We began our trip to Italy true David and Caroline style. I spent the day over-thinking what needed to be packed, in addition to getting my hair cut, hanging out with Christine, and having lunch with Christine, Sam and his girlfriend Katie in Andover. David arrived home from work a little after 6:00, and after a quick review of what I had packed we were out the door by 6:30 with shuttle driver Christine to catch our 8:00 flight. We get to the airport to learn that our plane will depart in over 2.5 hours time. We were not delayed, we had both incorrectly remembered the time of our flight - which was apparently actually leaving sometime around 10:00. During our break we hung out in the lounge and ate tasty food. While David marveled at how fast the 4g internet on his phone was when used as a mobile hotspot, I worked away on my prelim document, which I was hoping to email to my adviser within a couple of days.
On the plane we enjoyed good food, watched a movie, and tried to sleep. David managed to spend half the flight out cold, while I tossed and turned. When breakfast was served David woke up to find me in bare feat and grumpy because the plane was too hot and dry for sleep, so I had given up. We landed in Frankfurt a bit late so had a very tight connection. We seemed as though we were going to make it, but just as we got to the x-ray machine in security the German equivalent of TSA shut down security for a reason we were unable to understand, and we were left stranded for 15 minutes. Needless to say, we missed our flight and spent another several hours in the lounge waiting for the next one.
Once we got to Bologna, we first purchased two 1 Euro tickets in a red box machine that seemed like it was going to let us board the Aerobus. Upon boarding the bus, we realized that tickets were in fact 6 Euro each, and we had no idea what we were holding in our hands. Luckily they could be bought from the driver, so we took our seats and started watching for "Ugo Bassi", the stop closest to Katie's apartment. We had been told to get off after all the columns started, which made us laugh pretty hard on the bus because, in our eyes, there were columns EVERYWHERE. So, we just listened hard for some Italian that sounded sorta like Ugo Bassi and scanned the crowd eagerly at every stop (which actually wasn't many) until we saw Katie. She waved frantically to make sure we got off where we were supposed to, and then guided us back to her apartment while my suitcase (which still has a bum wheel) went clickity clack all the way down the sidewalk.
Our tour guide!
After a quick walk around downtown Bologna, we went back to the house for a delicious dinner of tortellini. I then worked some more on my prelim, finally going to sleep after about 36 hours of no sleep. Surprisingly, I was still able to write comprehensibly.
We spent our first full day in Italy touring Bologna. It was great to just walk around the city, marvel at the architecture, and see people going about their everyday lives. We had a ham and cheese calzone of sorts, bread with sauce, and fried cheese for lunch, sitting outside the leaning towers. One tower was REALLY leaning, and one not quite so badly. We were able to walk up the many stairs inside the not so leaning one, and get a great view of the city.
The more leaning tower
David and Katie at the top of the less leaning tower
Looking through a hole in the floor on the way down
After a smoothie at a gelato shop we went back to Katie's for the afternoon to "rest", which in fact ended up meaning a very long nap.
For dinner we went to a tasty pizza place with Katie's "Italian Family" and even though we spent most of the evening speaking in English Katie translated the menu for David and I so that we could choose our favorite toppings. After dinner we all enjoyed some gelato on the square, and then wandered around enjoying the evening some before heading back to the apartment.
On our second full day (Monday) we got up early and took a train to Venice. We began our tour on the water taxi, where I tried to locate all the buildings in our guide book as we breezed past them on the Grand Canal, as well as share any interesting history about them with Katie and David. We got off at one of the last stops, near Piazza San Marco, and then located a sandwich shop recommended by the book for lunch. After that we somehow managed to skip the line to get into San Marco (at the suggestion of the book) by checking our bag at the bag check around the corner and then showing our bag check tag to the man at the front of the line. We spent the afternoon getting lost along the streets of Venice, with the general plan of heading to Murano to see the glass shops. We got to Murano a bit late, and sadly missed the glass blowing demonstrations. Still, the island was very quite with cute colorful buildings, and it was fun to wander in and out of all the shops. Katie was on a quest for beads, and I for a graduation present for Christine.
We went back to the main island on the water taxi and headed off in the direction of the Rialto Bridge, which is lined with shops. We finished the day at a restaurant with outside seating along the canal (which, according to the book would have more expensive and lower quality food), which we chose for the view. After dinner we headed back to the train station to catch a shuttle bus to our hotel for the night, which was a small room with bunk beds and a bathroom at a campsite. It was clean, comfortable, HAD AIR CONDITIONING, and cheap! Katie and Susan had stayed there when they visited Venice earlier in the year.
