Well last week was another busy week. Monday I had a trip to the Enoteca Italiana (Italian wine bar) in Siena, where we tasted some excellent wines. There was also a news station there filming, so I was on TV! Unfortunately I didn't see it, but when I got home, my Italian family was all excited to see "Whitiny" on "la T.Vu". So I think that pretty much qualifies me as being famous in Italy. Guess my job here is done =)

Then on Wednesday we visited a local cheese farm, where they make "Pecorino" cheese. Pecorino is cheese made from sheep's milk and we call it "Romano" cheese at home (even though it doesn't even come from Rome!) I got to hold a baby sheep too! Unfortunately that picture is on my friend's camera. But I did add some pictures of the farm and the magnificent view from the farm and factory. (They're the bottom 5 pictures.)

I also added some pictures I had been meaning to show everyone. The top two are pictures from the Deviole Winery we visited last week. The third one is a view of the Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi gallery in Florence. The fourth picture is of the "Teatro Rozzi" where I saw the piano concerto last week. And the next three are just pictures of Siena during the holiday season. Siena set up a Christmas festival in one of the piazzas, so it's very festive around here. Even my Italian family put up a small tree and some decorations.

This week is my last official week here in Italy. We have finals all week and a farewell dinner on Friday. I'm so excited to go home for the holidays, but at the same time I am going to miss Siena and all of the people I've met here so much! As I told my mom yesterday, I've been so excited about coming home, I didn't really comprehend that fact that coming home means leaving Italy. Blonde moment I guess, but it hit me hard, that I'm not coming back. Of course I hope to come back to Italy in the future, but it's not like going home for break then coming back here. I'm really going to miss it. The friendly people, the food, the laid back atmosphere, the fashion, the espresso, the gorgeous Tuscan landscapes. I'm sad to go, but I am so incredibly appreciative of the opportunity I've been given. It has given me a new outlook on life and has renewed my excitement and determination to travel after college while I'm still young.

Well enough of being sappy ;) I hope the holiday season is treating everyone well. See everyone soon!