30 December 2009
Day 129!
Sunday Erin and I slept in then went exploring in the opposite direction, away from town. We went through the next town over, Wilderswil, and up into this tiny little town called Gsteigwiler. Another gorgeous day!
Erin and I were planning on going all the way up into the mountains on Monday to Jungfraujoch, known as "the top of Europe" because it's the highest train station in Europe. There is an ice palace/museum at the top that we really wanted to see, and we were planning on sledding down the mountain on the way back down. However it turns out that our Eurail passes don't cover the train ticket to the top, and we didn't feel like paying the extra 120 Swiss francs, so instead we just took the train to Wengen, a little town about halfway up the mountain. We walked around for a little while, got pastries and hot chocolate, and then came back to the hostel and chilled for the rest of the day.
Yesterday we went to Zurich for the day. We went to the Kunsthaus, this really awsome art museum, then just walked around the downtown area for a little while, then took the train back to Interlaken.
Today we didn't really do much of anything. We are enjoying our last day of the relaxation part of this journey. We walked into downtown Interlaken to get dinner. We had heard that cheese fondue is a famous Swiss dish, so we wanted to get some before we left here. Can't really say I was that impressed, unfortunately. It was kind of weird. But the waiter there gave us an extra scoop of ice cream in the banana split that we split, so all's well that ends well!
We have to get up at like 5 tomorrow to make our train to Berlin...nonstop, 9 hours. Woohoo! I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of 2009!
xoxo
25 December 2009
Day 124!
After our lengthy lunch, we had to say our final goodbyes to Mario and Maria. Che triste! But we promised that we will come back in the spring, a promise I fully intend to keep! Dina and Angelo took us back to Flavio and Elenora’s so we could pack up our suitcases so we will be ready for our EARLY start tomorrow. Our train from Milan to Interlaken is at 9 tomorrow morning, which means we have to leave here at 7 to make sure we get to Milan in time to make it! We said our final goodbyes to Dina and Angelo, and Dina warned us to be careful while traveling because “everyone is good, but [we] are young and beautiful.” She is so crazy, but I love her!
After we packed up all our stuff, we went down to Lisa and Domenico’s for dinner. They were having a bunch of friends over for homemade pizza. Going to a friend’s house instead of staying with family all day on Christmas is a strange concept to me, but we had so much fun! Lisa and her sister kept making pizza after pizza, each with a different variety of tasty toppings—prosciuto, tomatoes, salami, tuna, olives, mushrooms, always mozzarella. It was all so delicious, and Lisa even made up bags of the leftover pizza for Erin, Alex, and I to take on the train tomorrow. There was such a playful, friendly atmosphere during the whole evening. These people may be in their 30s, but they really seem so much younger. After dinner we all played Wii—Erin voluntarily, Alex and I against our will haha. It was so funny to see how much they love to play Wii, and watching some of the Wiifit games was especially entertaining. Lisa had also made up a Secret Santa type of game where we all picked numbers out of a jar that corresponded with newspaper-wrapped “gifts”—things like one piece of panettone, rubber bands, and a button that says “sono schemo” (I’m crazy). Domenico got clown balloons as one gift and started making balloon animals for everyone! I got a giraffe☺ He made Alex a pregnant dog—a poodle with a little balloon inside the stomach! This all led to my personal favorite part of the evening when Domenico performed more magic tricks! He is really good. I honestly have no idea how he did some of them, it’s kind of freaky. He did coin tricks, card tricks, and some with a couple red clown noses. They were all so entertaining. I was so astounded that Lisa said she was laughing harder at my reaction to the tricks than at the tricks themselves. I just love magic! It was such a fun night, I was so sad when Alex and Erin finally decided it was time to head upstairs. I really didn’t want the night to end, or our stay in Novara for that matter. I had so much fun joking around with Lisa and Domenico and their friends. They all make fun of the things we say in English with a hilarious impression of our accent. One of their friends kept trying to say a few sentences in English and kept talking about how “cool” he is. I honestly can’t remember the last time I so thoroughly enjoyed myself! For now I need to get to sleep as we have an early start and a long day ahead of us, but I am for sure coming back here before the I leave Italy!
xoxo
24 December 2009
Day 123!
xoxo
23 December 2009
Day 122!
