Finding the sun in Italy!

Yesterday was our first day of school in Italy. We had class in the Biella museum meeting room which was generously donated to us for this week. In the morning, we listened to a lecture from our Italian teacher. We had a 2+ hour lunch break/siesta and then listened to a man from the tourism office in Biella. He talked to us about the things that stand out in Biella. It was a very long day and everyone was exhausted by the end of it. Madlen and I went shopping to blow off some steam. There were some really cute boutiques and the styles here are definately very Italian. The only thing i bought though was some motion sickness pills.


We had a Italian pizza for lunch so took it easy for supper. I enjoyed the Italian wine with a caprese salad (mozzarella and tomato). Thanks to the alcohol, I was able to get a pretty good rest and could block out the noise from outside.


This morning, we had a company visit. We, once again, left 30 minutes later than planned which is pretty normal now. The company made cashmere and knitware. They supplied to most high end brands like ralph lauren, marc jacobs, armani, etc. They are very high end and operate is a successful niche market. It was interesting to see how these exclusive fabrics are made. The average price of a meter of this fabric was 47 euros and an average suit jacket made from this fabric sells for about 1200 euros!


We had lunch at a small cafe and then visited the company's public garden. I enjoyed the scenery and the sunshine. We got back in the late afternoon, bought some fresh groceries and went to the hostel.


We got an announcement in the bus saying that if the partying students are not quiet tonight, the neigbors will call the police. I hope that this is a wake up call for them and hopefully the police doesn't get involved. We are also not allowed to use the kitchen anymore because the drunken students broke glasses and made a mess of it. It is so disappointing and embarrassing and I don't understand why these people have no respect for others or for their environment. Grow up! They are ruining the trip for the students that came here to learn something.

My first Italian Pizza- was not that special

Awesome coat I found in Biella and should have bought. It was on sale for 50 euro for a unique leather coat!

Factory visit to Placenza. Preparing the threads for weaving

Weaving thread to make fabric

Finished fabrics

Big washing machines for the threads

This was different, Fabric made with flax. Very sustainable.