30 March 2010

Holiday in Spain - Visting Vicky!

My roommate from last semester, Vicky, went home at the beginning of March. At the end of that month, I hopped on a plane to Alicante, Spain, to visit her! Alicante is located along the Costa Blanca on the southeastern coast of the Iberian peninsula, and is famous for its palm trees and beaches. It was a little cold to appreciate the latter attribute, but I can't say I was devastated about it. (I mean, the thought of wearing a bathing suit in public after seven months of eating Italian food isn't the most appealing...)

One night while I was there we went out with her family to a flamenco show. It was an incredibly moving performance, as the dancers and singers' passion for their art was evident in every spontaneous yet practiced movement and note. There was one guitarist, and the singers and dancers took turns performing to his music. When they weren't in center-stage, they would act as natural percussionists, clapping their hands and stomping their feet in fantastically alive rhythms.


La Explanada, one of the most famous spots in Alicante, is a palm tree-lined walkway in the historical center of the city, along the bay.

Once upon a time there was a postman who wanted to spend the night in what was, at that time, the fanciest hotel in Alicante (in the picture, the square building to the right of the P sign). When he enetered, however, the man at the reception didn't believe he would be able to pay, and made the postman leave. The postman, using money he had inherited, decided to build himself a house right next to that snooty hotel. Looks like the last laugh's on them!


There are many wooden bull silhouettes along the highways of Spain.


Alicante was under Moorish rule for much of its medieval existence. This is a view from the fortress on a hill overlooking the city.

The barrio of San Rocco in the historical center of town. The movie "My Life in Ruins," set in Greece, was actually filmed in Alicante.


One day we drove up to the nearby town of Benidorm, or, as I like to call it, the Florida of Europe. The city is very touristy, and is filled with retired Brits. There was sand sculpturing going on that day.
El Palmeral is the largest palm park in Europe. Pope Benedict's branch for Palm Sunday came from here!

Vicky and I as we climbed a small mountain in Calpe. One of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
The historic barrio of Altea, another town near Alicante.

It was Holy Week, and not only was I able to spend Palm Sunday in the palm capital of Europe and go to the church if Santa Faz (home to Veronica's veil), but I was also able to see my first four religious processions! It is an honor to be asked to carry the large float for the parish, but you'd better be able to handle the two-hour long walk! The picture above only had women carrying the float! Below: in the US we're a bit wary of these hats, but they're standard for Spanish religious processions and have nothing to do with the Clan
.
Although I made it through the weekend on my pathetic amount of un-taught Spanish (thanks in large part to the kindness of Vicky, her friends, and her family), I've decided it needs to go on my list of languages to learn! Vamos!

Signed,
the Sengenblogger

24 March 2010

A Quick Blip about Studying


Let's face it. Sometimes you just can't stay awake and you need to keep studying. I know this has been the case with me for the last week and a half. Well, what do you do? You get some caffeine. Now to the point: I learned this week (among many other, less interesting and obligatory things) that tea does not contain caffeine. Te` (tea) has teina where as caffeina (caffeine) can be found in caffe` (coffee).

Signed,

The Sleepyblogger

23 March 2010

The Case of the Missing Exam

Monday morning. 9:50AM. Maria arrives at the Department of Drama, Art, and Music on via Carbonesi for her ten o'clock exam. She immediately goes to the office of Prof. Bianconi, but finds the corridor dark and devoid of humans. She asks at the front desk as to its whereabouts, and receives a vague answer pointing her in the direction of the video room. Entering there, she questions the girl at the desk, who knows less than her, and comes to the conclusion that there is no exam happening near the video room.

10:10 AM. Maria returns to Prof. Bianconi's office, and finds it as before. (Just as a clarification, travelling around this building, for example, from the video room to the office, involves three flights of stairs and several hallways.) At the video room, the girl at the desk still knows nothing.

10:30 AM.Exiting, Maria sees Prof. Bianconi enter the building. She decides that it would be a good idea to go wait by his office now, to be the first one in line for the exam. Bad decision. She gives him five minutes, then ten, seeing as he isn't quite as young as he used to be, and returns once more to the front desk. Prof. Bianconi is there in the room, fussing about with papers. She is told once more to return to the room by the video room. The hallway is dark, there's no one else there, the door is locked, but she stays there faithfully... that is, until someone comes to tell her to wait out in the hallway. The hallway filled with forty students, all waiting calmly to have their exam with Bianconi. Forty students who had spent the last half hour or so watching her run around the building. Maria decides she is very good at making lasting first impressions.