On Tuesday Katie left early to go to Rovereto for a research presentation, and David and I headed back to Venice in search of the chocolate pastries we had seen the day before but never indulged in. Rather than head to the main tourist attractions, we wandered down what appeared to be a less touristy street because we saw many single people walking around doing things like carrying groceries, rather than staring with a puzzled expression at a guide book with a camera around their neck. We enjoyed watching the people, snacked on some fresh fruit from a market stand, and then ate two delicious chocolate pastries bought from a small bakery where the woman spoke no English and we had to order with a lot of hand waving. We then did a little bit of shopping, stopped in a grocery store to pick up a lunch of bread, cheese, milk and cherries (where we mistakenly bought parmesan cheese rinds, thinking it was sliced parmesan, woops).
We took the afternoon train to Rovereto to meet Katie. We arrived before she did, so headed up the quiet street of the small town towards the castle. We waited at the castle for Katie, where the three of us did a speed tour of the museum inside, and then headed back to the train station to return to Bologna - managing to enjoy a gelato on the way. We got back to Bologna pretty late, but not too late for another dinner at the apartment of tortellini, this time with wine and garlic bread as well.
On Wednesday we decided to go souvenir shopping in Bologna and see the sights one more time. David and I bought lots of pasta, cheese, another graduation present for Christine, some wine, balsamic vinegar and chocolate. Lunch was at a tasty restaurant that brought TONS of food for one set price that Katie and Harvie had eaten at when Harvie visited. In the afternoon we packed everything up into our bags in preparation for our departure the next day, and then headed out for a dinner with outside seating, bruschetta, pasta and table wine. Dinner was great, and Katie and I had particular fun giggling all the way home from our 2-3 glasses of wine.
The next morning we packed up, hopped on the bus to the airport, and headed home! Luckily we were both able to rest up on this flight, and we made it back without delay to begin celebrating Christine's graduation!
More pictures can be found here: https://picasaweb.google.com/c.b.milne/Italy?authkey=Gv1sRgCLPi5JLw6uP8Kw&feat=directlink
On our second full day (Monday) we got up early and took a train to Venice. We began our tour on the water taxi, where I tried to locate all the buildings in our guide book as we breezed past them on the Grand Canal, as well as share any interesting history about them with Katie and David. We got off at one of the last stops, near Piazza San Marco, and then located a sandwich shop recommended by the book for lunch. After that we somehow managed to skip the line to get into San Marco (at the suggestion of the book) by checking our bag at the bag check around the corner and then showing our bag check tag to the man at the front of the line. We spent the afternoon getting lost along the streets of Venice, with the general plan of heading to Murano to see the glass shops. We got to Murano a bit late, and sadly missed the glass blowing demonstrations. Still, the island was very quite with cute colorful buildings, and it was fun to wander in and out of all the shops. Katie was on a quest for beads, and I for a graduation present for Christine.
Piazza San Marco
San Marco
San Marco
We went back to the main island on the water taxi and headed off in the direction of the Rialto Bridge, which is lined with shops. We finished the day at a restaurant with outside seating along the canal (which, according to the book would have more expensive and lower quality food), which we chose for the view. After dinner we headed back to the train station to catch a shuttle bus to our hotel for the night, which was a small room with bunk beds and a bathroom at a campsite. It was clean, comfortable, HAD AIR CONDITIONING, and cheap! Katie and Susan had stayed there when they visited Venice earlier in the year.
Rialto Bridge
We took the afternoon train to Rovereto to meet Katie. We arrived before she did, so headed up the quiet street of the small town towards the castle. We waited at the castle for Katie, where the three of us did a speed tour of the museum inside, and then headed back to the train station to return to Bologna - managing to enjoy a gelato on the way. We got back to Bologna pretty late, but not too late for another dinner at the apartment of tortellini, this time with wine and garlic bread as well.
View from where we waited for Katie at the castle
On Wednesday we decided to go souvenir shopping in Bologna and see the sights one more time. David and I bought lots of pasta, cheese, another graduation present for Christine, some wine, balsamic vinegar and chocolate. Lunch was at a tasty restaurant that brought TONS of food for one set price that Katie and Harvie had eaten at when Harvie visited. In the afternoon we packed everything up into our bags in preparation for our departure the next day, and then headed out for a dinner with outside seating, bruschetta, pasta and table wine. Dinner was great, and Katie and I had particular fun giggling all the way home from our 2-3 glasses of wine.
Souvenir shopping
More souvenir shopping
Dinner on the last night! Mmmm table wine...
More pictures can be found here: https://picasaweb.google.com/c.b.milne/Italy?authkey=Gv1sRgCLPi5JLw6uP8Kw&feat=directlink
