Summer seems to be over now, so it´s the best time to write about my living here in this last two months. Amazing experiences, also some sour moments.
The memories are a little bit vanished but I´ll try to go back in time and share them with you!
Goodbyes
The good weather came along with some less happy moments, the farewell parties of my dear first housemates and friends Tieimei Gao from China (May), Trang Si Do from Vietnam ( June) and Julija Stancevičiūtė from Lithuania (July).
After about fifth months of living and working together, of getting used to their constant presence, it was really hard to see the house becoming empty.
Even if I was expecting it since the beginning of my EVS, my mood got slightly negative after watching this temporary step-family disappearing progressively.(Harder even because it is not so easy to go to China our Vietnam regularly to visit this beloved friends.)
Anyway, they had they´re deserved farewell parties, full of love, fun and pesarese friends!
And I think we enjoyed a lot together during this months. Actually I even don´t remember of any conflict within us, what between 4 girls from so different cultures it´s amazing! Our daily coexistence was based on a great deal of respect, tolerance and mutual understanding.
Thanks for teaching me and support me so much during this time 😉
Welcomes
In the beginning of June, Julia departed and arrived a new european volunteer to work and live with us, Shawita Parag (from Holand). Some weeks later came job shadower from Vietnam, Do Quynh Anh and after another volunteer from Germany, Katharina Pffefer .
A new dynamic began in the house, in the office and in my life in general. Sincerely, it was not easy for me adapting to a whole new set of people. I can even admit that it was a somehow aggressive this sudden change in the daily life. But what is difficult can also, and surely is, an emotional challenge. 
Accepting this challenge I recharged myself with positive energy and welcome them in the best way possible. Doing what was done to me before, passing the legacy to the new generation of housemates, workmates and possible future friends.
So … what exactly I did in Pesaro during the summer?
The summerish mood arrived in Pesaro together with the beach life, lots of tourists, parties, a lot of going out, meeting friends and my favorite part: a bunch of cultural events.
It started in the end of June with Pesaro Film Fest, 50a Mostra Internazionale del Nuovo Cinema. A festival of independent cinema that happened for more than a week in different locations of the city. Some sessions were in indoors spots while others were outdoor locations under the starlight, like Piazza del Popolo the main big square of the city. For this weeks Piazza was dressed up with a huge projection screen and hundreds of chairs for the daily evening sessions. I watch many amazing films but I want to highlight an animated film of a North American director – The moon and the son: an imagined conversation ( you can check it on youtube for free https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LOen6PI4xU).
Between many events that I attended in the summer months here it goes a list of some:
Zoe Microfestival with which Vicolocorto participate actively ( me and Shawita wrote extensively about all the festival in previous posts)
Popsophia-festival del contemporaneo – a festival installed in Rocca Constanza (an historical fortress of the city) that aimed to create a dialogue between philosophy and pop art.
Artisti in Piazza, Pennabilli buskers festival – a festival of street performance situated in this little village ( Pennabilli) one hour from Pesaro by car. Since the first edition of ’97, has become one of the most important events in the field planned in Italy. 60 international companies, a total of more than 200 artists and 400 performances of the show.
Fano Jazz Fest – a festival in Fano and surrounding spots ( a village 5 minutes from here) promoting essentially national jazz/funk/experimental projects but also bringing some international names as Fred Wesley, the ex-trombonist of James Brown.
Hangart fest – a contemporary dance/performance festival (in Pesaro) that closed the summer chapter somehow ending Sunday the 28th of September. Within this one we ( the EVS girls) also collaborate with the organization, giving us the opportunity to watch rehearsals and get to know the organizer and the international performers.
It was a busy cultural summer indeed! I feel blessed to live in a city with so much cultural offer and this is why also I decided to describe it in this chapter.
Travels
During the summer I used my free time to travel a little bit in the Italian territory. This is also part of being an Evs, you become curious of about the different parts- cities and cultures – of your hosting country. I did a great trip for some of the major cities. It started in Rome where I met with a Portuguese friend who followed me in the rest of the adventure.
We stayed a few days to explore the capital’s most famous attractions and sights but also some remote areas. I really enjoyed visiting the small, cozy quarter of Trastevere situated on the west bank of the Tiber, south of Vatican City . It is charged of traditional atmosphere thanks to its narrow cobbled streets lined by medieval houses, very contrasting with the imperial atmosphere of the historical center. Also you can find lots of nice restaurants and bars to have an “aperitivo” for a friendly price.
After Rome we went to Naples, the motherland of pizza. Even if for me was not the first time there I was feeling really excited because the only time I visited it I didn’t had much opportunity to explore.
So there we were, Naples, a place filled with a wealth of historical buildings and monuments, from medieval castles to classical ruins. We took advantage also to explore the territory outside the historic center and go to the famous volcano, Vesuvius. I can say it was for me one of the most beautiful scenery of the whole trip. It’s amazing to see the the crater of Vesuvius so closely, even more so, knowing that it remains active. We also spent a day going to the sea side, a little beautiful and posh city in the surroundings called Sorrento.
The next planned stop led us to cross the south territory until the region of Puglia, Bari, where we had a really good time with some local people visiting the cozy historical center.
For finishing the trip we went to the region of Toscana for visiting which, for me , is one of the most astonishing Italian cities, Florence. It was not my first time there but the feeling of amazement remained the same. The smell of the italian history, science and art, culture and tradition. The birthplace of the Renaissance and the home to many historical influential figures.
The beauty of the every single street and the inspiring atmosphere can make the eyes blind to the fact that it is extremely touristic. From the most beautiful places of Firenze I can enumerate two: Piazzale Michelangelo and Fiesole, in both you can have a delicious panoramic sightseeing of the city.
I could extend this chapter to the infinite but I think that is already a nice summary of the travel! I just want to say that this 10 days were an exhausting pleasure and I learned a lot about the cultures of different regions of Italy.
Final reflections
Well.. when it comes to this part is always difficult to write. I enjoyed a lot being around in the summer, and I made so many stuff that is difficult to remember everything in detail. Most of all I feel that I achieved many new things as well as I improved others.
I learnt how to manage emotions with the goodbyes and the welcomes. I improved a lot my italian as well as my knowledge of the italian culture. I learnt to truly enjoy being here as a foreigner. I learnt to use wisely my time to make stuff I like. I made many good italian native friends.
Now the cold arrived already but I will do my best to continue this active life before I will go home ( which is soon..)
And this is it!
A presto! Vanessa
Vicolocortini 