Day 65!

Hey there! I am so sorry it's been so long since I last posted! Nothing exciting happened last week, and I was very busy with school work. I literally stayed in all weekend reading and working on homework. It was pretty cold, so it was a good weekend to do that! It was actually kind of relaxing to just lounge around my apartment, get things accomplished, and not have to go out into the cold.
However, this past weekend more than made up for my lack of action the weekend before! Maria, her boyfriend Michael, Michelle, Rodolfo, Allegra, Alex, and I went on a roadtrip to Austria! We rented two little Italian cars. I rode with Michael, Maria, and Michelle. We all left Thursday night at about 11 and drove through the night to Vienna. I slept almost the whole way, but was awake long enough to see the AMAZING night sky over northern Italy/Austria. The stars were sooo big and bright, and the constellations were really easy to pick out. Easily the most amazing night sky I have ever seen:)
We arrived in Vienna at about 7 Friday morning, but we got lost within the city for about 3 hours! Turns out Vienna is quite a large place and difficult to navigate when you accidentally get into it on the wrong side of town... I enjoyed our morning drive around the city, however. Vienna is absolutely beautiful. It is unlike anything I have seen in Italy. This whole trip really showed me how different Italy is from other parts of Europe. Vienna is much more open, with much bigger, grander buildings than anything in Bologna. We finally found our parking garage and got out of the car to walk around the city. We headed into the center of town and met up with Rodolfo, Allegra, and Alex at the parliament building (gorgeous!). We were all famished and in dire need of nutrients/COFFEE, so we headed to a cafe. I had a delicious and much-needed cappuccino and jam-filled pancakes--yum! After we had all regained our energy, we decided to go see one museum type thing--there were plenty to choose from! We ended up seeing the silver and china collection belonging to the Hapsburgs, as well as the royal apartments/palace rooms. So elaborate and beautiful! Then we just decided to walk around and see the city instead of going through more museums. The weather was absolutely beautiful, much warmer than the past week in Bologna, sunny, very fall. We started walking and ran into a kind of fall festival with lots of food stands, music, activities. It was the perfect thing! I have really been missing the usual fall type activities, and this festival really hit the spot! We tried strum, kind of a mix between beer and wine, hard to describe, but very good! There was a wonderful little candy stand, so of course we all got treats--I bought a marzipan potato:) After that we just walked around some more. Maria, Michael, Rodolfo, and I went into this beautiful gothic church and then talked to a bunch of strangers (everyone in Austria is SO friendly!) to get suggestions for a good place to get wienerschnitzel. We all ended up going to this little pub for an early dinner. I ended up having some kind of wurst instead of wienerschnitzel, but it was sooo good! Right after dinner we headed to Salzburg, about a 3 hour drive (relatively easy!) We arrived in Salzburg about 10 pm or so, checked into our hostel, and IMMEDIATELY went to bed!
The next morning, feeling quite well rested :), I got up early to enjoy the great breakfast spread provided by our hostel. This was my first hostel experience, and it was such a nice one, I think I'm spoiled now! Our plan for Saturday was to do the "Most Unique Sound of Music Tour." The real Trapp family is from Salzburg, and most of The Sound of Music was filmed there! We had this crazy British tour guide, Sue, who was QUITE enthusiastic! We saw the gazebo from the "16 going on 17," but unfortunately couldn't go inside because an old lady broke her hip a couple years ago trying to dance from bench to bench. We saw the lane where Maria sings "I have confidence," the two different houses they used for the Von Trapp home, the convent (both from the movie and the one the REAL Maria was in), the church where they filmed the wedding, the lane they drive down when the kids are climbing trees in their curtain outfits, and the garden where most of the "Doe a deer" scenes were filmed. Besides that we got to see lots of beautiful Austrian scenery, mountains, lakes, and the headquarters of Red Bull (Austrias BIGGEST export, even before Swarovski crystal!). It was a great tour, really cool to be in the places where they filmed The Sound of Music, and a great way to see Salzburg. We got one of Maria's favorite things--apfelstrudel with vanilla ice cream from this little cafe that has won awards for its strudel! After the tour, we spent some time wandering the garden and then went to dinner. We found this super authentic Austrian restaurant. This time I DID have wienerschnitzel :) and Sacher torte, a chocolate and apricot cake that originates in Vienna and Salzburg. We ate so well in Austria haha! Rodolfo, Allegra, Alex, Michelle, and I went to an Irish pub after dinner to enjoy the Salzburg "night life." We were all pretty tired, however, so we went back to the hostel (and bed) before long.
Sunday we got up planning to do some shopping, but soon realized that shops in Salzburg aren't open on Sundays! Michelle and I wandered around downtown Salzburg for the morning, getting pretzels and chocolate:). After that we met up with Maria and Michael and headed back to the hostel to get the car and make our way back to Bologna. We spent most of the day driving back, and finally got back to Bologna at about 7 in the evening. The scenery on the way back (when I was awake) was gorgeous--fall colors and mountains everywhere!
It was a long, sometimes hard, weekend, but I am so glad we did it! Austria is absolutely beautiful. It reminds me of something out of a fairytale, and I really didn't want to leave! I hope I get the chance to go back and stay for more than just a few days.
I have just had class yesterday and today, nothing too exciting. Now I have a lot of work to catch up on since I didn't have time for homework this weekend. Last night, Erin, her mom and grandma, Michelle, Alex, Allegra, Anne, and I took a cooking class at a little bed and breakfast outside of the city. We learned how to make handmade pasta! It was really fun, although I don't know if that will be a dish I make for myself as it is quite time consuming. We had a delicious meal with three different types of pasta (all made at least in part by us!). It was not only yummy, but was also a fun way to spend an evening.
All right, I wanted to get everyone caught up and tell you about Austria while it's still fresh in my mind, but now I really have to get to work!
xoxo