11:00AM The exam starts. The students are split into three groups, one with Bianconi and the other two with two other professors. Maria is the last one in her group, but starts studying as she listens to all the other students give their oral exams.

12:00PM Maria is still waiting.

1:30PM The professor takes a ten-minute break that lasts half an hour. Then exams begin again. Maria is running out of things to study, is hungry, and has a headache from the girl in front of her with a bad cough.

3:00PM Maria is the next one to go. Then she is swept away by another professor up three flights of stairs and around several corners to give her exam with none other than the master himself, sitting in the most beautiful classroom she has ever seen. Marble pillars, angels painted on the ceiling, baby grand piano in the corner. She makes a few jokes, sings a few songs, babbles through a few questions.

3:30PM Maria gets her grade, and they tell her that they can't put it into computer until next month and that she should come back then.

Case solved.

Signed,
the Sengenblogger

19 March 2010

Amazing Week Part Three - Laura! or, Why Florence Always Has Good Weather

Does Florence always have good weather, or is it just when I visit?


Maybe it's because my cousin Laura is there! And Rose and I went to find her. The day started off with (well, first that early morning train without heat) a bagel shop: Mama's Bakery, run by an American guy, but hey, every once and a while you need a bagel! Especially if you're part of the Ferretti family: we meet, we eat, we take pictures. Here are some of them:

We went to the Uffizi...
maybe this is the missing Botticelli?
Is
there a missing Botticelli?

"You have to come back tomorrow, the Duomo is closed."
"But we're leaving today! Can we look just from the door?"
"Ok, but you can't go inside" Then he leads us to the door,
beyond the door, and all the way up to the altar.
Gotta love the cute Americans...

Is it that the step is too high or
that the door isn't wide enough?



The beginning of the hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo.

Hooray cousins!
And that guy a few steps up that kept throwing coins at us...
Improvisational music? YES!

Ok, so there may have been a lot of American students and French families,
but Osteria del Gatto e la Volpe was worth it for the amazing balsamic vinegar.
____________________________________________________________

A sunny Sunday in Bologna with my lovely sister followed; then, with
one last gelato for Rosie (at ten am, no less!) before she left on Monday.
And Maria missed her...
until she received Rose's list of things she wants Maria to bring her back from Italy...

Signed,

the Sengenblogger

18 March 2010

Amazing Week Part Two - Rosie Comes to Bologna or, How Michael and Maria Learned to Have Fun

Sunday night, after a moderate fiasco with bus stops and there being two H&M's in Bologna, a taxi ride and the walking to the train station, we found Rosie! On Monday I started her introduction to Bologna, gelato-hot chocolate at the AB Tabaccheria included, of course!


The next day we had the crazy idea to drive down to the Tivoli gardens near Rome because Michael promised us they were amazing. Forty miles from the decisive exit, we changed plans and went to Rome instead. We just decided that gardens would not be pleasant during a BLIZZARD! Both my visitors had been hoping for Spring-like weather, but unfortunately all I had to offer them was six inches of fluffy white stuff. The drive back to Bologna that night... I'm just glad it's over. But it was great to roam around Rome!

We laid low the following day, not leaving except to go to class (I brought them along, poor things!) and then again that evening for a snow adventure in Piazza Maggiore. And it was then that they discovered Bombocrepe. Crepes filled with everything from nutella to strawberries to chocolate to mascarpone, to... I don't think I need to continue. But for the rest of the week our activities always revolved around when we could return to via delle Moline 4/A and get another crepe.

A new thing I did with them was climb the tower in the center of town. Tradition states that if a UniBo student climbs the tower, they won't graduate. (Kind of sounds like some other school we know, right?) Lots of steps, very small steps, very old steps. Not the most confidence-enhancing climb, but the view was great, especially as I could recognize a lot of the buildings! Then Rose decided, as official instructor in how to have a good time, that she wanted to go out to the Basilica of San Luca, all the way out there on the top of its hill, and we did. That was enough walking for one day.

And this is enough writing for today, to be continued!


View from the top. The big building in the center is San Petronio.
San Luca is that little poke on the hill slightly right of center.
Yeah, we walked all the way there and back. In the snow.
(Did I mention that it was uphill both ways?)

