It’s evening in Otranto. We wind our way up the steep steps to the cathedral square, tired after a day in the sun. Following a group of middle-aged Italians, I listen to their excited chatter about the events of the … Continue reading
I’m in dire need of summer clothes and nail polish, so had plans to go to the market this morning. Waking up late and flying through the shower, I grab my handbag and race out of the door to start … Continue reading
We’re somewhere south of Rimini. We’ve been on this train for hours already, and will be so for a good few more. I’ve dozed my way through much of the journey, but am now wide awake and restless. Rimini … Continue reading
It’s been raining all day. We’ve been to the Uffizi, queued for an hour and a half for the Accademia and seen an amazing metaphysical art exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi. We’ve also stomped the streets until my feet are pretty … Continue reading
I’ve always been a bit of a ‘chuck yourself in the deep end with no research whatsoever’ kind of a gal. (See also: training to be an EFL teacher on a whim; moving to hicksville, southern Italy for a year; … Continue reading
The journey from Bologna to Florence is an easy one: 40 minutes on a high-speed, comfortable train. If you travel, as we did, just before dawn on a clear April morning, you get to see the sky changing from … Continue reading
Florence. When I found out that I would have five, blissful, teaching-free days over Easter, the City of Flowers was my first thought. Second thought was, “oh god: the journey.” I love arriving in different destinations, but I hate … Continue reading
(image by Kate Bailward) Being a not very organised person who doesn’t think ahead all that far, I’m not registered for a postal vote in the UK. Luckily, other expats are more on the ball than me, and have already … Continue reading
(image by Darwin Bell on Flickr) Fruit Salad. It’s a rubbish food, but a brilliant game. For those of you who were never drama students, Fruit Salad is a game similar to musical chairs. To play, you form a circle, … Continue reading
(Image by Kitsu on Flickr) Bladders relieved, we head into the lecture hall where the written and listening exams will take place and start to set up the room. There’s a feeling of lightness about today, which probably has … Continue reading