p.s. PIXX OF AUSTRIA

Day 53!

It has started to get COLD here in Bologna! Monday was rainy and gray, but the rest of the week has just been cold (like in the 50s) but sunny. It was so cold last night that I woke up in the middle of the night and had to find another blanket! I've been sleeping in a hooded sweatshirt with the hood up! Haha. I got my winter coats in the mail today, from Mom and Dad--just in the nick of time! I am done with class for the week. My Italian Contemporary Literature class was difficult to follow this week, but I started talking to this really sweet girl, Francesca, who usually sits in the front row with me. I borrowed her notes last weekend, and they really helped my comprehension of the class, so I will probably make that a habit. My Italian grammar and Italian cinema classes both started this week, and I am really enjoying both of them! They are both through BCSP and are structured more like American classes--aka there's regular homework. I don't like that about them, but I'm glad to be back in a regular grammar class because I know I need it! And the cinema class is really interesting. It's taught by Prof. Ricci, the director of our program. We have two lectures a week, two hours each, and we have movie screenings on Thursday. Today we watched Roma Citta Aperta, a very good, but very sad, film. I haven't really done much else this week, just trying to get caught up on all the things I feel like I need to do! My roommates and I had a little conference yesterday (the first time we've all been together!) about how things work in the apartment, bills, rent, spese in comune (olive oil, paper towels, coffee, etc.), things like that. I found out that Giuseppe is moving out! He and Alessandra (his girlfriend) are looking for a place together, and they hope to find one soon. So I will probably have a new roommate soon. Giuseppe and Alessandra are both really nice, but I don't see them much at all, so I'm not too upset by this news, more surprised than anything.
By the way, I have not forgotten about putting up pictures of my apartment! I wanted to wait until I had decorated my side of the room and Flavia had decorated hers. My side is done I think, and it's starting to seem like Flavia won't really be decorating her side, so I will try to get some pictures up soon!
I would like to ask you all to pray for my friend Maria and her family. She went home a couple weekends ago for her grandpa's funeral, and just this week she lost one of her cousins. She has been having a rough time with all this, of course, and I know she and her family could really use some prayers!
xoxo

Day 50!

