Arrivo in Milano e sono pronto per scuola!

Miei cari studenti.

Il 6 gennaio sono arrivato a Milano pronto per iniziare la scuola.

From Baveno, I took two trains to the station, Centrale Milano, and then I transferred to Milan's Metro (underground train station), where I took two more trains to arrive at my destination, a suburb in Milan called Primaticcio. I am staying with two friends of another Italian teacher from Perth in a typical Milan residential area. Most Italians live in apartments and not in houses as we do. Why do you think this may be?

Il 7 gennaio I started my first day at school. I set out early from my apartment to give myself plenty of time to find my way to the school. I walked approximately 400 metres to the nearest Metro station and took the first train to Duomo Station. I then had to change trains to arrive in the suburb of Brenta where the International House of Milan (an international school for language learning) is situated. In total, the journey took me approxiamente quaranta minuti. As I still had plenty of time to spare, I stopped for a colazione tradizionale Italiana at a nearby cafe and had un caffe` e un cornetto (coffee and croissant). A traditional breakfast in Italy nearly always consists of a coffee (espresso o cappuccino) and a sweet pastry, croissant or biscuit. Ero nervoso but I needn't have been, as my teachers at the school and the other students are all lovely. The other students I am learning with are a 22 year old man from Japan, a 22 year old lady from Russia and a 53 year old lady who is originally from Iran but who has spent the last 30 years in Sweden before coming to Italy to find work as an Interior Designer. I feel very lucky to share a class with these other students and to learn not only about the Italian culture, but also a little of the Japanese, Russian and Swedish cultures. It reminds me of our wonderful multi-cultural school and how much I love learning from all of you!

After I finished school on my first day (I attend from 10:00am until 1:30pm), I stopped at Duomo Stazione (Cathedral Station). The duomo in Milan is world famous. It is the largest church in Italy (not including Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City), the 3rd largest in Europe and the 4th largest in the world. It took nearly 600 years to build the Milan Cathedral and when you take a close look at the incredible architecture and design, it will help you to understand why. For now, I have just included a photograph of the cathedral from a distance, but in the next few days I will be visiting again to take some more photographs for you all and also to look inside this majestic and famous architectural wonder. Below are also some photographs of the stunning Galleria Vittoria Emanuel II, named after the first king of Italy and built in 1861. It is a famous landmark in Milan and people from all over the world go there to look in awe at its beauty and perhaps purchase something from one of the internationally renowned designer shops, including Prada, Gucci and Versace. 

Val Formazza e Domodossola

Buonasera studenti (as I commence writing it is 6.45pm)

Sabato, quinto di gennaio, una maestra di inglese della scuola primaria e suo marito, drove me to Val Formazzo an Alpine (or mountain) valley very close to the border of Switzerland.  The valley lies approximately 1200 metres above sea level. In the summer months, you would see the spectacular Cascata del Toce. In winter, however, as it is now, the waterfall has mostly turned to ice. On the day I arrived, it was a very cold minus 3 degrees celsius and the strong winds made it very difficult to stay outside for too long. At one point, there was a small blizzard which I have tried to capture in one of the photographs below but it is quite blurred. There are only a few permanent residents of Val Formazza, although there are numerous cabins available to rent for the winter skiing season. Many Italians choose to stay in Val Formazza for their Christmas vacation (usually 10 days in total).

Another interesting fact about Val Formazza is that the water that falls from the top of the valley in summer, is directed into man-made dams and used to produce hydroelectricity. The electricity it generates is usually enough to maintain the energy requirements of the valley throughout the year.
Because Val Formazza is so close to the Switzerland border, the residents and many of the local tourists, also speak German. You may notice, the architecture is also quite different from most other parts of Italy. Even the menu at the restaurant where I ate lunch, was written primarily in German.

	This photograph was taken right before I went to lunch. There was an unexpected mini blizzard. I felt like Mary Poppins as it was very difficult to walk through the strong winds and snow. I felt like I would fly away. Year 2s and Year 3s from last year, do you remember the Italian words for 'snow' and 'wind'?

On the journey back toward Baveno, we stopped at Domodossola, an ancient Rome province which serves as an important railway junction between Italy and Switzerland. It was lovely strolling through the town, both the modern (early 19th century) part and the beautifully preserved medieval town centre (Piazza Mercato), some of which was built in the 14th century. It is very difficult to imagine buildings thousands of years old unless you see them with your own eyes. They are so intricately designed and yet stand with majestic grandeur. What are some of the oldest buildings in Australia do you think?
Right before I left Domodossola, I discovered an amazing presepe carved into wood by an 18 year old artist, as well, a brightly lit, Christmas 'ball'. It reminded me a bit of Cenerentola's pumpkin carriage. What do you think?

