Italiana practica ora

Every meal F and I had, we saluted to povero Dario, without whom we'd never come to experience Cortona, Arezzo and Firenze. We'd look back and have a good laugh and piss everytime we recall that episode. On Friday, F and I hugged and said arrivederci alla stazione di Firenze as we caught separate trains heading towards Roma. I wanted to cry as I had gotten used to her great company and now I had to fly solo! Argggh.

We had the best of time and I was glad she got to enjoy a better understanding of the Italian culture. And I've forever ingrained in her 'sinistra' (left) and 'destra' (right) and the numeri from 'zero' to 'dieci' (10). Hahaha. Plus she got to experience the stupenda ospitalità and amicizia of my italian amici including Elena, Alberto, Paolo, Iris, Gianluca and Lorenzo whom she thought were all molti simpatici!

After we parted ways, I finally arrived at Spoleto after switching trains at Orte and Alessandro was there to pick me up at the stazione at 1.15pm as promised. It was most strano to meet him again after 2 years and we've managed to stay in touch via email and sms. He didn't changed a bit, anche Spoleto which was blazing warm. It was a charming and quaint small town which I still recalled fondly. Without a mappa, I could find my way from the convento on the hilltop (where I'd be camping out for the next few days until I have decided where to go next). The kind chubby bespectacled sister said she recognised me! Davvero!?

The town was dead on this Venerdi afternoon and I took a nap after blogging and waited for Aless to finish work at 8.30pm. Allora, my italian practicum had began as lui non parla inglese at all lor - wah lao eh, jia lat man! :) But luckily I was able to perform with more wine I sipped at dinner. He surprised me with a reservation at a cosy intimate ristorante called 'Il Tempio di Gusta' (The Temple of Taste), which was more like il tempio d'amore, with all these twosomes peering over candle light in a rather dim ambience. I was trying to read the menu without burning it over the open flame.

We ordered the messy deconstructed starter (it's a bit modern-style here) of stuffed zucchini flower with fresh ricotta and culatello. With him staring tenderly at me, I couldn't finish it. Gulp. I drank more vino rosso and tried to slurp the strangozzi al tartufo nero in a ladylike manner. Very difficile lor. But it was nice to go on a real date - I hadn't done this for such a long time! That night I slept like a bebe in the convento, it always made me feel safe and secure.