I've been here 50 days! I can't believe it.
I had a really nice weekend. I'm feeling more and more settled here, which is definitely a good feeling!
Danielle organized a picnic for some of the BCSP kids on Friday. Alex, Anne, Erin, Maria, Rodolfo, and me. We were supposed to go up to Villa Gighi, a park outside of the city center, but it started raining, so we just ended up going to the BCSP office and eating our food there. Still so fun! Danielle brought her adorable little dog, Lilo, who is afraid of EVERYTHING except Danielle. She also brought a deliciously gooey chocolate cake that was basically fudge, yum! We had several different cheeses, some prosciutto, fruit, bread, gelato, and prosecco. Quite a feast! Maria drew a big sun on the whiteboard, so we still had a picnic-like atmosphere, and we played hangman, in Italian, of course! That night, Erin, Alex, her roommate, & his friends, and I all went to Covo, a club outside of the city center to a Rakes concert. It was SUCH a good show! I had never heard of the Rakes before, but they are a fairly well-known band from London. They kind of reminded me of a combination of the Killers and Franz Ferdinand. They really play a GREAT live show. We were all right up front by the stage, dancing our hearts out, it was so fun! Erin and I met the drummer, both guitar players, and the bassist (everyone except the singer/frontman) after the show. We ended up talking to the drummer and guitar/keyboard player for a couple hours! They were both so nice and funny, not to mention fantastic musicians. It was a really amazing night:)
Saturday Anne, Erin, and I went to Mambo, Bologna's modern art museum. It has some really great pieces, and I was quite impressed with the collection overall. It was a really nice way to spend an afternoon. Erin and I went out to dinner after at a restaurant across the street from Alex's apartment. I had pizza with prosciutto, yummm! Then we went and got a carton of gelato to take to Alex's. Alex, Erin, and Alex's roommate watched Trainspotting and ate gelato. I went home after because I was soo tired! It was fun, though. A nice, relaxing day overall.
Sunday was relaxing as well. I started reading Conversazione in Sicilia, one of the books I need to read for my Contemporary Italian Literature class. It's not too hard to read, but it is still pretty slow going. I went to 6:30 mass at San Martino, down the street from my apartment. I can't wait till I actually know the mass responses in Italian!
Today seems like it's going to be kind of dreary. It rained REALLY hard for about 5 minutes, I think there might have even been some hail.
xoxo

p.s. pixxx from this weekend.

Day 46!

I am done with my first week of classes! Well, my first week of one of my classes anyway. My University of Bologna class, Contemporary Italian Literature, started on Monday. My classes through BCSP don't start until next week. So I had class Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 3-5. My class is a huge lecture of literally hundreds of students. This week, I had some trouble understanding everything my professor said. He talks really fast, and I'm not altogether familiar with literary terms anyway. But every day has been a little bit better, and I borrowed this week's notes from an Italian girl, so hopefully looking over those will increase my comprehension. Today I am staying in and copying notes and reading the novel we have been talking about, Conversazione in Sicilia by Elio Vittorini. I really want to try to stay ahead of the game since I'm working with such a severe language handicap. I think I will like the class, though, once I understand more. And apparently our professor is really funny; there have been a few times that he says something and everyone cracks up. Of course, I didn't catch the joke, but at least I know he has a sense of humor, haha right? The other thing is, I know he is really good about helping foreign students, so I can always go to him for help if I really need it.
I have started running and working out again! I have gotten up and ran three times so far this week. I like getting out at about 7 am because there are less people to run around on the sidewalks. Also the morning air here is so nice, and both the sun and moon are in the sky. I have been running across to Via Zamboni (the one that most of the university buildings are on) down to Via Castiglione to the Giardina Margherita. I really love the garden. It's still so green, fall really hasn't settled in here yet. There are quite a few regular runners I have started recognizing in the garden. Working out more means I can eat more gelato, right? Haha.
Rodolfo, Rob, Alexandra, Erin, Alex, Allegra, Anne, Michelle, two of Maria's housemates, and I all had a little birthday party for Maria on Monday. She just turned 20! I feel old. We made pasta with a tomato and mushroom sauce, salad, cake, and gelato. There were too many of us to eat in the kitchen, so we all feasted sitting on the floor of Maria's bedroom. It was really fun, and I think Maria really enjoyed herself.
Anne and I went out to Swine Bar (right next to my place) and Cafe Zamboni last night to sample both aperitivos. Swine Bar has this really cool room on the street side of the sidewalk, like and outdoor bar with really comfy couches and little tables. It had such a cool atmosphere! There wasn't a lot of food there, but I think it was better quality than Cafe Zamboni. Cafe Zamboni was packed by the time we got there and was super noisy and crowded. It's pretty well known for its aperitivo, so there are always a lot of people there. There's always a lot of food, too. By the time we left, I think they must have been running out, though, because they literally had set out an entire platter of hot dogs cut up into little pieces. I kid you not. I'm glad we got our food before that! I preferred Swine Bar, and it's really close to my house, so I will probably go there quite a bit. Aperitivo is a really good deal, buy a 6 or 7 euro drink and eat as much as you want! I know I'm going to miss that next year!
xoxo

cinque terre pixx!

here they are!