What a trying but wonderful day! Erin and I planned on meeting Alex (the girl this time—the boy Alex with whom we spent the days in Milan left very early this morning) at the train station and taking the 12:15 train to Novara. However, Alex’s first train from Bologna was cancelled, and she missed her second one, so she was late. Also Erin and I had to wait around at the hotel because Alex (the boy!) forgot to pay for his share! So we had to wait to get his credit card number so we could get our bill all settled. A little after 1 o’clock, Alex (girl), Erin, and I were finally on a train out of Milan and heading for Novara, what should have been a short trip. But when we got to the Novara station, the train doors wouldn’t open! We ran to the next set of doors to get off, but it was already too late, the train was leaving the station, and we were stuck! We had to ride to the next stop and finally got off the train. Luckily the town wasn’t too far from Novara. Erin called her relatives and her (distant) cousin Mario and his friend Enio were nice enough to just drive to the town where we were and pick us up there! Enio is a great big guy with a full beard, and he is such a joker—he reminds me a lot of a combination of some good family friends, in a good wayJ Mario took us back to his house where his wife Maria had made us a wonderful home-cooked Italian lunch—tagliatelli with ragu, chicken, cheese, bread! Mario and Maria are so sweet and hospitable. We ate very well then Mario took us to his brother Flavio’s house. We are staying with Flavio and his wife Elenora because they have more room. They actually have an unusual amount of extra space, especially for Italians, because they have an entire building to themselves. Their daughter Lisa lives on the first floor with her boyfriend Domenico, they live on the second, and their other daughter used to live on the top floor, but she moved so we get the whole top floor to ourselves! It’s really nice and definitely the most comfortable we will be during this whole trip. Once we got settled in here, Mario came and picked us up to take us back to his house for dinner—chicken, fennel, potatoes, cheese, bread, fruit, cookies—yum! I really love this whole home-cooked Italian food, entire apartment to ourselves thing! Better than even the best hostelJ And all of Erin’s relatives are sooo nice. As much as I love Christmas at home with my family, it’s really fun to be here experiencing an Italian Christmas with such welcoming people. It’s also really great to be listening to them talk and to be speaking Italian with them. What a great opportunity! I am really enjoying myself more than I thought possible! I know these next couple days here are going to fly by, but I wish they wouldn’t!
xoxo
22 December 2009
Day 121!
We are in Milan! Yesterday was the first day of our Krazee Xmaz Adventure. Erin and I left Bologna around 11 in the morning and got to Milan around noon. Getting to the hotel was quite a task! Erin and I are both really good at overpacking, so dragging our suitcases from the train station to the hotel was a good workout. My arms are still sore! Erin’s friend Alex (a boy Alex, not the girl one who is joining us for Christmas in Novara) was waiting for us at the hotel. The hotel is pretty nice and the man at the front desk is super friendly and really funny. I love Italians! We got settled in then headed out to see Milan! We went to the Duomo and just walked around Milan. It was snowing the whole time! It felt like we trekked around the entire city in a blizzard! But it made for a beautiful winter wonderland, so I’m not complaining. We went back to the hotel, grabbed some food from a supermarket for a quick dinner, then got ready to go out on the town for the evening. What an evening! We wanted to go out to a club or a discoteca or something fun, but ended up getting lost in the snow and wandering around, across town from our hotel. We finally found one bar that was open, so we stopped there, but then they started closing up, so we had to leave. We needed to get back to our hotel, but the metro closes at 12:30, so we ran to the metro stop and just BARELY made the LAST train! Erin and I jumped the turnstile and Alex held the doors open for us as we ran onto the train screaming. A real adventure! But we finally made it back to the hotel. It was a really great dayJ
Today we slept in then got up and got ready for a full day of sightseeing. First, we went to the Palazzo Reale and saw an exhibit of the artwork of Edward Hopper. It was really cool because I had only ever seen one of his works before (Nighthawks) so I didn’t really know who he was, but now I know that I love his work! It’s so great to broaden my artistic as well as cultural horizons while I’m hereJ Next we headed to the Triennale to see and exhibit on the architect Frank Gehery, which was also very interesting. Our last big event of the day was walking down the famous Via Monte Napoleone, the home of high fashion! This, of course, was my favorite part…well it would have been if I could afford ANYTHING! We saw all my loves: Gucci, Armani, D&G, Versace, Prada, etc. We only went in a couple stores (Prada and Armani) because it was just too sad to see all the beautiful things that I will never be able to have! Nonetheless, it was really cool just to be there. Tired and hungry, we headed back to the hotel and had dinner at the little osteria right underneath. I had pizza with mozzarella, gorgonzola, and speck—delicious as usualJ
I like Milan a lot, especially with the Christmas decorations both manmade (beautiful lights!) and natural (soooo much snow!). On to Novara tomorrow!
xoxo
20 December 2009
Day 119!
I had my first oral exam on Thursday. I was really nervous about it, even though it was with Prof. Ricci. But all went really well, and I got a 30 (A+) to my surprise! Now I just have to study for my other exam in Jan for literature and write a paper for cinema. I have a lot of time to work on all this, so I'm not too stressed out, which is nice!
