Lost in Translation

This morning I headed to Assisi for my first immersion Italian lesson.  Whoa Nellie; no English (duh) and my smugness at being able to speak pigeon Italian evaporated in about 5 minutes.
I think that I have a pretty good ear for language, but mix that with no dictionary (they are actually pretty militant about that) and a perfectionist side, and you've got the makings of a melt down, but I didn't let it get the better of me.
 

I took home the text book, and after spending some time at the enoteca and translating for a few English speakers who were visiting today, I've been buried in the text book (no English).
My classmates are interesting, a young girl from Shanghai who is an opera singer, needing to learn Italian so she can train with a famous opera maestro, an Ethiopian RC priest, a French expat and a nun from Malaysia.  I'll remember their names at some point--I told the crew at l'enoteca that my head was spinning after class.  It's okay, humility makes us stronger, right?
I'll be doing this for the next 2 weeks, morning classes every day, and 3 afternoons one on one with an instructor.  I may begin to feel like Charlie Brown when Lucy pulls the football before he can kick it!

But what's the worst that can happen?  I learn some more Italian, I get to go to Assisi, one of the most beautiful cities in Umbria every day to walk the streets and enjoy the ancient city, and my brain is working (or I think it is!) 
Here are a few snaps of this gorgeous city.  

Wishing you a buona notte from Spello.