Perfect White Winter Break.

Ciao readers,

Unbelievably, my three-weeks-long winter-break is soon coming to an end within 3 days. At the beginning, I thought this break is going to last forever-like and will be as boring as it used to be back then. Moreover, I didn't come home like most of the students from my college and I decided to stay in Italy as you might already know what the reason is. Yes, the airfares cost a lot. Therefore, I asked for the college's hands in seeking the host family to stay with.


However, once I met and got to know my host family members who live in Gradisca d'Isonzo, I at sudden realized that not flying home during break is not always unexciting. They are really nice, like really, really nice and kind. I fully feel home and feel the sense of family whenever I am around them. Hereby, my Italian family!

Mamma, Marco, and Francesca
When we had our first dinner together in a pizzeria

And here I've stayed since December 16th, 2014.

Casa dolce casa

And this warm welcoming made me completely feel home

As well as the mesmerizing views all around Gradisca which make my holiday even more impeccable. 

Isonzo River

Old buildings

"Serenity"

Furthermore, my host parents brought me to multitude of interesting places both in and out of Italy, such as to Aquileia, Grado, Cormons, Gorizia, Udine, Venzone, Cividale del Friuli, Capriva, Castello di Miramare as well as to Slovenia and Austria. These trips made my holiday even more enjoyable on top of everything. Here are the photographs of my whole journeys and activities during the break!

The debris and columns of main Roman square, Aquileia

Basilica of Aquileia

Port of Grado at night

An ancient cathedral in Grado

And a cup of cioccolata calda con panna kept me warm that whole night

La bandiera Italiana, Castello di Gorizia

View inside the Castle of Gorizia

And here you can see almost the whole Gorizia
- view from top of the castle -

Perfect combination of fascinating twilight, street lamps, and leafless trees.

Border between Italy and Slovenia

I stepped my feet both on Italian and Slovenian lands!

Papa, Francesca, and I

Again, vroča čokolada a.k.a. hot chocolate has become my favorite!

Quando abbiamo fatto colazione a un caffè in Venzone

Venzone - I heard there are some mummies kept somewhere in this magical city

And there are numerous shops in Venzone which sell many kinds of things made up of Lavender. Wangi!

And here we go, Austria!

But let's first take a selfie inside Papa's Mini!

But one selfie ain't enough..

As well as two so here we go!

Seeing snow for real and for the first time drives a tropical student, like me, insane!

The way snowflakes got stuck on my hair somehow made feel showered by the true love of God. 

We got on this 'kereta-gantung' to reach the higher spot in Nassfeld, Austria

Salju itu kayak es serut, gaes.

And we went to my host family's superb apartment in Austria

They own a marvelous telescope

And here we go, Austrian cuisine (can't remember what its name is)!

And we visited the city centre of Udine

Udine Udine Udine

Another snowy view. The first day of snow in Italy.

 

Cividale del Friuli

Devil's Bridge, Cividale del Friuli
Reputedly, the establishment of this bridge was succeeded by the hands of devil

Julius Caesar's monument

And for the first time in forever, I saw Batik shop which sells ethnic things, batik, and souvenirs from Indonesia!
Woohoo! #indonesianpride 

 

Piazza Unita, Trieste on New Year's Eve

New Year feast with my Ugandan fellow

The elegance of Castello di Miramare

 

Epifania : symbolic closing of the whole feasts of Chrismas and New Year.
Celebrated every January 6.

Moreover, I also had Christmas lunch with the big family of my host family.

Me and Franchi

And here comes steak mahal yang harganya kalau dirupiahin jadi selangit. 

And as well I cooked them some Indonesian meals on our last dinner together.

Nasi uduk, omelette, sop ayam, and es buah gapake es.

However, this winter break doesn't last forever. After all, I absolutely have to go back to Duino and today's my last day staying with them. Three-weeks-long holiday doesn't even feel long for me. Time really runs and I just can't believe holiday's almost over. Ugh. I would never ever be able to pay off their kindness and hospitality to willingly share their space, their family, their everything. 

Even though I didn't go back to my home country - Indonesia, I actually was home.