There has been a lot of snow here this weekend, and everything looks so pretty and Christmasy! I was walking around today just soaking up the holiday spirit and the festive atmosphere. As much as I miss being with my friends and family this time of year, I really have enjoyed experiencing the holidays here. It really just feels like Christmas in the air, and I just LOVE it. Every city in the world should put up Christmas lights the way Bologna does. And the snow just completes the feeling! I added a few new pix of the snow (at the end of the album).
I think I will be brining my computer with me on our trip, so I will try to make time to keep you updated and post pix during the journey!
Buon natale!!
xoxo
16 December 2009
Day 115!
Nothing really exciting to share today, but I just want to check in because I have been so bad about blogging recently! I have been going to classes and studying this week. I had my last cinema class yesterday and our oral exam is tomorrow. I'm so nervous! I still need to study a lot, but I feel like even if I know all the material, I am still going to get stage fright and forget everything. Why do Italians think that oral exams are a good idea? Because I don't. Oh well, at least this one is with Prof. Ricci, so hopefully I won't get too intimidated talking to him haha. This is also my last week of literature class before we have a break for Christmas. I will still have a weeks worth of classes when we get back and then the exam in late January. I miss the American system where the entire semester is done and over with before Christmas break because now I am going to be spending my break worrying about school! I have the oral exam for literature and a huge paper for cinema due in January. I would rather just get everything over with, but oh well!
I can't wait for Monday when Erin and I leave for our trip! Oh, and Alex is coming now too! It's going to be so fun, I keep thinking about it and then I get so excited that I can't study haha. Speaking of which, I need to get back to, but I'll write again before the break:)
xoxo
12 December 2009
Day 111!
Saiya, one of my very best friends from IU, was here from the 5th to the 11th. She just finished studying this semester in South Africa and was making a few stops in Europe to visit people before she headed home for Christmas. I'm so glad she was here for a week, it was a really wonderful time. It was perfect timing, too, because Dec. 8 is a national holiday here (for the Immaculate Conception I think). So I didn't have any class on Monday or Tuesday last week--a FIVE DAY weekend! Saiya got in on Saturday afternoon, and we went grocery shopping and just walked around Bologna a little bit. She and I, Rodolfo, Anne, and Alex all went out for an aperitivo and gelato Saturday night. Sunday Saiya and I just caught up and chilled. She is a wonderful cook and made me African food--baked squash with spinach sauteed with garlic and onions with yogurt on top. It was delicious.
She and I and Rodolfo went to Venice on Monday for the day. It was a pretty gray day, but Venice was still such a beautiful city! We took a boat to Murano, the island famous for its glass. I could have spent the whole day just in Murano, there was so much to look at! I definitely want to go back before the end of the year.
The rest of the week I just showed Saiya around Bologna and introduced her to the wonder that is real Italian food haha. She also cooked for me a lot, which I really miss! I liked introducing her to new things here. We tried roasted chestnuts for the first time--there are people selling them on the streets this time of year. They were delicious! It was so good to have someone from home here. I liked showing her around because it made me realize just how much I have learned since getting here. It was very sad to see her go, especially since it meant that I really have to focus on my schoolwork now! I have my final for my cinema class on Thursday. It's an oral exam, so I am getting pretty nervous about it! I also have to write an 8 to 12 page paper (in Italian, of course ugh) for that class. It's not due till Jan 15, but I want to get a head start on it so I can just focus on studying for my literature class when I get back from my Christmas trip.
Speaking of which... Erin and I have planned a trip from Dec 21 to Jan 4 or 5. We are going to Milan, Novara for Christmas eve and Christmas day (Erin has family there), then Interlaken, Switzerland, Berlin for the BIGGEST New Year's Eve celebration in the world!, then Munich on the way back to Bologna. It may sound extravagant, but I know I will need something really exciting and distracting to do over the holidays so I don't have too much time to think about missing my family and everyone back home! There will be LOTS of pix, of course!
I have been a little bit homesick just because of the season, but it is also exciting to be here for the holidays. Bologna, and all of Italy I think, is really getting into the holiday spirit. There are Christmas lights strung across all of the major streets as well as many other small ones. The taller of the two famous towers of Bologna is all lit up, and I can see the top of it from my window. The whole city just has a really festive feeling, and I really love it! Little Christmas markets have sprung up across the city. It's fun just to wander through and browse all the gifts. I have never spent the holidays in a city before, and I kind of like it. There are always people bustling around Christmas shopping and carrying lots of bags and packages. Sometimes there are people on the street playing carols on a saxophone or accordion, and as I mentioned, there are chestnut vendors on the main streets. I just love the Christmas season, even though I can't believe it's here again already!
xoxo
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