares of Macerata's city center:These windows are among my favorites in Macerata. I'm somewhat of a window-snapping photographer, as for some reason I love looking up at windows and finding their various shapes and styles.The square that these windows look out upon is also quite charming, and sometimes, in the summer, there are

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-60765230101204351852007-11-05T18:02:00.000+01:002007-11-05T18:26:15.947+01:00

I hope everyone's weekends were good. Here in Italy, we had a typical All Saint's Day long weekend, which would normally include a "ponte" (bridge between a holiday and a weekend, incorporating the thursday or friday in between--kind of the American equivilent to long Thanksgiving weekends), but this year it wasn't even needed since Friday was also kind of a holiday--All Soul's Day. We spent the

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-25106397263664818232007-10-31T19:10:00.000+01:002007-11-01T15:04:18.211+01:00

Happy Halloween from Macerata!Halloween is a great holiday, and I love celebrating it here in Macerata, teaching my students about it, and learning about the history as well. It takes on a special meaning here--where it's something almost new, and every English lesson I do, talking about the Festival of Halloween, I learn something. Therefore, this week's edition of Macerata Monday has been moved

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-45278003273135572342007-10-26T09:52:00.001+02:002007-10-26T09:56:37.817+02:00

It's almost 10 in the morning, and I've been at work since 9 am. Today is the last day of our 10-day intensive English course and no students have arrived yet. What is going on? Where have all the students gone?Oh wow--two just came in!Guess I'd better go teach.-Jackie

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-77134899129015772802007-10-23T07:43:00.000+02:002007-10-23T08:04:27.285+02:00

Rieti, not so "dull" after allRowena was right! As she mentioned in the comments below, we did indeed visit the province of Rieti, stopping over in little Greccio (Bethlehem's sister city) to visit the town where Saint Francis brought forward the tradition of the presepio. In fact, driving near Rieti you can see the "largest presepio in the world," which is really just a few large statues placed

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486613.post-12850228811841882362007-10-22T09:04:00.000+02:002007-10-22T10:07:01.653+02:00

First off, I'm sure you've been losing sleep at night wondering, WHERE did Jackie and Antonello go on their weekend away? Well, we had a great weekend away, but we definitely didn't explore a typical touristy site (in fact, my guide book called the biggest town we saw "dull." They were mistaken). Instead we visited small towns and drove through beautiful countryside and mountains, all in the

Stelle in Italiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122747870652076415noreply@blogger.com3