Katrin's diary about her stay in Pontedera

I lived with a very nice and friendly family. There were the parents and an eighteen years old daughter. I did really feel at home and comfortable there because I got a really warm hearted welcome and they always fulfilled my wishes.

Their house was basically like our houses in Bocholt – I had not expected that this would be the case.

It was a bit a pity that the parents did not speak English. However this is the same in Germany: many people in the older generation are not able to speak English.

I experienced the family as very family oriented, beause we always spent the evenings together. This was one big difference to Germany.

They served a big dinner in the evening at about 20:30. We had first course, main course and fruit or desert. We in Germany have only bread for evening meal and that at about 19:00.

Breakfast was also unusual for me because they had cake ad cookies for breakfast. I did not like that for breakfast and so they gave me normal bread.

On the whole it is really difficult to say what was typically Italian in this family. Maybe I did not spend enough time so see the typically Italian things because I did not spend so much time in the family. I also saw the host student only in the morning and evening because she did not take part in the program of the visit. I thought this was really a pity.


Diary of my stay in Pontedera/Italy 26 September to 3 October 2009
By Katrin (German student):

Saturday:
We arrived in the evening and our host students came to take us to their home. Then she showed me my room and her family welcomed me. There was a family party so I also got to know her aunts, uncles and grandparents.
Some time later Elisa`s (my host student) friend came and we went to another party where I met her friends. It was in a hut in a forest and we ate their and played music. It was great fun.

Sunday:
We could sleep relatively long and then I had breakfast together with Elisa and then we went to the railway station to meet the other students. Together, but without the Italian students, we went to Pisa. There we had a guide who explained us many things. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is really leaning.
After that we had some time to walk through Pisa, but we were very tired, so we slept. Afterwards we went to Lucca by bus and there we also had time and we walked a little bit through the town and sat in a nice café.
In the evening I came home to my host family and we had dinner together . It took a long time and they eat very much in the evening.
After that we went into the village to meet some of her friends. We sat together with them and talked and had fun.


Monday:
On Monday we had to get up early and went with the bus to school. Then my host student had to go to her class and we went to the Aula Magna. There the headmistress welcomed us and the English-teacher translated it for us.
After that we went together to the Piaggio Museum and there we were welcomed by the mayor. Then we visited the Vespa museum and it was very interesting. After that we had free snack there and it was very delicious.
Then we went to the Easy Food Restaurant where we could eat lunch. After that we went back to school and some countries started to show there presentations.
Before we met our host students we went through Pontedera and saw the town. IN the evening I had again dinner with my host family and then we stayed at home, so Elisa could show me many pictures and I could also show her some.

Tuesday:
On Tuesday we went to Siena and there we visited a museum and a cathedral and afterwards we had time to walk through the town and do some shopping.
Then we went with the same guide to San Gimignano and there we sat in a nice café.
In the evening I went home to my host student and we went to Casciana and met her friends and had a nice evening.

Wednesday:
Today we went to Florence. It was a little bit confusing because we lost the others. Then we met them again and went together to the Uffizi: Afterwards we had time to go shopping and we found out that Florence is a really nice city. In the afternoon we met again and went to the Galleria dell`Accademia. Unfortunately we could not go there because one of our students felt ill. But all in all it was a nice day and it was worth it.
In the evening we went to the village again and also met her friends again.

Thursday:
In the morning we went to school to listen to the other presentations. After we finished we went to the gym and did some sports. Then there was a little free time left so we did a little bit shopping and ate the delicious ice-cream. In the afternoon we visited Vicopisano. Although we had bad weather it was a nice trip.
That was our last day were we were all together so in the evening we all went together to a pizza place and afterwards we went to a pub.

Friday:
That was our last day. Only a few students from some countries were left so we went to the seaside and we enjoyed a very nice day at the sea where we could go swimming or lying in the sun.
In the evening I went together with my host family to a pizza place where we ate together pizza and afterwards I went with my host student to a café in the village where I met her friends for the last time.