Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Buon giorno!!

So I know I've slacked off a little since we got here, my days seem to end so much faster than before and I don't feel like I'm doing anything much different. Anyway, so we've been here over a month, going on two basically and we've done and seen so much and yet it still feels like I haven't seen everything!There really is a tremendous amount to do here; there is so much to see.

We got to San Vito on October 14 at about 2am. After over 24 hours of traveling we were extremely exhausted! It was a very, very long trip.

Our apartment is located basically out in the country. It is quiet and trees surround us everywhere. One thing I love to watch at least once a week or every couple of weeks is the sheep and goat herders that walk through the city; Makes me smile every time.

We live on the 1st floor and have a 3 bedroom, fully furnished apartment. Everything included is fairly modern and up-to-date. I LOVE my kitchen – lots of space to cook. And I have a gas stove!!

Another thing I am absolutely enjoying is the housekeeper. Her name is Ana and she comes once a week, on Wednesdays to clean the apartment. She dusts and wipes counters, sweeps and mops the floors, cleans the bathrooms from top to bottom, and changes our sheets. It is awesome to get a break from having to do this all the time. She is amazing!

The only downside I would have to say is the laundry room. It is located downstairs and outside kind of in a basement area. It’s not ideal when it is raining. But I am just thankful we actually have a washer and dryer so I do what I have to do.

I have a local grocery store just right across the street that is super convenient for milk and bread and any little things I may need.

Our main road
Our town is just a 10 minute walk down the road. And I walk to it almost on a daily basis. I joined a gym there and I walk to it to warm up and then jump on the treadmill when I get there. I run about 5 or 6 km (for now, working on increasing my stride), depending on the time and then walk back to the apartment as my cool down. So far, I am really enjoying our living arrangements.
One of our favorite restaurants is in town called El Vulcano. We like to go here at least once a week.

It takes about 25 minutes or so, to get to the bigger city of Brindisi. We drive here a couple times a week to head to the mall, the larger grocery store or just for dinner. There is a Chinese Restaurant we love to go to and a Seafood Restaurant found by the water.

We have a few other towns near us including Mesagne and Carovigno. We have a nice restaurant in Mesagne we like to go to and our dry cleaner is found in Carovigno.

Dinner with Mino
The food here has been delicious, of course and the wine – WOW! There is always so much to choose from. I never thought I would ever eat this much pizza or pasta in my life! Italians have BIG appetites! And also, eat very late (most restaurants do not open until 8pm and even then are barely setting up.) So if you come here, be prepared for the late hours and heavy meals. :)

One type of pizza I've really enjoyed is something I had never tried before – pizza with tuna. It is absolutely delicious and I can even find these frozen at the grocers. 



One of our first weekend trips was spent in the town of Gallipoli - about a half an hour drive from San Vito. Our friend Mike tagged along for the trip and we all had a great time. This is one of the many towns found right on the water. We were able to walk around the beach of this beautiful city and even had lunch at a restaurant surrounded by sea. 

We later stopped at a Cafe for some coffee and wine, where we sat along the edge of the cliff - literally. The water was beautiful and the day was amazing. 
This would definitely be a place to return. 



A few weekends later we headed to Ostuni, here known as La Citá Bianca. This City in White is located at the top of a hill basically and is only a 20 minute drive from where we live. It was amazing to see from a distance - all you see is the white! We were able to walk around the town for a little bit, grab some lunch, and then head back. 







We've also recently traveled to Otranto - another city found on the water. This part of Italy was just gorgeous. The water was crystal clear and just so nice to look at. We were able to walk and view the Castle here - Castello Aragonese. We also walked around the small city streets of vendors. They set up a market behind the church were you can get all kinds of really nice souvenirs. There was even a tiny carnival set up and C.J. got excited to ride a couple of them. 



Happy Birthday to Me!

Celebrating my 31st Birthday here was really a special treat as well. I was able to get together with my old friends: Mino, Stefano, and Matteo and some of my new ones as well: Luca, Antonella, Andrea, and Viviana. 

I met Mino, Stefano, and Matteo in Charleston, 4 years ago. They were working with Erick then. It's been a blessing being able to see them again after so long. They are a great group of guys. 
Luca is an Engineer who also works with Erick AND he is our landlord :) He is married to Antonella and they have a baby boy, Andrea. We've been very lucky to have this sweet little family here with us. Luca and Antonella are super helpful with everything and anything. I'm glad I've had the opportunity to know them. 







Halloween is not really celebrated here, so C.J. did not dress up. But I still did want to make the day fun for him so we watched Scary movies and cartoons all day; I made him little ghoulish treats and snacks and we decorated the apartment with some fun hand made decorations. 








Thanksgiving was also wonderful! We had a family style dinner and we all got together with our dishes at Luca's grandparents' home. Luca and his older brother, Marco deep fried a 26lb turkey! It was awesome! There was about 16 of us all together at dinner - We had an amazing meal and fun conversation with their coworkers and their families. 
I did a ton of cooking this year!
I made 2 pumpkin pies completely from scratch! Luca helped me by buying the pumpkin for me at a local market. I carved, baked, scooped and pureed. The pie was delicious. 
I also made a green bean casserole, my mother-in-law, Irma's special stuffing, and a gravy - ALL FROM SCRATCH. It was hard work but so worth it! 

All in all, I would have to say that living in Italy has been good for me. I am really enjoying myself, I'm thankful to spend it and be here with my family.