On the top of the tower, or "It's not a jungle gym, Michael!"


Signed,

the Sengenblogger

17 March 2010

Amazing Week Part One - Michael?! or, How Maria is the Luckiest Girl in the World


Well, I suppose it's not very new news anymore, but two weeks of evenings ago as I was sitting in my room and studying, there was a knock on my door. Thinking it was one of my roommates, i responded, "Si`?" as I slowly turned around. There, with a funny little smile on his face, was Michael! I wasn't really prepared for this kind of shock (well, if you're prepared for it, it's hardly a shock anymore, right?), and for the next ten minutes I stammered and shook and tried to be sure I wasn't dreaming. I believe I questioned the entire universe in that moment, meaning if you had told me that the sky was now pink and falling, I would have believed you.

So, needless to say, it was the best surprise ever!! I used to consider myself a difficult person to surprise, but after hearing about how this trip had been in the works since August, with many accomplices (my roommates included! Michael's Italian skills came in handy), I renounce that title. Although I doubt anything else could quite top that... :D

It was a very busy weekend here in Via dei Bersaglieri, as Ania and Serena both had visitors from home stopping in, including Isotta, Serena's adorable little dog who didn't really like me that much. I think it had something to do with the fact that I don't share my food... Or that when Sere told me her parents were coming, I thought she said they were bringing "risotto" and I was a little disappointed to find the doggie in the bag a little less edible than I had hoped.

I had to fill Michael in with all the new food joints I'd found since December, and we also met my Polish friend, Gosia, for Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) at San Pietro and enjoyed one nice day of sun in the Giardini Margherita, And that brings us about to when my sister Rose showed up on Sunday evening. But no worries, I was expecting her. But that is a story for another post! (I mean, it's kind of getting late... remember the time difference?)

Signed,
the Sengenblogger

14 March 2010

Arrivederci Vicky! :(

(Sorry for lateness, etc. etc. etc.)

My dear roommate Vicky has returned to Spain. I won't get overly sentimental, but I am going to miss her so much! I never thought that one of the best friends I'd make in Italy would be Spanish. What irony!

Her last week here in Bologna was filled with roommate meals and activities, as well as cultural exchanges. I made pancakes again, at Vicky's request, and it was decided that Mrs. Butterworth's is superior to real maple syrup. I also made an absolutely huge apple pie, and the Europeans approved! (Good thing, too, because after getting up really early and slaving away for almost three hours, they better have liked it!)

Goodbye, Vicky! See you soon!
Signed,

the Sengenblogger

01 March 2010

Bookworms

The other day I discovered that the Sala Borsa doesn't open until ten am. (Except on Sundays, when it doesn't open at all, and Mondays, when they have the morning off.) Bologna's largest public library, it is built over the ruins of the Roman Forum, and has served as a stock exchange and a basketball stadium. Today, however, you will only find lots and lots of books, and people anxious to read them.

So anxious, in fact, that when I arrived at 9:40, there were already forty or fifty people waiting for the clock to strike ten. Most of them were sitting or leaning against the walls, but I noticed that there was one older man at the bottom of the roped-off steps. When a glanced again, a few moments later, I saw another had joined him. This pattern continued until, at 9:59, there were about twenty vecchi biting at the bit, all wanting to be the first to open their newspaper. Because who wants to read a newspaper already crinkled by someone else? (This question only pertinent for those who want to read a newspaper, of course...)

In all seriousness, though, that crowd made me realize that I don't think I'd ever see that in the States, people so anxious to read that they'd line up before the library opened. Hmmm...

Ok, enough seriousness. A couple other notes about books, Bologna, and ...school. I was at the library that morning to get some books for my classes in order to make copies of them. It's a common practice in Bologna, as it is usually cheaper than buying the books and well, college students... But you have to be attentive when you go to the copisteria as to whether they follow the rule that you can only copy 15% percent of the book. Being Italy, most won't.

The other note: Because so many students use the library for school books, sometimes the aforementioned objects are in less-than-pristine condition. My International Relations professor once proclaimed that writing in a library book is a mortal sin. Well, if that's true, whoever had this literature book before me should be expecting a spot in one of the lower circles of Hell. It is so marked up with highlighter, pen, and pencil that I don't know if I'll be able to read it. Speaking of that, maybe I should stop writing and go try. It is a school night, after all...

Signed,

the Sengenblogger