• We are now on break. One student has remained in Macerata for the week. The rest have taken off all over Europe: Ireland, Belgium, France, Greece...oh, yeah - one or two are traveling around Italy, too. Kim and I are just taking a one-day trip to Bologna next week.
  
• Tonight is the final night of the Sanremo Music Festival. Last night on national TV they crowned the "youth" competition winners. Youth includes acts with up to 32 year olds, new to the festival. The winner was Sonohra, a 25 and 21-year-old brother duo.
  
• They have the video of international guest Leona Lewis from last night, but not the duet by Ben Harper and Italian Jovanotti. Want to see the group I think is the most "distinctive"? Frank Head is their name.
  
• While we're on TV, a note about a daytime show on Rai 1, the main state channel. I generally eat lunch at home (across a courtyard). At noon 6 days a week is La Prova Del Cuoco, a cooking show that Kim and I watch. I think the host looks like Sarah Jessica Parker. Those of you inclined to watch cooking shows can watch segments by clicking. Lots of different segments, including a contest between the Red Team (Tomato) and the Green Team (Pepper).
  
• Kim made burek. She copied Dragana's recipe but made meat filling rather than cheese. A great first effort. She'll be an expert soon.
• The Euro exceeded $1.50 for the first time ever on Tuesday. When we were here in 2002 it was dead even. In 2005 it was $1.23 per Euro. I'll refrain from making a political comment.
• In an unscientific survey by the local paper, 93 percent of the respondents favored chemical castration for pedophiles. (not exactly sure why I included that story after one about the exchange rate - maybe I am making a political comment)
  
• Weather report: it has been very dry - almost drought conditions. Today there is an unbelievably strong wind.
  
• Top 3-rated TV shows in Italy the week of Feb. 8:
• Third: I Cesaroni, a kind of comedy about an extended family. The husband and wife had been engaged, separated, then refound each other and married. Their five grown kids and their loves make up the series. Based on a Spanish show, the program airs on Canale 5, Berlusconi's main channel.
  
• Second: L'Eredita, a game show I commented on earlier. It airs six nights per week on Rai 1, the main state channel.
• And in first, as mentioned before, Stricia la Notizia, the news spoof/parody/Daily Show type program, also on Canale 5.