Fruit and Flowers

AH: It has been a great experience getting to Italy and taking in the culture around us. The most amazing part is the natural beauty that is constantly surrounding us. I have never seen so many bright and vibrant flowers in one place. We spent the first week learning about horticulture in our own town of Castiglion Fiorentino. Horticulture is the study of garden cultivation and in these gardens fruits are grown. This past week we were taught how to speak a couple of Italian phrases while at the local market. We saw fruits that were actually grown naturally. Something we are not used to in America. We tried delicious cherries , tomatoes and peaches straight from the market. Since we have been here I have also enjoyed melon, kiwi, and apricots. The fruit here is so much more appetizing because they do not have to use pesticides and other unnatural ways to grow fruit. Tomatoes are especially important to Italy because Italy is the biggest tomato grower in Europe and they are in season during the summer. We also took a nature walk to learn about the different vegetables growing in the yards of people near us. We saw potatoes, lettuce and many other vegetables. I can not wait to experience even more nature in Castiglion Fiorentino.