Chugging Along

It has been five days since we arrived here in Cagli,
Italy. In my eyes this is a very interesting place
primarily because it is not an urban area, atleast not
in the traditional or more American sense. Let me be
clear about what I mean when I say not urban. When it
is said that Cagli is a city it is nothing compared to
Baltimore, which is probably in the top 25-30 of major
American cities in terms of size. The city limits
would undoubtely fit inside just a small part of a
major city's downtown area. The city has stone roads,
and many old houses. Most of the action that happens
here happens on what is called the piazza. The piazza
is primarily the town square. There in the town square
are a variety of cafes, a variety of stores, a
fountain, and the town hall. I'll definitely do much
more exploring this weekend, when I have more time.

As far as classes we are done with Storytelling and
Photo. During storytelling we were lectured by Chris
Harper a veteran journalist who now teaches at Temple.
Professor Harper spent a great deal of time focusing
on basic reporting, the reporting process, and writing
for print, broadcast, and web. What I benefited most
from in terms of his experience didn't happen in the
class, but outside of class. It was great to be able
to pick his brain over lunch yesterday, because he's
done print and broadcast. He's worked with some of the
vets such as Barbara Walters, Stone Phillips, and
others. Our photo teacher George Miller is great
because he has photography and writing experience, and
it will be important for us to combine our different
skill sets.

When not in class, we're still on the clock. I am
taking so many pictures not for myself, but for our
assignments. I've spent so much money on batteries, I
need to invest in battery charger when I get back to
the states.

Last night we had our first cooking class. I am one of
14 people signed up for a gourmet Italian cooking
class. Of course I am the only guy, but I am probably
the person with the least cooking experience. I
brought some spaghetti so before I leave, I a am going
to make some spaghetti. That is the challenge I pose
to myself. Oh and the menu for last night tagliatelle
(sp.), with different sauces (ragu aka meat sauce:
chicken, sausage, and beef, porcine mushroom sauce,
and asparagus and shrimp sauce.) My fav part however
was the dessert homemade tiramisu. The 80 euros I
paid, may be a wise investment if it inspires me to do
any more cooking when I get back stateside. At the
very least I have one guaranteed meal once a week.

Tonight we are all getting together for a group pizza
dinner.

In a bit I plan on heading to the market (flea market
meets farmers market).

I'll try to continue updating as often as possible.

I hope all is well with all of you.

-CNEL

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