Fénis Castle
“Despite its impressive defensive structure, the castle is situated at the top of a small knoll and not a promontory or another inaccessible and easily defensible place. In fact it was not built for military purposes, but to serve as a prestigious residence for the Challant family. The castle belonged to the lords of Challant until 1716, when Georges François of Challant had to sell it to pay his debts. It fell into decline until 1895 when architect Alfredo d’Andrade purchased it and started a restoration campaign to secure the damaged structures. The castle is today owned by the Regional Council, which turned it into a museum.” —Wikipedia
Agata taking a moment to chat on her cell.
While it was abandoned, the townspeople accelerated the castle’s decline by taking stone from it to build their own homes. The castle has been mostly rebuilt over the last hundred years.
Chamois
No, I’m not in Switzerland! Nor are those my cigarettes or chips (the cappuccino is mine, though). Ivan, Maria, Agata and I are in Chamois, a very French region of northern Italy.
We needed to take a cable car to reach this ski town in the mountains.
Slate roofs.
Rooster.
We had the entire town to ourselves!
3 days agoPiazza San Carlo
Concert in Piazza San Carlo in honor of anti-mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, assassinated twenty years ago.
4 days agoChiesa Evangelica Valdese
We were tricked into going to church, lured by the promise of gospel music that was not sung.
At least we discovered old-timey Cafe Lumiere nearby. Best pastries ever!
1 week agoDaily Market
It’s so wonderfully affordable to purchase fresh produce in Europe!! I love buying vegetables here and stir-frying them to serve with couscous.
Lunch at Gran’s
I had hoped to lose several pounds before Saint-Tropez, but lately I’ve been fed like a goose being fattened for foie gras. As a friend recently said, “We all have our crosses to bear.”
Running
Even though I’m now fluent in Italian, I still find myself in situations in which I don’t know what’s going on. Yesterday, I went jogging then stopped by Francesca’s grandma’s because we had plans to go to the market. She looked panicked upon seeing me and sent me to her room. So I’m sitting on her bed in the dark by myself wondering what the heck is going on. Then she comes in and gives me some clothes of hers to change into. I was still sweating from my run and she was concerned that I would die. So I left her place wearing a black sports bra, white crocheted top and purple shorts. I’m not really sure how I would describe this look, but it’s an attention-getter.
1 week agoBack in Torino
I have more to say about my trip to Berlin, but first: a brief update on the hell I’m doing and where I am. After Germany, I flew back to Torino with the intention of studying Italian and exploring the city. I spent exactly one night living with a crazy artist in the apartment above. I have a knack for finding the sketchiest places in which to live and my tolerance for dodgy bullshit is quite high—but only if it’s economically advantageous. I, however, was living in the ghetto and paying top dollar (found this place on AirBnB, a site my friends swears by) and nearly moved back to London before Francesca’s mom took me in. Since then, her whole family has adopted me and they’re treating me ridiculously well.
Dinner at Aunt Agata’s (also seen here: cousin Paolo and his girlfriend). I feel like I’m in one of those movies in which a stranger posing as a distant relative arrives to a hero’s welcome. I’m waiting for the part where everyone realizes I’m actually not their long-lost daughter. “Wait, who the hell are you and why are you living with us?”
Lunch with the grandparents.
Francesca’s mom and I are BFFs. She calls me to say, “What’s up?” and we’ve been hanging out every night.
I was taking Italian lessons w/Agata’s husband, but I’ve stopped that because I’ve been having so many conversations in Italian that formal study hasn’t been necessary. For me, the best way to improve my language skills has always been to chat with people in an informal setting (though school is a great way to meet new friends from around the world).
1 week agoI don’t fault Eduardo Saverin at all for doing this. Our tax system on expats is absurd and has gotten even worse this year. If you’re living in the US, of course you need to pay taxes. However, if you’re living, working and paying taxes in Singapore—or England, say—you shouldn’t have to also pay US taxes in the same year. As far as I know, the US is the only country that punishes its citizens in this way.
1 week ago
What Berlin Looks Like
Great store in our Friedrichshain neighborhood where you can purchase handmade stulpen, sort of like fingerless gloves but less glove-y. Very cool.
What’s going on here? I thought this was a cafe or someone’s home, but it’s a shop (with no name or information about it outside, of course).
Berlin
The delightful little place I’m calling home for the next week. Elke’s friend is traveling through Vietnam and offered up her flat to us. While here, Elke is taking a course on paper for art conservationists and I’m spending my days on walking tours.
Torino
Piazza Vittorio.
Aperitivo at Cafe Accorsi Palace. We’re drinking Arneis, a local white wine.
Plate 1
Plate 2
Cafe des Arts. Francesca’s brother is the drummer in this band.
