Where on Earth is Arielle Danan?

Well, earlier today she was standing at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens (why waste a nine hour layover just sitting in the airport?) And now, she's somewhere over the Mediterranean headed to Israel, and ready to finally give you an update! Yes, I realize that I haven't posted in over a month, and that may be worrying some of you. Or not, maybe you couldn't care less. Regardless, I have been feeling lately that some people back home are concerned about my whereabouts and well being.

I would like to say to all you worriers, if ye be worrying, I hereby release you from your duties!

I am really, truly, doing wonderfully.

Last we spoke, I was headed to the EFT retreat in Chianti. The retreat was amazing and surreal. I find it difficult to describe the fullness of the experience, but suffice it to say that I grew a vast amount both mentally and spiritually in those two weeks. The retreat confirmed what an important tool EFT is in my life, and what power it has to help others. I met people who had cleared lupus and even prostate cancer with the help of EFT. And each day, I watched as the thirty three other participants and I broke open our ego shells a little more, and began to blossom into our true and beautiful beings. Aside from EFT, there was plenty of yoga, meditation, dance, bodytales, song, and delicious vegetarian food.

my big happy hippie family

some sweet lovin at the retreat

the beautiful miss Sonya and I

Everyone at the retreat felt instantly like family to me, and I can't wait to see them all in the future.

(( If you would like to know more about EFT or the retreat, feel free to ask! I'm now a certified practitioner who would love to share with others and get the chance to practice! ))

After the retreat, Talia ( a friend from Chico ) and I headed up north to Venice. Venice was certainly beautiful and unique. However, the frosty air and gray skies cast a stark shadow on the sinking city, making it feel almost deserted...
Eerily picturesque.

Dreary or not, the winding canals and alleyways of Venice make for some awesome photos.

an awesome used book store. notice the canal water pouring right in and the sign pointing towards the water that reads ' fire escape'

i think Liora might have a painting of this one coming her way

                                                       

Talia and I were admittedly happy to depart from the slightly claustrophobic streets of Venice, and head to the more open and lively, Bologna.

Bologna is definitely my kind of city. It is labeled the 'food capital' of Italy, and the streets are paved with delicacies of every sort: prosciutto, all kinds of cheese, handmade tortellini, fresh fish, premium produce, and some of the best looking pastries in Italy. To top it all off, we found a really awesome 'couch surfing' host who cooked for us and showed us around town.

From Bologna, Talia and I traveled back down south to Tuscany, where we met up with Cypress (another friend from Chico/the retreat) and set out for Frittole, an eco-village in the making and our next WWOOF farm. When we visited, Frittole was essentially a construction site. Nevertheless, their vision for the future is clear and beautiful. Frittole is going to be a sustainable living community made up of private families who work on the land, natural medicine facilities, communal living spaces, as well as a tepee and yurt village which can be used for retreats and educational purposes.

Everyone at Frittole was very sweet, and we enjoyed our days of olive harvesting, sleeping in tents, and sipping wine by the fire. Not to mention, the olive oil at Frittole is the best I've had in Italy ( and certainly the best I've made ) - thanks to the fact that the trees are basically wild and haven't been harvested in twenty or so years. It was really wonderful to see the process of creating an eco-village, and it was eye opening to see the vast amount of work and detail that goes into its making.

a visit to Saturnia, a natural hot springs near Frittole that looked like something straight out  of a fairy wonderland.  this is Mauro, Cypress, me, and Talia

                                               

Marco ( the leader of Frittole ) and his "puppy" Zion

one of the amazing cooks/workers at Frittole named Francesco concocted this masterpiece -  freshly made foccacia bread with caramelized onion on top, filled with fresh arugula pesto and local pecorino cheese 

                                          

happy birthday to a very sweet girl, and future Frittole resident. so much love at this place

                                           

                                     

base camp at Frittole

                                              

Unfortunately, that quantity of labor (plus sleeping in a tent for six months) can also make for exhausted workers. Which was evident in the fact that we were asked to find a new farm after just four days of working because the Frittolians desperately needed to go on vacation..

So, Cypress and I journeyed on to another farm named Podiere Buriano, a smalled family run production making olive oil and cheese. Our time at this farm was sleepy and slow, but pleasant. Stella, the wife, was a sweet, typical Italian mama. So, we were a bit spoiled, if not over-coddled.

Zu!

                                             

   

A few days later, an invitation from Darcy back at Localita Il Piano (the second farm I visited in Italy) brought Cypress and I to Umbria for Thanksgiving dinner – Italy style. The first time I left Localita Il Piano, I had stumbled down the steep descent from their house to the bus stop, along a small mule track through the forest.. at about six in the morning. As I slipped and fell on my behind, taking my fifty pound backpack down with me, I grumbled to myself, “ Never again...”

Never say never! Just four weeks later, I was climbing the same steep ascent with my same fifty pounds of baggage. Luckily, I'm a super buff farmer, so it was much easier this time around. As soon as we reached the house, we were welcomed with warm scents of Thanksgiving dinner in the making, and I knew I was exactly where I should be.

What does one eat for Thanksgiving in Italy, you ask?

Roasted chicken

Moroccan pumpkin soup (the third time I made this in Italy, aren't you proud, Aba?)

Mashed purple potato casserole with asiago and parmesan cheeses

Stuffing with porcine mushroom gravy

Wild cornelian cherry sauce

Polenta (corn) bread

Fennel and mandarin salad

Sautéed Jerusalem artichokes with lemon butter

Homemade bread with freshly ground spelt, millet, and whole wheat

and my personal favorite, a Butternut squash pie with marscapone and ricotta cheeses, topped with fig molasses and crushed amaretti cookies

Best part? All of the following ingredients came straight off their own farm: the chicken, purple potatoes, celery, onions, cornelian cherries, butternut squash, olive oil, jerusalem artichokes, all of the herbs, eggs, fennel, the fig molasses, and wine.

Right before I left for Italy, my mom and I pulled three angel cards for my journey. We pulled 'Adventure', 'Spontaneity', and 'Willingness'. In retrospect, I don't think I could have picked any better words to describe my three months in Italy. At every turn, my willingness was tested: my willingness to be adventurous, my willingness to be spontaneous and seize the moment, and my willingness to work hard and try my own strength.

All in all, I have nothing but good things to say about my time in Italy. Spending three months on my own has helped me grow in ways that even I can't yet fully comprehend.

I do know that it has certainly been three of the happiest months of my life. I have seen and savored such wonderful things, and I have allowed myself to be fully immersed in the present moment.

With each day, and each new experience my perspective is becoming clearer. I can feel many more beautiful things forming in my future, and I am excited for much more working and learning in the next few months.

Before I flew from Italy to Israel, my mom pulled another two angel cards for this next leg of my trip. She pulled out 'Eretz Israel' (the land of Israel) and 'Joy'.

I think you can all look forward to some easy reading to come.

                                              

ps. My camera broke for no apparent reason. My friend just pressed the on button, and now it's stuck with the lens out and it won't turn on. So, unfortunately, until I can find myself a replacement/fix my camera, my blog posts will be sans pictures.