Farewell, Fall 2009 Students!

End of the Semester Events:

Monday, Dec. 7: Ice - Skating in Piazza della Liberta':

Tuesday, Dec. 8: German Market in Santa Croce:

Thursday, Dec. 17: Farewell Dinner:

One last 'antipasto' toscana at the "Girasol" in Florence ...

Our Italian Roommate, Chiara, in full Christmas spirit!

Buon Natale e buon ritorno a casa.

Ci mancherete, we will miss you!!

One last look at Firenze, through our eyes ...

Florence Drawing and Painting Students spent their last day in Italy presenting some of their landscape paintings. Siete bravissime, ragazze!

Palazzuolo Sul Senio: 1,000 Nativity Scenes in the Tuscan countryside

This past Sunday, we took the holiday bus from Florence up to the snowcapped hilltops of Tuscan Romagna. Palazzuolo sul Senio, once named "Italian Ideal Village" of  the year, has several claims to fame. Inhabited since the Upper Paleolithic era (i.e. for the last 14,000 years ...), this charming Italian village thrived in the high Middle Ages and went on to host such powerhouses as Machiavelli and Garibaldi ... none of these (albeit impressive) tidbits is what drew us to the town. Each year, shopkeepers, children, and artists contribute to Palazzuolo sul Senio's 1,000 nativity scenes, placed all over the city in all shapes, sizes, forms and degrees of creative license...

 

Elementary school students created their manger out of painted rocks. This was one of our favorites.

This one is hidden beneath a log at the foot of a steep hiking trail at the outskirts of the town.

Birdcage manger!

The Holiday Market goes on every Sunday for the entire month. We spent a good amount of time sampling the local specialities, among which frittelle di castagne (chestnut fritters) and panzerotti (fried dough filled with tomato and mozzarella, or ham and cheese).

And ... back to Florence!

CET Student Correspondent News: Gluten-Free Inferno

Murielle Wyman,
CET Student Correspondent

Okay, so being gluten-free in Italy really isn’t as bad as the title suggests but I had to pull you in somehow! Actually, eating gluten-free here has been pretty easy. Before coming, I freaked out a little bit wondering what I was going to eat in the land of pasta and pizza. Gluten is hard enough to avoid in the US and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like for me in a carb-laden country, such as Italy, for four months. I did a little bit of research before coming overseas, however, and discovered that celiac disease is the most common genetic disease in Europe with 1 in every 250 Italians diagnosed with it. Interestingly enough, although the disease is hereditary and most Americans are descendent from European ethnic groups in whom diagnosis is common, only 1 in 4700 are diagnosed. Researchers in the US think that this is because our doctors are uneducated about the disease and are even less skillful in testing for it. In Italy, not only are all children screened for this asymptomatic disease before they enter kindergarten, but all adults who have been diagnosed with celiac disease are given two days a month, paid leave from work, to grocery shop! I couldn’t believe it!

For those of you who have never heard of celiac disease, it is an autoimmune disorder, like rheumatoid arthritis or type-1 diabetes, triggered by the ingestion of gluten found in such products as wheat, barley and rye. Reactions take place in the intestines and can cause all sorts of gastrointestinal symptoms and also prevent the proper absorption of food and nutrients that can, in the long run, lead to serious health consequences. The only known cure is quite simple however, and requires those diagnosed to follow a gluten-free diet, a lot easier said than done.

Although I don’t have a very serious condition and it is SO hard to resist cake sometimes, I knew I would have to be careful about outright loading up on lots of breads and pastas. Because celiac disease is such a common disease here, the ‘Farmacia’s are the best place to start the search for gluten-free foods. Upon walking into one for the first time, I was almost moved to tears. A whole wall was covered with nothing but gluten-free breads, pastas, snacks, cookies—it was heaven.

It is also relatively easy to find gluten-free products in grocery stores. The Conad stores have a special little section with products labeled ‘senza glutine’ (without gluten) while other stores make you search within the different sections—crackers, pasta—for items labeled as such. Everything is delicious—in fact, maybe even better than their gf counterparts in the States.

Going out to eat is a little trickier. If you are looking for celiac-friendly foods, the most important phrase to know is “Sono celiaco,” meaning, “I am a celiac.” Most restaurant owners and waiters will go out of their way to accommodate your condition; some even have specific dishes prepared without gluten, but in other restaurants it is best to stick to a risotto dish—which are quite common—or potatoes as a side. If you are looking for pizza, the best place in Florence is Ciro & Sons. As with many of the gluten-free friendly restaurants in Italy, you will need to call ahead a day in advance to make sure they know you are coming and are aware of your dietary needs but their pizza is AMAZING and is so worth making special plans to go.

My gluten-free experience in Italy has been incredible so far, and I find myself relieved that I don’t have to explain over and over again to shopkeepers or wait-staff in restaurants what my condition is or why it is so important that I don’t eat gluten. Italians are incredibly well educated on this front and all I have to do is squeak out the phrase ‘senza-glutine’ and I know I’ll be taken care of. I can’t say the same for when I go back to the States but maybe, eventually, I’ll be able to.

Interested in learning more about living gluten-free in Italy? Visit the webiste of the country's national association of celiacs or a list of tips, resources, and restaurants all over the country serving GF-Friendly menus!

Need some GF-recipe ideas? Check Gluten-Free Girl's blog for a wealth of resources and yummy ideas!

Traveling Seminar a Venezia

CET Florence students spent a weekend in Casanova's hometown ...

The pleasant place of all festivity, The revel of the earth, the masque of Italy ...

