Bluey’s pistachio-packed adventure and Italian discoveries

Dear Diary,

What a pawsome week this has been: from visiting the Pistachio Festival in Bronte with my new buddy Gioele and his super nice family, to getting a letter from Pimpa! Talk about excitement overload!!!

The Pistachio Festival was definitely the highlight of the week! It’s held in Bronte, the pistachio capital of the world, nestled in the province of Catania. The festival kicked off on Friday, and Gioele’s family went the extra mile (literally!) to make sure I got to experience this nutty extravaganza!

From the moment the ribbon was cut, I was in pistachio paradise! There were stands brimming with pistachio ice-cream, cakes, arancini, pasta, and pastries. I even learned about the hand-harvesting process – how cool is that?

LO SAPEVI CHE (Did you know that) Bronte’s pistachios are considered some of the best in the world and have a fancy DOP label? I wonder if Pimpa has ever been to the festival. And speaking of wondering, do you think she’d like Vegemite? It’s as rare as a unicorn here! Although I love having PANE E NUTELLA, UNA TAZZA DI LATTE CON BISCOTTI (bread and Nutella, a cup of milk and biscuits) for COLAZIONE (breakfast), sometimes I do crave Vegemite!

But I’m getting the hang of my new life here. At first I struggled with having dinner at 8:30 pm but dinner in Italy is a family affair, and children usually sit down to eat a home cooked meal with their parents (who finish work at about 8pm) and siblings.

After dinner, I love that children get to relax by watching TV, playing, or reading before heading to bed at about 9:30 or 10:00 pm.
I don’t even mind starting school at 8:00 and I looooove that school finishes at 1:30 pm because that gives me time to go home, have lunch, rest, do my homework (lots of it) and then go out and play with my friends.

When the bell rings at 10:30 am for LA RICREAZIONE (morning tea), it’s like a mini-adventure all over again! We get to run wild on the playground, chat, play soccer or tag, and munch on snacks like fruit or sandwiches that we bring from home as there aren’t any canteens here.

LO SAPEVI CHE (Did you know that) Italian elementary education places a strong focus on the Italian language? Reading, writing, and grammar occupy a significant portion of the school day. I wonder how my friends in Australia would feel about having 50-minute lessons covering subjects like Italian language, math, science, history, geography, and art.

Art is also very important, and in some regions, like here in Sicily or in Tuscany, students learn about local crafts such as ceramics or painting. How exciting is that? Speaking of which, my school is organizing a visit at a local art school where we will learn everything about ceramics and I can’t wait!

Anyway, ADESSO VADO, SONO UN PO’ STANCA.

Bluey 🌟

1. Bluey e Gioele vanno a Bronte
2. Gioele mostra il peluche che ha vinto
3. Bluey e Gioele hanno fame
4. Gioele incontra la maestra di inglese alla Sagra del Pistacchio
5. Bluey e Gioele fanno colazione
6. Il portapranzo per la ricreazione è pronto