This is more than my first attempt to write a post within the last week. Our internet connection at our apartment is very slow and unreliable, so it's not always easy to get online, much less spend time online writing on here or uploading pictures. This might just be a post without pictures, but I will upload them when I can.
Not too much has been going on here in the last week to report on. Justin and I both started classes last Tuesday and have been busy learning Italian 5 hours a day and then spending a couple of hours doing homework after the class. The classes are hard, it seems like almost everyone in the class has a really good understanding of the language and can be very conversational. I can understand most of what the professors are saying, but I have a hard time thinking and speaking on my feet. I really have to think about what I want to say before I can say anything. It is frustrating sometimes. The school that we are attending is the Universita per Stranieri di Siena. This means it is the University for strangers (foreigners). Since there are people from all over the world in my class (China, Japan, Australia, Germany, France, Brazil, England, Portugal, Spain, etc.) the only common language is Italian, which means the classes are only in Italian. I'm sure it will get easier, and it has already only in the last week, but I still have a long way to go with my language skills.
Besides school, we have been trying to come up with things to do on the weekends. We want to travel around quite a bit, but we are still trying to figure out what it is going to cost us to live here so we know how much we can spend on travelling and weekend excursions. Last weekend we were planning on going on a wine tour of Tuscany and Chianti, but the tour was sold out when we went to sign up. I think we will try again for this weekend. We have some ideas of where we want to go, but we are also looking for suggestions. So, I want to know, what are your favorite European destinations? What is a place that we shouldn't miss out on? Please let me know!!! :)
Well, blogger is still trying to upload my photos after trying for at least 25 minutes, so I don't think you are getting pics with this update! sorry, hopefully next time!