Asso-Canzo or how i started to speak italian

As you remember i plabed to spend in volunteer project 5 weeks, and when my campleader told me that we have work only for 3 weeks i understood that i can do something with one free week, but 2 - were too much, so i asked to find another project for me and she did, she found a place, that was also part of legambiente. It was a kind of holiday house in mountains in one hour by train from Milan. There i was supposed to help girl to manage this house - easy and nice work in a new plave sounded good. But there were a little problem - the girl didnt speak any english. Well, i love challanges, so i decded to go for it)

So Klaudi's friend left me at Milano's railway station, my train was only in one hour so i decided to charge my phone with money. Oh God, you should see me at this moment. I bought a card and i called a number, but then you have to follow instructions that were in italian... I called 6 times before i succeed)

Well, i took a train and arrived to the station called Asso-Canzo that is between two cities: Asso and Canzo =) There this girl met me. She was so friendly, but both of us were so confused with languages) I coulndnt understand a word of what she was saying but i was just smiling and say "si, si" XD By the car we arrived to that center, using list of duties (that she transaed in englsh), italian and language of signs (almost alian) she explained me what i had to do there. Basicly it was the same, but also this place was holding some summer festival and we had to cook for all the people there (around 300 people) - challenge accepted.

This place was really nice, house, where lived just two of us, was really good, we had internet and in general there were a lot of people around, so ive never been alone. This girl - Silvia - was really nice and soon i started to try to speak to her, every evening we had ice diners with vine or bear, actually we became real friends and it was very hard to say her good bye, even we didnt speak one language. Also there was a guy Marco who was so into Silvia that i was helping her to escape from him every time he was coming) Day by day my italian became better ( at least i could express myself)).

But day of festival also wa coming. To help us Silvia asked her family to oin us, and that was amazing forme: in one moment i became a part of a real big italian family, and as i was interested in learning their culture and habbits, i was just amazed by this fact.

What i really learnt in being surrounded by italian family - they always think about food. If they dont cook it, they eat it, and durong eatng discuss how good it is. And you know in Russia it i normal if you eat fast and go, in Italy - NO! Lunch cant be less than 1 hour and dineeer, oh dier. And also alcohol, italians are amazing, thestart to drink at lunch, than aperetivo, than vine with diner and than drinks after diner - and they say that we drink a lot in Russia)

Than festival came, we coped very good with it, everybody was happy and full with food, and the next day i left, because my big italian trip was about to start) 

Milano, dream city

I finally understood that this trip was an excellent idea on my way to Milano: at the moment when I saw Italy on the sunset from my plane.

In Milano I only planed to visit Cenacolo Vinciano, because it was my dream since I heard about it for the first time, well, I think it is really useless to describe my filings about it - it was just amazing, but it isnt for everybody)

But before going there I decided to visit castle of Milano. Honestly, I expected to see something like Louvre or Hermitage, but there was a real medieval castle! It was another my dream that came true in Milano! Near this castle there is quuite nice garden, but you can find this nice garden close to every palace in Europe)

After I went to see Cenacolo Vinciano (as i wrote before) and than i headed to the main Milan's landmark - Duomo. On my way i passed several street full of shops and russian turists who were fighting for discounts - how i love my country XD

But soon i saw Duomo and, well, It is very hard to describe it: just imagine the most beautiful cathedral that you can and it will be Duomo di Milano. When you look at it it seems like it is made from light and clouds. From the inside it wasnt as much beautiful as from outside, but what i was really interested was going upstairs to the roof! To do it you can use stairs or elevator. Memorising my Hamburg experience with going upstairs i decided to do it by stairs again - guys, i almost died there! But the view was amazing, well, i believe that e best point to see the city is the highest point - and in Milano it is Duomo)

What else did i do there? I tried my first Gelato Italiano that was an orgasm for my mouth and italian panini,after wich i forgot about ones ate in Moscow) Also i got totally lost without any people around me, but i ended up near some veeeery old church need which my host found me)

At the evening my host tought me how to cook Fritata di Macaroni (if i have good mood ill share with you one day) and also we talked about food a lot (as you can see i LOVE food) XD

What can I say about Milano? It was the first italian city i had seen and of course i loved it at that moment with all it's tiny streets, endless number of shops, too many tourists, and too many cars? what was really charming. But now i can say, that comparing to other italian cities Milan is too commercial, you cant feel real italy there, what is really important for me.