{torino: week 1}

buona sera raggaze!

my, my has this week been a crazy one! elliot and i are all settled in to our new apartment near midtown in torino. we are steps away from the gelato shops, cafes, and my new favorite place, eataly (italy's version of whole foods).

as i have learned very quickly this week, living in a new country (especially a non english speaking one) is very tough. having taken two semesters of italian and forgotten a great deal of it, i get very frustrated being unable to communicate well. however, being enrolled in an intensive language class should help!

this week has been filled to the brim with classes, orientations, and tours. today has been the first "restful" day since we arrived. so, elliot and i decided to set off and do some exploring on our own. after taking a metro ride downtown, we stopped for a morning cappuccino and then headed to the quadrilatero romano. this is the roman area of torino with crumbling ancient roman wall ruins. in this part of town, you will find the largest open market in all of europe.

there were literally hundreds of vendors, selling everything including produce, meats, cheeses, clothing, fabric, household supplies, and wines. not only is there a huge selection, but the prices are incredible. i got a kilo of fresh tomatoes (which is about 2 pounds) for only 1 euro!

we purchased basil, fresh bread, and some garlic, and then made our way to our local supermarket on the way home. we picked up some pasta and red wine, and we are about to make our first homemade italian dinner. buon appetito!

hope your saturday is going lovely as well.

xox