Day 42!

I just got back yesterday from the Cinque Terre, a national park made up of five little towns on the coast of the Ligurian Sea. Anne and I planned this little trip a couple weeks ago because we knew we would have a long weekend available to travel before classes really started up. We left Thursday morning on the 7:30 train. I slept a lot on the way there! We got to Riomaggiore, the town furthest south and the one we stayed in, around 1:00, I think. We checked into the hotel first thing. Our room was up three flights of stairs from the main street and then up 6 more once we got in the building! But the view was definitely worth the extra effort. We could see the whole city spread out around us. The room was sooo tiny, too. The bed took up the whole room, and the bathroom was divided into two rooms, one with the toilet and bidet (always necessary in Europe, even when there is clearly not enough room for it!), and the sink and shower in the other. Anne and I (neither of us big people) could barely squeeze by the sink to the shower or around the bed to get out to the only big part of our room--the terrace! After getting settled in, we walked around Riomaggiore and just took in the sights. It's such a cute, quiet little town and very vertical. It's a steep climb walking up the main street from the water. We went down to the water and climbed out on the "beach," a bunch of huge rocks, where we sat for awhile just talking and watching the sun go down. So peaceful! We had a really nice dinner that night, and our waitress was this cute little middle aged Italian woman who really liked that we spoke Italian to her. Then we went to bed early to rest up for the hike on Friday.
Friday morning we got up and took the train to the northernmost city, Monterrosso al Mare. There are trails between each of the 5 cities so you can hike from one to the other. We hiked from Monterrosso to Vernazza, then from Vernazza to Corniglia, then stopped there for lunch. Those are the two hardest sections of trail, with LOTS of stairs!!! Anne and I stretched before we started and when we stopped in every city, and I think that's the only reason we were able to walk the next day at all! The trails from Corniglia to Manarola to Riomaggiore were SO much easier, we didn't even break a sweat. The views were so worth the effort of the hike, and we felt so accomplished when we finished! All of the towns are so cute and feel very iconic Italy, despite all the American and German tourists who were there. My favorite was definitely Vernazza, the second town. It sits right on the water and is so colorful and quiet. There is a tiny little harbor and beach and a bell tower overlooking the town. It was also a lot more horizontal than Riomaggiore! After the hike, we were both pretty wiped out, so we went back to the hotel, napped, showered, and then hit the town again. We bought wine from this little wine shop. The man was so nice to us! After we shamefacedly asked if he sold Fragolino (our favorite--a delicious, sweet, strawberry wine) he informed us that they don't make Fragolino anymore! Sad news! But he suggested a different wine, which we bought (and it was delicious!), and opened it halfway for us, since we didnt have a bottle opener in the room. Once we got back to the room (up about 35094 stairs) we proceeded to break the cork! So we had to go alllll the way back and have him open the bottle the rest of the way. It was worth the effort, though. We had dinner out on our terrace overlooking the beautiful town. I had pesto pizza which was unbelievable! That region is famous for pesto, so I simply had to try it. Excellent decision! It was another early night for us, since we were still so tired from the hike.
Saturday we got up and got on the train back to Bologna. We finally made it back around 4. I hung out with Allegra, Erin, Alex, and her Italian roommates, who are so nice and really funny. The rest of the weekend has been pretty lowkey. I did some laundry today and am just trying to get prepared for classes starting tomorrow. My University of Bologna class, Contemporary Italian Literature, is from 3 to 5. I will let you know how it goes!
xoxo

ps. I am trying desperately to post pix of Cinque Terre, but Facebook is not cooperating right now. I will post again as soon as they're up!