hira: embracing the rain

typical european weather occurring right now--cold and rainy. you know me--running out of the house with weather-inappropriate clothes and footwear is pretty normal for me. not here. i have to wear my coat and boots and scarves, often carrying an umbrella and sometimes adding gloves. this kind of weather usually scares me, tempting me to stay indoors and thus contradicting my need to always 'be doing something'--i go stir crazy if i am inside for too long.

so i've been embracing the rain and exploring, since that is what makes me the happiest. exploring and walking and meeting interesting people who teach me new things. cooking in simplicity. inspired by stone soups's five ingredient lifestyle.

kamut farfalle pasta tossed with a simple sauce of zucchini, local chicken, [homemade] roasted red pepper, and freshly grated asiago cheese.

when i can't get a good natural light through my kitchen window (always), i run my food to my window in the bedroom. quickly, before my food gets cold and i'm usually hungry by this point.

holiday season has arrived--store windows arrange for christmas displays and the city is decorated with a plethora of holiday-themed art nouveu---different streets and piazzas are lit up, decorated with colorful lights and symbolism, giving the city a new perspective:

walking down via lagrange, one can walk along and read another line of a story

via roma, lined with arches of a man and women, forever joined in a romantic harmony. italians...

piazza carlo felice, decorated with multi-colored bulbs built specially to reflect their colors in specific directions and intricate ways.

reflected into the two churches, one originally built for the poor and one for the rich

under the 'flying carpet'--red, white and green lights for the 150th year of the unification of italy.

birds flying down via garibaldi

piazza castello

i have a mild obsession with the acute angular corners that are so popular in torino

current goals:

1) why is it that as soon as winter arrives, my water intake decreased drastically? i need to keep working on this. i carry my bright green water bottle with me everywhere.

2) 28 days left in torino. make every day count.