A fit abode for a poet. Stage setting at least correct...

where composers have been inspired to lulling tones of somniferous eroticism...

like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs at one go ...

half fairy tale and half tourist trap, in whose insalubrious air the arts once rankly and voluptuously blossomed ...

The play is finished, but the echoes remain ...

CET Florence Students Perform at Florence's "Porto di Mare"

CET Florence Students Drew Silverstein and Emily Degerberg performed last Monday night at Florence's Bar/Restaurant, the "Porto di Mare". We were lucky to be in the audience for this fantastic duo, whose performance included a wide selection of 80s music, selections from musicals, and songs written and composed by Drew himself (click for a video from 2006). Drew has received positive criticism for his work as a composer for films and video games, especially considering his age. Florentines are lucky to have him, even if for just a few short months!

Emily Degerberg did a fantastic job singing backup, and also shone in her solo performances. In addition to her lively introductions, jokes and silly stage antics, Emily also brought tears to our eyes with her performance of "The Light in the Piazza", from the musical of the same name. Set in Florence and Rome in 1953, the musical played a part in Emily's desire to travel and live in Italy. We were fortunate to be there in person for her performance ...

Drew at the piano

Emily at the mic.

CET Student Correspondent News: Volunteering in Florence

Kelsey Brown, 

CET Florence Student and Volunteer at the Children's Lending Library

While living here in Florence, I decided it would be a good idea to volunteer in the community. So I signed up for the Wednesday afternoon shift at the Children’s Lending Library at St. James Church. The library was started in 1973 to help the children of the English-speaking community, now it is a part of the entire community of Florence. It’s rather small for a library, but the shells are packed with books for toddlers up to teenagers. There are also movies of classic English cartoons and translations of Italian favorites. Dedicated individuals and volunteers run the library three days a week. Most of the women that run the library either have an English/American backgrounds and have lived in Italy for years raising their families here. Some of the women are Italian, but they  have such a love for American/English culture that they spend their time in the library. They hold holiday parties for all members and non-members to participate in, such as last month’s Halloween party.

When I spend my Wednesday afternoons at the library I get to enjoy my childhood and learn more about Italy. I have re-stacked book and found books I haven’t seen in years, like Clifford the Big Red Dog. I also have the pleasure of meeting wonderful children browsing through the books as they are just learning to read. Finally, I have had the pleasure of learning about life in Italy from native Italians and the women that have moved their lives here. I think the most interesting thing about spending my time at the Children’s Lending Library is the fact that they are teaching and giving back more to me that I ever could give them.  

Kelsey Brown, 

CET Florence Fall 2009

Want to learn more about the Children's Lending Library in Florence?

Visit their blog or website!!

CET Student Correspondent News: Fall Break Adventures

Claire Constantino,

CET Student Correspondent

I don’t know much in this crazy, mixed up world of ours, but I do know that the new goal of my life is to spend more time on a cruiser bike. Law school, finding a true love, and hiking the Appalachian trail all just took a back seat on my list of life goals. Denny, my Italian roommate, made me ride home one night on the top tube of his bike, which was mostly terrifying and a little fun. In a safer and more practical turn, I rented a bike today while I was in Lucca and it was just so darn wonderful that I can’t believe people ever invented cars.

This week, or really since last Thursday, I’ve been on fall break. Thursday and Friday I was an unapologetic bum (had to catch up on Grey’s Anatomy at some point). Saturday – Monday I traveled around Tuscany and Umbria, hitting Arezzo, Orvieto’s train station, Lake Trasimeno, Perugia, and Lucca. Arezzo is just about the most perfect place ever made; Orvieto was a train mistake, but I would like to see it intentionally and during daylight hours sometime ... Lake Trasimeno… well, it’s the 4th largest lake in Italy; and Lucca was a delight. Lots happened on this jaunt, so I’ll just list the highlights:

Arezzo is so perfect! Tour books always say “Tuscany is at it’s most breathtaking and impressive in its small towns,” which sounds sappy but is totally true. Florence is wonderful, but there’s just something about those windy streets and little cafes. You know that time in the late afternoon where things are sleepy from morning busy-ness, but pregnant with excitement for the night? That’s how it feels all day long here, but it was an especially strong feeling in Arezzo. “Life is Beautiful” was filmed there, and we saw a wedding where they recreated a scene from the movie! Cute! And then practically the whole town toasted them in the main piazza! Cuter! And everyone was so happy and stylish! Cute overload!

Eurochocolate 2009 would have been more aptly named Lose Your Faith in Humanity and Get Diabetes 2009. I think Italians are great people, but this event brought out the worst in them. They just don’t believe in lines, so moving through the crowd was really, really unpleasant. It was like a war zone around the sites stands giving out free samples, none of which were even that special. The event was disappointingly corporate, too – we only saw stands from the biggest European candy brands. We had envisioned a tranquil festival of artisan chocolates and happiness where we could linger all day, but we had to flee after about 20 minutes. On the plus side, we saw a lot more of Perugia’s sites than we’d thought we’d have time for!

Lucca was so cute and full of medieval stuff in the same time capsule way Florence is about the Renaissance. I climbed a medieval tower and rode around the perfectly intact (and scenic) city walls. Did you know they used to have trees on top of medieval towers? Weird! It’s a bold claim to make in Italy, but I also had the most delicious pizza ever in Lucca at Pizzeria di Felice. Take that, Naples!

I have a few days in Florence before my next trip, and I plan to see some of the sites I’ve missed and test out some Tuscan recipes. Wish me luck on my ribollita!

Claire Costantino,

CET Florence, Fall 2009