216. Cut out beef and dairy for one month

 

I actually ended up dating a vegan, so, it was more like 2 years of no meat and dairy

247. Visit a new city

 

Napoli

I visited the city thanks to a close acquaintance. It was my first time meeting a boyfriend's parents, and in a city I'd never ventured in. I had been to Italy though, but each time had been quite fleeting.

The experience was like something from a quintessentially Italian romp. We met the nonna, we tried the mama's expert cooking, we drove (in a fiat, sipping on sicilian lemonade) down the winding roads to the Amalfi coast, up to Possitano, and of course explored the luxurious fashionable shops of the elegant streets of Napoli.

I'd been told that, in simple terms, Napoli, is a shithole. But the reality is, it's just bad press. Naples, is a fine city. Hell, more than fine, it's a world of it's own. I've never been somewhere were nature looms over so beautifully. Vesuvius truly makes the city. Paired with the sea, it really is a dream.

The food was wonderful too, but really it was the atmosphere and sights that did it for me. It really is a most beautiful part of Italy, and somehwere to be proud to call home. I can't think of a better place to visit afresh.

262. Go to a portuguese meetup

 

I'm an introvert

I may be quiet but luckily, over time, I'm not as quiet as my anxiety would probably have it if it had full reign. 

I attended the meetup with a friend who is also learning Portuguese. It took place in a soup canteen on the river's edge of Lisbon. After waiting 15 minutes, and two failed attempts and embarrassing mis-meets with the wrong person, we finally found our host.

I won't talk too much about the even because everyone was lovely, but it was quite strange all the same. I use this blog as a sort of capsule of memories so I hope this will trigger it later. All I can say is I didn't return and I have no plans to, but ultimately it was a good and memorable experience. 

266. See a play in Portuguese

 

King Lear

I'm lucky in that I come from a town in the UK where Shakespeare is performed every year for the public. However in all my time seeing the plays I've never experienced King Lear. 

As I'm living in Portugal we went to see the play in Portuguese. I knew beforehand this would be a stretch of my language skills so I made sure to 'revise' the play before so I knew exactly what was happening. Thankfully this helped immensely and I think in the future I will do the same again.

The play itself was wonderful. It was a modern retelling, but still using formal language (had to get used to vos) and featured just three actors playing all the parts. I really loved the theater too and plan to visit again as soon as I can.