hira: lazy hazy sunday strolls

current location: torino, italia. il mio apartamento (piccolo. molto piccolo).

hello blog world--checking in at the beginning of another week. i have to admit, i spent this weekend pretty much camera-less--choosing instead to walk the streets of torino and just live minimally. saturday and sunday were spent with respective roommates, first summer and then regina. it was a pleasant, relaxed weekend--strolling through via madama cristina for the street fair, via roma, garibaldi, po and piazza della repubblica for shopping and crepes with nutella. yes. visiting sick friends, pastries and chocolates in tow (harry potter taught us that chocolate was good for ailments, remember?)

at Murphy's-- a pub where the world seems to come together. here you will meet students from all over the world.

a lazy brunch at piazza san carlo felice with a good friend and roommate

still trying to spend as much time outside as possible before the weather gets too cold, usually studying my italian lessons--brown leather bag, as requested.

blog moments: emily's root vegetable pie and chili in a pumpkin bowl (seen all over the blogosphere). canadian thanksgivings. chicago marathons (inspiring longer runs).

currently obsessed with:

running a route that takes me over this beautiful bridge at sunset

milano. zara. divine.

Io voglio regalarti la mia vita, Chiedo tu cambi tutta la mia vita

{I want to treat you to my life I ask that you change all of my life}

tizzy, you've got me hooked.

hira: storia di un grande amore

while everyone else is frantically searching for cheap flights around europe, planning extravagant weekends in barcelona, madrid, paris, and munich (oktoberfest! too bad i hate beer...) i am seeking something else. you know why i'm here. to learn italian. to be in torino. to BE in torino. hopefully, by wisely investing my time and money, i will come out of these four months with some perspective. every day, i think about what you said to me just before i left: 'there is no way you can go to italy for four months and NOT be changed'. i see it every day.

throwing myself into learning. in the last two weeks, i have gone from knowing absolutely NO italian to writing short essays and compositions. miraculous. recently, i purchased a childhood favorite, written in italian. my goal is to read five chapters a week and learn pages and pages of new vocabulary. the inside pages are already covered in my notes.

another way to learn italian? go to a calcio (futbol/soccer) match. on thursday, i went to the Juventus match at the stadium--i had purchased my ticket earlier than my friends, and so i was seated in a different zone. turns out, i loved being surrounded by screaming italian fans and the energy was flowing. they taught me the words to the juventus song that was chanted at various times throughout the match---juve, storia di un grande amore...

i went into this weekend with no plans. turns out, thats the best way to live in torino, because plans will evolve. i promise. friday evening started with a trip to the Bicerin, a tiny cafe in the middle of torino that serves up torino's traditional signature drink, the bicerin. there are only five cafes like this one that still serve the drink; the one we visited is the second oldest. bicerin a warmed concoction made up of coffee, dark chocolate, and fresh cream. so delicious. i can imagine myself here quite frequently when it starts snowing, but this can certainly keep me happy year-round..

later that night, the torino nightlife at its finest---i guess everyone is back from august vacations (people in italia like to take the month of august off and usually, the entire family heads south for the month, returning in the beginning to mid-september). lets just say that the sunrise looked beautiful over the river Po...

after a late night out, the best remedy for fatigue is found outdoors. long walks on the weekend have been keeping me healthy and happy (the pedometer you gave me works SO well--i love the stats and use it on my runs and long walks). heading over to piazza castello and piazza carlo felice, we come to the city center--alive with music and festivities. another day in the piazza. normal. 150 years of a unified italia coming right up.

appreciating young talent.

books festivals, CHOCOLATE festivals. free samples everywhere--the best local chocolatiers. i'm a lucky girl.

girl, put down that map. lets just wander through the piazzas.

i love my life.

hira: EATaly

whats a girl to do when there are no Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or My Organic Markets around? If you're anything like me, you go to EATALY. Like everything else that is slightly amusing, i am obsessed. everywhere you turn, there are rows and rows of the days best produce, hanging racks of fish and meat, baskets of fruit and shelves of balsamic and olive oil. Nestled in between the rows of cheeses and sweets, there are several places one can sit and eat, each bar concentrating on either pasta, meat, dolce, etc.

today, i'll let some photos tell you a story. im on my way to a calcio (soccccer JUVENTUS) match :)

hira: carbed-out

current location: torino, italia--semester abroad

is there such a thing? i'm starting my second week in italia and i have to say--they eat A LOT of breads, pastas, and cheese. obviously, its soo delicious but geeez, put a carrot stick in my mouth that isn't covered in olive oil. fortunately, there are multiple outdoor markets going on every day from 8am - 1pm, featuring local vendors with a plethora of colorful vegetables and fruits, wheels of cheese and all kinds of breads. the best thing about shopping for food and cooking in my tiny apartment is that i can go every day or every other day, pick up small amounts of fish and bread and produce instead of a bushel of apples or an entire loaf of bread. just the perfect amount.

don't worry dear--all in moderation. we've been creating lovely meals with amici including:

on sunday, a group of us decided to take a train to a nearby town called Asti for the famous festival delle sagre, a foodie and wine lover's paradise. following my usual paradoxical personality, while i don't really care for large parties and drunken fiascos, i do enjoy wandering around various vendors and sampling local specialties. something about very genuine energy is mesmerizing. it pulls you in, makes you taste life.

savoring moments with new friends and indulging in gelato. yes, i walked all the from porta nuova, way down via roma and over to via garibaldi to visit my favorite gelaterria GROM--when a friend pointed out there was a GROM location right in front of my face.

and every day, i look out my balcony to find this:

yes, a shirtless man singing a variety of american acoustic songs, inclusing jason mraz and jack johnson. he's quite entertaining, waves back at me, and lets me take awkward pictures.

new challenges: use my outdoor running times to explore more of the city, take advantage of my balcony for some daily yoga. (you're welcome for introducing you to yoga darling--i share only the things that are closest to me). daily salads. obviously, i have to balance all of the gelati.