Remedello

Helen and I had an easy train ride on Saturday. Just 2 trains and we had made it to our next destination. We were greeted by our camp director, Marcella, and her husband and 1-year-old daughter Emma. We were taken to their house for some wonderful hordorves while we discussed plans for next week. Helen and I then went to stay with the same host family because my host family was unavailable for the first 2 days.

Such a cute little host kitten

On Sunday, we were taken to the pool where we took in the sun, did aerobic dancing, and got hit in the bum many times by free-falling volleyballs. This same family later took us salsa dancing. They threw me into the circle once they found out that I was a dancer, even though I’ve never done this style before. The instructor was shouting out directions in Italian for the circle dance, and I had no idea what was going on. They were spinning me around and passing me off to different dance partners...I barely had a chance to get my bearings. Eventually I was able to pick up on the steps, and I blended in with the rest of them.

Helen and I were a little nervous about the high number of students and diverse ages at this camp, but we started off the week with a bang. The students were fantastic and were so enthusiastic to learn. We also had a helper, Giuditta, who was terrific with the kids. And our camp director kept the fridge stocked with fruit, so we were able to replenish our lacking nutrients from the 2 weeks before of only canteen food.

The nights were also kept very busy. One night we went to Brescia with Helen’s 20-year-old host sister, Betsy, and her friend. Marilena. They both were so funny together. We went to get aperitivos at this high-end restaurant, and they showed us the best way to arrange the food so that you can squeeze as much as possible onto the plate.

The following night, Marcella and Giuditta took us to see the new Harry Potter film! It was shown in Italian, but we were still able to catch the jokes. The theater was completely sold out, and it was awesome experiencing the HP craze in another country.

Another night we went to a Chinese restaurant. In addition to spinach, Helen and I were craving ethnic food. It was so delicious, and I probably won’t get another food experience like that until I return to the states. After we finished eating, we took a walk around Lago di Garda and got a gelato.

For the final show, my class performed The Chronicles of Narnia. This was probably one of the best performances I’ve done for both summers – the students got really into it and were so animated with their characters. I also had background music for the different scenes (with awesome DJs), and creative costumes – ex. A centaur and a faun. These kids were some of the best, and I’ll really miss teaching them.

On the final night, my host family took Helen and me to Mantova. Got some cool night-time photos and it was a nice way to spend the night before Helen and I had to say goodbye.

I’m being sent back up into the mountains – AGAIN! Not quite sure where since I haven’t had a chance to look on a map. I’ll just be hopping from train to train, hoping that I’ll get there and there’ll be someone awaiting my arrival.