Last Day in Montepulciano

It was a bittersweet day, of course. I finished my morning class and then went to mail a few more postcards. Then I came back to school to use their wireless internet. As I was sitting in a chair, a very sweet woman from my class offered me her "verb wheel". It is kind of a cheat sheet for verb conjugations that she had been using in class. She saw how I struggled and this was a very kind - and much needed offer. So, I did accept it and have already been studying it. A group of us then went to lunch (which is the same one my friend and I accidentally crashed a couple of weeks ago) and I bonded some more with the woman in my class from Germany/Switzerland. She and I had gone out to lunch a few days earlier so she could help me with my pronunciations. I gave her my email address. I was pretty much close to tears most of the day with the kindness that was shown all around. I did laugh a bit when our Italian teacher handed me my certificate when I finished my classes. I don't know if everyone's says the same thing, but mine says it is a "certificate of attendance". She said I deserved it because as much as I hated class sometimes, I did stick it out. I feel like the kid in grade school they could't find a good thing to say about, so they gave him/her the Certifiate of Attendance :)

Anyway, back to the good stuff. My room mate has also been nice enough to help me with some basic Italian and we have had some good talks. She has been a wonderful interpreter between me and Fiorella, I feel that we will keep in touch.

Although I was stuffed after lunch, Fiorella made dinner for us. She made home made pasta noodles with meat sauce, a great salad, sliced and very tasty beef and a fruit torta. She went out and bought special wine - which we finished off, and got her private stash of some kind of liquor out. Needless to say that we had a great meal, lots of alcohol and lots of laughs (thanks to my room mate interpreting for us!) Of course I wasn't packed so it was a late night. Fiorella also bought me a refrigerator magnet of Piazza Grande - what a great memory that will be every time I look at it!

I ended up with so much more "stuff" than when I came. I came to Fiorella's with one carryon bag and left with the carryon bag, a stuffed backpack and a stuffed tote bag - along with Seymour and his crate and sling. I need to get rid of some clothes and some of the many handouts I got in class over the last month. And I do have a stash of food with me that I expect to finish quickly!

Fiorella said that I needed to come back next year or the year after that. I really hope to - and to stay with her again. But I will need to get up to speed on my Italian.

This morning, both Fiorella and my room mate got up early with me so they could send me off together. Fiorella offered to drive me to the bus station but I wanted one last walk through town. We all had tears when I left.

Here are some closing pictures from
This is the front of that restaurant that we went to the other night and I attached the review webpage. Everyone sits at long tables - one table on each side of the room. You will see crowds gathered outside when it is time for each seating.





These signs were so useful to me. Even I couldn't get lost for long here.


I hadn't noticed the windows with the flower pots above this entrance to Montepulciano. I am assuming that someone lives there. What a view they have!




Fiorella let me take a picture so here she is with my room mate getting ready to eat dinner. The table was set so nicely and my roommie got flowers to Fiorella. Pasta was the first course and if you notice, our large wine glasses are pretty full!





Here is Fiorella's dog, Kirakooo (sp?) waiting like a person to get something from the table. He eats anything! Unfortunately the picture is pretty dark.





Right across the street from where I was staying was a big truck filled with grapes and taking them into that building. I am not sure what all of that was about and didn't get to ask.