The end of Torino
Yes people, I may not
have updated in AGES, and now my time in Italy is about to come to an end. I am
writing this about 2/3 hours before I need to get my train that’ll take me back
to Lyon, where I will be for 3 more weeks. I cannot believe my time in Turin
has gone so quickly and there are still a few more things to tell you about so
let me not waste any more time.
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| Watching the football |
My friends and I have been making the most of the weather -
it has mostly been gorgeous! My last 2 Sundays were spent having either a
picnic or walk around the park after the service with people from church – and
remember, it is an International Church, so we got treated with food from all
over the world. It was delicious! A few days before the picnic, I went with a
few people from church to see the Champion’s League Final. Now, anyone who
knows me will know that I’m not the biggest fan, but I’m not one to turn down
watching a match if I’m with a group of people; and if there’s food involved.
We went to see it at an Irish Bar (it felt so like home!) and we had burgers;
they were nothing like Ninkasi, but since I hadn’t had a burger in a long time,
I didn’t mind that much. However, I was the only one who decided not to pick a
side, and there was only one guy out of us who decided to pick Bayern rather
than the other team (Bayern knocked out Juventus you see), so it was a little
bit awkward afterwards (just like when I saw the Euro Final in Lithuania last
year. I was the only one who decided to choose Italy, but gave up a way into
the 2nd half). Nevertheless, it was still a fun night out.
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| The gardens at Venaria |
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank EVERYONE at ICT
(International Church of Torino) for making me so welcome. I honestly don’t
think that my time here would have been half as enjoyable if I didn’t decide to
come to your services, to sing with you and be friends with you. You’ve really
inspired me to become a better representative for Christ when I am with my
non-Christian friends and tell them all I’ve learnt whilst being out here.
I have also done my time here being Miss-Cultural when
Alyssa and I decided to go to Venaria for the day last week. Venaria is one of,
if not, the biggest palace in the Turin area, and is about half an hour outside
the city. It’s quite like going to a National Trust place but there is more to
do there than just the usual house and gardens. There are also exhibitions
there – while we were there, there were two art ones, and, my personal
favourite, an exhibition of Roberto Cappuci dresses. I couldn’t take photos
inside, so the closest I can give you is the poster showing one of the dresses;
if you want to find more, Google it. Some of them are quite extravagant – not
something you would wear to your average dinner of whatever. The gardens there
are MASSIVE!! Alyssa and I knew they were big by looking at the map of the
place on the internet, but we didn’t know HOW big. It took a little while to
get round them all. They’re beautiful though, especially a part with a rose
garden with a trellis roof over it. I wouldn’t be surprised if people ask to
get married there.
The last festival I went to, that is actually happening this
weekend (or last, depending when I update), was a gelato one! Who’d have
thought; I didn’t see the chocolate festival, but I get ice-cream and jazz
music instead! =D They had some different flavours there that I hadn’t seen
that before; my favourite was a custard one with poached raspberry on top – it
made want to go home, I have to admit.
But I’m not going home
yet. I am about to go back to Lyon for 3 weeks – mostly to fill up these
massive gaps I have in my dissertation, but also to see my French family and
friends, and get my language back up to scratch that. I cannot believe that in
3 weeks, my Erasmus experience will be over! It seems only yesterday when my
friends and I who did languages in sixth form were talking about this as if
it’s light-years away! I will try and do something about the next few weeks
(assuming I’m not out doing work or something else).
Ciao Italia! Vado ti mancare tanta, sopratutto il
tuo cibo, i miei e i tuoi amici e la chiesa che tu hai mi dato =)
Ci vediamo dopo,
Charlotte
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