Signore Isaia e Fruttero off to the ball!

Fino alla prossima volta.
Signora Isaia

Stresa e Pallanza

Buonasera miei studenti meravigliosi.

Since the last time I wrote you, I have been very busy exploring some beautiful towns along Lago Maggiore. As well, one of the teachers from Baveno drove me up into the mountains, just 20 minutes from the border of Switzerland (students in Years 3 to 6, can you remember which other countries border Italy?).

Venerdi, quarto di gennario I caught an autobus (think how you would pronounce this) to Stresa, the next town along Lago Maggiore, and the most popular for tourists. Stresa is in the Gulf of Borromeo and is the gateway to the area's famous Borromean Islands (Isola Bella, Isola Madre e Isola di Pescatori). I'm sure you can name the first two Islands in English, but what about the third one? The Islands are known for their stunning palaces and gardens. I have not yet had the opportunity to visit the islands as there are very few ferries that cross the lake in the middle of winter, but I hope to one day soon.

Un albero di Natale in Stresa Piazza

Stresa Piazza (or Stresa Town Square)
(Similar to Forrest Chase in Perth City)

Later the same day, I spent the afternoon with una amica who is also a teacher from Perth. We drove to another town along Lago Maggiore, Pallanza where we walked along the promenade (a walkway typically alongside a beach or other body of water) and enjoyed the sunshine on what was a very cold day. The promenades along Lago Maggiore are often filled with the people who live in the area, as well as tourists. It is particularly common for the Italian people to take a walk (una passeggiata) after they have eaten their evening meal. When it is not too cold, you may see dozens or even hundreds of people strolling along the promenade, many walking their dogs.                                                 

A typical promenade in Lago Maggiore. These two photos are from the town of Pallanza.

Un bel cielo blu in inverno, generally means it is molto freddo. On this day, it was no more than 8 degrees.

Ciao da Baveno in Italia

Hello from Baveno in Italy.

I hope you have all enjoyed a very happy start to your holidays.
After two flights and a two hour stopover in Dubai airport (a total of nearly 21 hours), I arrived in Milan late on the 30th December. I stayed the first night in a hotel close to the Milan airport and the next day, took three trains to arrive in beautiful Baveno where I first visited about 18 months ago. Some of you may remember that Baveno is quite a small town that lies on Lago (Lake) Maggiore, the longest lake in Italy. It is approximately 64 kilometres long and runs between Italy and Switzerland. The biggest lake, by area, is Lago Garda.

Last time I was here in Baveno, it was summer. Now it is winter. The coldest it has been in the four days since I arrived, is 3 degrees celsius but it has been as high as 14 degrees. It is still early winter so I expect it is going to get much colder and perhaps may even snow, most likely when I return to Milan next week to study. Yes, that's right, even your teachers are still always learning. I am very excited to be learning more of the beautiful Italian language so I can share it with you on my return...but more of that later.

Oggi, il terzo gennaio, I met up with four teachers at the school to which students in Room 12 and 17 wrote letters last year. There are no students in the schools here at the moment as they are on a short holiday to celebrate Christmas and Epiphany Day (who remembers La Befana, the traditional gift giver in Italy?) Students return to school on the 7th January. Remember, Italian children have their big holiday break in their summer months, between the end of June and September.

Can you see the presepe in these three photographs?

  

                                                                
Here are a few more photos of my trip so far. If you have any questions, you can send them through to me on this blog, but please check with your parents first.

    

Un piccolino cucciolo (a very small puppy)
I see at a local cafe each day. Si chiama Saffira.

Una svogliatella (a sweet, crispy pastry filled with custard) 
e un caffe espresso doppio. 
Il mio te` del mattino preferito. Delizioso!

            

Signora Isaia with three of the teachers I met today. These photos were taken outside one of the schools I will be teaching in from the 21st January. It is a two storey school. The ground floor is for primary school students (ages 5 to 11) and the second floor is for older students (from 12 to 14). I am looking forward to teaching the students a little of Australian culture, and of course, sharing with them stories about all of you, my wonderful students!

 Scriverò di nuovo presto.

Signora Isaia