Ravenna + International Gastronomy

Last weekend I went to Ravenna (a city on the east coast) to watch a fencing tournament.  I tried to pick up on the minute details that made one competitor better than the other; making very controlled, straight jabs as far extended from your body, etc.  At this age (~12 years old) height makes a very big impact.  The #1 in the country last year was a good foot shorter than all the other competitors, and ended up taking 21st place, though he lived up to his nickname "the painter" with his artful strokes.  Ricchi, the fencer I was cheering for, did extremely well, as one point beating the #2 ranked in all of Italy!!  Ricchi is very tall, but he doesn't take his height for granted, and still puts a lot of effort and skill into each match.  In fact, his skill impressed me very much!  It was fun to watch.

There were competitors from all over the country.

See how well-dressed all the judges are in their suits?

We also visited a couple mausoleums in Ravenna, which were quite stunning.  Forgive me, but I cannot remember each of their names.

Only the four chosen testaments in the cabinet on the left survived this historical book burning.

Glass mosaic.  Stunning! and Shiny!

The Christmas spirit has arrived!

Then on Monday my Italian school here organized a lunch in which everyone brought a dish representing their country. I made a pumpkin pie and put a crust turkey on top, which I actually thought looked pretty good.  And you'll have to take my word for it because I forgot to take a picture.

Italy: Sandwich tower; each layer held a different type of sandwich.

My favorite sandwich from the tower: Salmon and cream cheese.  mmmm, and the bread was soft and sweet

Polland: Sweet cakes filled with apples and raisins.

Our Reggio Lingua family :)

Cin Cin! Salute! Italian prosecco.

Ukraine: sausage filled pastries.

Russia: salad of sausage, pickles, egg, mayonnaise and celery.

Italy: a savory tort filled with onions and potatoes.

Italy: Succo d'uva.  It is a natural sweet paste made out of grapes.  The texture reminds me of congealed blood, which surprisingly doesn't do it for me.

 Needless to say, we all left satisfied.  And with leftovers!!