Litmus Test

Every time I visit a new location, I apply a litmus test. Not one for chemical acidity, to be sure, but the could-I-live-here litmus test, applying a rigorous number of criteria to ascertain whether or not I could dream of returning on a more permanent basis.

This week I find myself in Bolzano, or Bozen in German, Italy for a conference on Bi- and Multi-Lingual Universities. It is a truly bilingual city nestled in the mountains of Northern Italy.



Here are some of the ways in which it passes (surpasses!) the grade:

1. It is multilingual: German and Italian are spoken here interchangeably. Although I do not speak either German or Italian, I would be interested in learning both of them. They are widely spoken, literary and musical languages. Hallo! Ciao!

2. There are mountains... and water: The town is surrounded by breathtaking mountainous landscape that is easily accessible (I walked there today) and a river runs straight through the town.



3. It is a university town: There is learning taking place here and the university (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano) is tri-lingual with German, Italian, and English as languages as instruction. There is also hope of employment!

4. Great food: The best of two countries -- pasta, stinky cheeses, wine, olive oil, strudel, espresso, gelatto. There is also a beautiful fruit, vegetable, spice, and cheese market in the middle of town. Need I say more?



5. A lively population: A town of only 100,000, similar to the Estonian town of Tartu where I currently live, Bolzano is bustling with energy and people in the streets. Refreshing!

6. Long lunches (and siesta?): Everything closes for 1-2 hours for lunch. You gotta love people that know how to take a minute or two off to appreciate the best things in life.



7. Recreation: With the mountains, there is year-round activity. Skiing, hiking, rafting... Ah! I love the outdoors! (There's even a dance school in the center for some indoor activity)



8. Climate: Today was a gorgeous, sunny, warm day (around 75 Fahrenheit). There are four seasons, but they don't seem to be overly extreme. An adequate amount of year-round sunlight/darkness is also attractive.

9. It's old: There is history... Europe's oldest mummified human resides here. Pretty old :)



10. General charm: The town is quaint. Great skylines, nice architecture (I lvoe the shutters), and friendly people. I am traveling with a colleague and her one-year-old baby, who receives coos and attention from every age and gender on the streets.

I may sound enamored. I may be. More thoughts to come... or maybe I'll begin to seek opportunities to stay longer!

V srdce, ja mam staru turu

It was a bit like coming home to my second family. At the end of my stay in Austria, I was able to squeeze in an overnighter in the village where I did my Peace Corps service nearly 8 years ago. Stara Tura is a small town situated in the Carpathians in the western part of Slovakia, and there live some people that remain incredibly precious and loved by me.


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My trip was not premeditated or well-planned, but I arrived to see the colleagues and friends that I could manage to find. Waiting for me at the train station was the best friend that I had during my two and a half year stay in Stara Tura. A smiling face and warm heart, she graciously invited me back into her home and life. Preoccupied during the train ride from Vienna about my Slovak language skills, I found it simple to ease back into our bantering routine of walks, coffee, and meals. I was welcomed so completely at her home, disturbing any routine she might have had. I felt like a long-lost daughter as we began to catch up on what had been missed in our letters over the last four years. She cooked for me and fussed over the cold I was beginning to catch. A true friend, she listened as well as talked as we celebrated and sympathized over new developments in our lives. Not to continue sounding cliché, but it was timeless, as I guess any good friendship should be.

From Slovakia 07

During my visit, I realized how beautiful the town is and the nice collective that I had at the schools where I worked while I was there. Remembered as I reunited with a couple of close colleagues, we reminisced together (amazingly enough, po slovensky!). I was reminded that for those of us that wander, we leave second and third and fourth homes scattered here and there. Somehow, for me, I am always surprised and grateful at the blessing it is to keep coming to those homes. I guess that we leave a bit of ourselves behind and, at the same time, a bit of each place and people is planted within us. I still marvel when I rediscover the places where my heart belongs.

Mozart is a great composer, sir!

A very true statement. I have spent the last couple of weeks working in Austria with different groups of teachers, and on the weekend that broke up the seminars, I was able to do a bit of wandering in Vienna. My Sunday morning was completely remarkable.

I made my way in the morning down to the First District (or historical center) of Vienna to enjoy the wonders the city has to offer. Weaving between beautiful architecture and famous historical places, I managed to arrive at St. Augustin’s cathedral in time for Sunday mass. Admittedly, it was my intended destination as it hosts well-reputed musicians to perform special music during the offertory and postlude. I was not disappointed. Although crammed into the pews of the small and beautiful church with other tourists and church-goers, I enjoyed some Mozart and Buxtehude. Gorgeous sounds of choir, organ, and orchestration! I was truly convinced, as the young and defiant soldier Andrew in the movie The Barber of Siberia that Mozart is a great composer.

Afterwards, I continued to enjoy my morning at a historic Viennese café, Café Central. Amidst beautiful pastries and steaming cups of hot coffee, I breakfasted and read my paper, taking in the other customers and soaking up the moment.

Somehow, in this half day, I felt more rejuvenated than I sometimes do after a week of vacation. Breaking my routines and taking time to appreciate art and life slowly reminded me of the importance of taking time out. I aim to do it a bit more often, whether set to Mozart and Sacher Torte or not, once I return to Estonia.