An electric shock, an earthquake and bronchitis

The breeze across the lake has been beautiful this week. The breaking waves and dancing leaves during lunches and dinner, while everyone is chattering in Italian (which makes things sound far more funny than in your own language) and laughing over stories told with the odd word from another language thrown in. To fill yourself silly with lunch and then to potter 5 minutes up the road and awkwardly lay on the stoney beach is something every university should consider allowing their students to do. After the rocks have imprinted adequately on both sides of your body, you head back to the Palazzo, via the gelateria, of course. A cup with pistachio and niociola.
The days have been beautiful but of course, we have also been so lucky to have amazing lecturers and lessons. Not only are we pushed in the lessons (sometimes a little left behind) but the professors themselves are great company and friends. They truly make all of us feel comfortable to speak and be completely immersed in our language. I am blown away by their dedicated and patience with us and am extremely lucky to have been accepted on this course of Italian life experience, let alone for the formal learning.
Whilst living, eating, socialising and studying all with the same group of people you come to have many experiences where it's always wise to just laugh it off. There is a certain, Slovenia woman here who has come to be known throughout the whole course, including the lecturers, and not in a positive manner. However, I was beginning to worry where all the hormones were in a course full of 32 females. Even my sweet, little room mate is a tad "uncultured" in her understanding of space and time having done her clothes washing at 3am, forgotten to turn her alarm off (that's set to her home country time and subsequently goes off at 5am) and not told me that she wants to sleep while I'm casually chilling, all lights ablaze!
To add to the difficulties of living in the pocket of a complete stranger for 3 weeks, I was marched to the doctors for a slight bark that I'd had for a while and found out I'd been jumping round with bronchitis for 2 weeks. Subsequently, the antibiotics have been marvellous, adding to the sweltering heat and sleepless nights. Although, the afternoons at the beach and relaxing weekend definitely helped. In fact while the school were hiking in the mountains on a sweaty Sunday afternoon, I sat outside with 2 of the professors, eating a lovely salad and chatting about nothing (without thinking it was in Italian.) Adding to the unexpected events of the week, I was on FaceTime to Timothy, showing off the beautiful scenery, stretching my hand out of the window. All of a sudden I spun round, involuntarily screaming at the top of my voice after it felt like someone had put an axe in my lower back. No one was there and as I regained my breath two of the girls ran in. Apparently, there's a very strong electric cable running along the window sill to keep out the birds. On the same day, we were sitting in the kitchen after a filling spread of meats and cheeses and a few glasses of wine, when the building swayed. This was not a result of the Italian equivalent to Lambrini but in fact an earthquake. There were another two tremors during which we all just stared at each other. Another odd experience to tick off my list.
To continue my rave about this amazing experience, we were amazingly fortunate to have a trip to Verona Arena organised for us. The Verona Arena. Italian Opera in THE Italian city of romance, opera and beauty. As the sun set behind the remains of this beautiful piece of art, the conductor raised his baton and I was lost. There are seas of people but even with the stone ledge that you're perched on, it feels like it's just you. That Soprano is confessing her love to you. The orchestra is playing for you, especially that piccolo solo dancing with the melody of the chorus on stage. The set was breathtaking, with 20 foot hedges and 6 foot wide red roses. The incredible voices of these admirable people rung throughout the audience in the arena. A truly beautiful and indescribable experience. Although we saw Barber of Seville, a traditional comedic opera, it was very emotional for me. I am very lucky and am thankful for everyone who has helped me as it has been my dream to be in Italy, let alone watch an opera here. At the end the arena was illuminated with fireworks set along the steps behind the stage. A spectacular ending to a beautiful evening. We all clambered into the bus that swerved along the tiny streets along Lago Garda, that would make the most experienced traveller ill.
And there started the final week. Not only the last week in this beautiful location with some truly wonderful friends, but my last week in this amazing country that I'm incredibly lucky to have called my home for this summer. I'm looking forward to a few more nights out with the girls and then to leave this beautiful and ancient building where the question of the course has been "Oggi, c'è wi-fi?" (In English, is the fucking wifi working yet!!)

The beautiful lake side town of Gargnano

I've spent just a week now in the beautiful lake-side town of Gargnano. To be studying in Italy in general is an amazing experience but to be studying in a beautiful palazzo that backs onto the lake, to have lectures on the floor below where you sleep and to eat communal meals on the back patio makes it more than incredible. We are living like a boarding school on the top floor, sharing rooms. This, in itself, is a new experience for me. I have never shared a room like this, especially with someone from a completely different culture. My room mate is especially different. She's very sweet but from a very different background, a tiny part of life's rich tapestry. 

The first few days were very intense with a variety of tests and information overload. Everyone was pretty tired, most of them having arrived a few days before the course but all made an effort to chat. We were spilt into classes for the first half of the day and then all meet for lunch. The quantity of food is something that I've experienced a lot in Italy but this is something else. It's really difficult not to eat all 3 types of carbs during the meal, even if you're stuffed from the first bowl of pasta. But it's wonderful to sit in the shade of the fur trees, with the sound of the waves and beautiful surrounding landscape, chatting with people from all over the world in your second language. It's very interesting that our common language is our second language, a demanding concept having to speak a second language all the time but such an eye opening experience. Also, interestingly enough, groups have gravitated together and mostly with common cultures or first languages. This has resulted in me having a wonderful group of girl friends all from Canada, America and Australia. 

The town that we're in is quaint and small enough to wander around in 10 minutes. The beach is a 5 minute walk from the university building, the gelateria is across the road and the local beach club is in the next town, a 15 minute stumble away. It's idyllic and means when walking round you'll always bump into another student or lecturer and in fact become a local in the super market and bars. 

By the Friday we were knackered and headed to the local bar, after sitting at the dinner table till 10.30 putting the world to rights. We had a few drinks by the light of the bonfire, with some hilarious Italian man singing along to the Police. It was so Italian. The next day the majority of people woke up at the crack of dawn (including my roommate who couldn't have made any more noise) and ventured to Milan for the EXPO whereas me and 4 other girlies woke up late and within 10 minutes were on the lake side with coffee and brioche for breakfast. It started to rain so we all had a bit of time chilling in our rooms and sorting and then all headed down into the television room. We looked like refugees all snuggled up with blankets and jumpers watching a film while the rain poured outside. It was so cosy and I was actually blessed to feel a bit cold after the weeks of 40 degree heat and screaming children. We scampered to the supermarket and bought an array of meats and cheeses for a buffet type dinner. We all squeezed into the little kitchen with music, wine and card games. It was a beautiful and hilarious evening. The following day we laid on the beach, playing games, chatting and eating left over watermelon. Slightly bronzed and sleepy, we curled up together, watched some awful Italian television and headed to bed. I would love to stop there and say that we all drifted off pleasantly, but this is Italy. Due to the rain on Saturday, the festival in the town had been postponed to the following night. It honestly sounded as if it was in the room next door. The awful 80's tunes rung throughout the town, louder than the endless church bells that hammered round our hangover heads that very morning. Oh Italy.