il pandoro

Hello,

First of all big thanks to the mom for helping me post pictures. i've got to do some editing on some of the captions (and explain that last photo with the flower) but that will have to come later when there is cheaper internet.

My one day in rome, on my way to sardegna, turned out to be my coolest day in rome yet. i spent most of the day with Claire, a cool girl who is studying in paris for the year. we spent hours on the spanish steps and at the trevi fountain just talking about random things. it was definitely what i needed after the solo days in florence. the coolest part was her showing me the birds in front of the train station at sunset...thousands and thousands of small birds flying in different formations.

and then sardegna... the all night ferry to sardegna was interesting because i was sleeping in the if-this-ship-sinks-i'm-going-to-die part of the boat. you couldn't get any lower on the boat than where my room was--even the cars were higher than me. it arrived in cagliari in the morning where Dani met me. then a dream i have had for the last three years (to live with an italian family) came to be.

Dani's family was way cool. there was his parents and his two sisters at the home but in the village of 500 people it seemed like it was mostly his extended family. not really, but there were a lot of them and they were all really friendly.

For new years we went to alghero, which is like the las vegas of sardegna (for new years celebrating, not for casinos and things). it was me and 10 italian friends who spoke lightning fast italian. i didn't understand much, but it was exactly what i wished for. when i got back to dani's family's house i really understood their slowed down italian that they spoke for me. thats when Dani got deathly ill for a few days, which left me without a translator...which was even cooler (although it would have been better if he didn't get sick...its not good to be happy when friends don't feel well).

some of the crazy italians in alghero, sardegna. the day after new years.

They fed me so much good food and sardegnian specialties, i think i've gained back a kilo or two. i love the holiday season in sardegna, its like none other. i'm not sure if they sell it all over (they probably do), but il pandoro...you must try.

I've left dani's and now i'm in a small town called fertilia. yesterday i had a really cool moment. the chain of buses to get to fertilia had me at the alghero airport for an hour and while i was there i had a five minute debate on do i go to london, or a small town in sardegna? it was a really fun debate because both options were 100% possible. Sardegna won out because in a few days i'm going to work on a farm in the northeast part of sardegna. so, there'll be another gap in posts.

For all the people that emailed me, i'm really sorry but it is going to take me awhile to respond. internet is sparce and expensive here, so it may have to wait until february. but thank you very much for thinking about me, i greatly appreciate it.

Have a good day
your friend

chad