The Beginning!

Yesterday we had orientation where we signed papers and took a walk around town to find out where everything was. I must say though, Orvieto’s streets are so windy and confusing, I doubt I’ll remember where all of the places were. On the up side, all the places we went to we’ve already stumbled upon randomly, so I think I will find my way around town soon.
During our break for lunch, me and 8 other girls went to this really cute restaurant on the main drag. They sat us upstairs in our own separate area with an overview of the restaurant. I had my first Italian pizza! I ordered a Margherita pizza, but it is much different than the American version. It is still thin crust, but to us it would just be considered a cheese pizza. But OMG it was amazing!!! They know exactly how to mix the flavors and how much to add of each thing. The cheese was so delicious and you could tell it was very fresh. Plus, it was only 4,50 Euros! Even though the meals we’ve been having out are amazing, cooking in our apartment is quite difficult. The grocery stores here and different than the ones at home. There is no selection of sliced turkey or any toppings for sandwiches, which is what I always eat at home. The cheeses there are all very gourmet; not your usual Munster and cheddar cheese. And all of the meat is raw and some kind of pork…no chicken ☹. My entire daily menu consists of yogurt, cereal, salame and provolone, and a piece of bread with nutella on it. For those of you who don’t know what nutella is, shame on you! It is the most delicious chocolate spread that you put on toast or make sandwiches out of. It is the European version of peanut butter…the staple food you turn to when you can’t think of anything else to make. Last night we did make spaghetti though. But, Italians make their own tomato sauce for their pasta so the jar we bought at the market turned out to just be tomato paste. It was interesting to say the least, but at least it filled us up a little bit.
Today was our first day of classes. I have 3 in a row from 9am to 12:30pm. Then I have a break until 3:30 when I take my final class of the day. The classes seem okay so far. I’m hoping the teachers are somewhat easy on us since we’re also here to travel and experience the culture, but it’s too early to tell. I like my teachers though, so that’s a plus! We have a lot of reading assignments since we only have classes Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, but no homework assignments as far as I can tell. Wednesdays and Fridays are designated for traveling and field trips, but this week it’s all just tours around Orvieto. All of us students are getting pretty anxious to start traveling, so we might go somewhere this weekend, but we’re not sure. We’re all very excited for our Florence trip next Tuesday though! I’ll keep you all updated ☺. Until then, ciao!