Trip Down South

I'm back from my trip to Sicily. Check my flickr account for pictures.
During my trip I discovered satisfaction in the sound of sand hitting pavement when you're cleaning up after a trip to the beach.
I got to walk through ancient Greek and Roman ruins and witness sparkling churches.
This is my first time in Europe so I haven't yet gotten bored of these things.
The picture is from Mondello, the beach town of Palermo, Sicily.

Giro in bicicleta

I've had a bike for the past 24 hours and already my life has changed. I've gone to school to get internet twice today instead of my usual one visit. That's because it now takes me about a 1o minute fun-and-danger-filled bike ride to get to school as opposed to 25 uneventful minutes laden down with a backpack. I am forced to be more alert as I dodge little old ladies, other bicyclists, vespas, scooters, cars, cracked sidewalks, canine landmines, and lamposts. I feel like I'm in Europe!
Pictured are the 3 bikes of the house--mine is the black one in the foreground. I purchased it from a very sketchy man with a potbelly, a mullet, and maybe 4 teeth altogether. When I entered the shop, which has no sign, the guy seemed to be busily working on a bike. When I asked him if he had any bicycles for sale, he answered, yeah sure, this one right here--and took what would be my bike of his work table. He encouraged me to fare un giro, and I did, and my friend who was with me also took a ride. The bike was slightly to big for her, so I got to buy it. 48 euro. And then I bought a cattina to hopefully deter my bike from getting stolen. I knew the bike was for me as soon as I saw it--it used to be purple, and you can still see bits of purple paint over the black base coat. Purple rocks.

Passeggiata

This is the longest I've spent on the internet since I arrived in Italy 2 1/2 weeks ago: 4 hours. So I have time to blog a little bit. My roommates and I are trying to get internet with Fasweb--but it's turning out to be Slowweb in a major way. So I depend on my school for internet, and my school center isn't keeping very long hours so far so here I am. Yesterday some roomies and friends and I went on yet another hike among the hills of Bologna. We went up to the Basilica di San Luca, which houses a depection of the Madonna and baby Jesus by St. Luke himself. To hike up to the Basilica di San Luca, you travel through 666 portici, or archways, so you're in the shade the entire time.

I have 5 roomies (coinquilini) and we get along great. Just about every night, we prepare and share a meal usually consisting of pasta. We all enjoy eating pretty much the same things, so it hasn't been difficult satisfying all palates at once. I'm glad to live in an apartment with so many people--especially since we are getting along so well.

Porta Maggiore

Bologna used to be completely surrounded by a wall, like many Medieval cities. Now, only pieces of the wall and a few porte, like the one pictured, remain. This is the porta closest to my house--the Porta Maggiore. I walk by it every day. You can see one of the famous due torri through the porta.
I've been taking a ton of pictures. You can check them at this website:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/72051862@N00/

Fa caldo

It's really hot in Bologna today, as it has been since the 1st of September or so. I just started going to my Italian class on Monday, and it's making me realize how much vocabulary I need to know the language. I haven't decided how long I'm going to take the class--maybe 2 or 3 weeks--because I am very interested in going down to Sicilia before my official classes start in October.
Last Sunday I took a hike with some of my roommates and friends here and we were able to get a panoramic view of the city we will call home for the next year.

A casa dove?

Le due torri di Bologna. They are in the center of my new town. I am in Italy, ya'll!

I have finished my classes from DC by taking my final exams here this week, so I'm just chilling for the month of settembre. I'm supposed to start Italian this Monday. I hope to get really good before classes start next month. Right now I'm sitting on the steps outside school because they're closed today, getting internet, conversating with some caribinieri who are always in front of our school. Supposedly nobody asked them to come, but after 9/11 they parked a vehicle out here and they have been guarding us since then. They're giving me safety tips, such as don't walk alone after 10:00pm, don't hitch rides, etc. Hey--we just ordered a pizza. So I guess I'm waiting here until the pizza comes. And I'm also waiting for my boyfriend to wake up at 8am on a Saturday morning to talk to me on Skpye (he's late).

Italians are the most helpful and concerned people I have ever met.