internet in italy

The internet here has this thing where some times a site will be working perfectly fine, and your internet connection is perfectly fine, but it decides to just be lazy and not even bother loading a page.

Internet, I just want you to know that I know that the connection is fine, and that I know you were just on the same site on which I'm now trying to load a different page.

My theory: the internet is Italian here, and like all Italians, especially those in community positions such as post and police offices, it just really doesn't want to work.

Q: Seriously, who works?
A: Not Italians.

Settling into Siena

SO since last entry I've been mostly sticking to Siena (with a small trip to Florence, where I bought a fabulous pair of boots). Our other classes have started, and for the most part are very interesting.

I'm taking Italian Language and Culture, obviously, and it's pretty good. Wish we were still learning as fast as we did at first; I also really wish that Wooster had Italian classes so I could continue with my Italian, but alas. Somehow, someday, I will find a way.

Also taking Creative Writing, which has been ok, but not as good as my intro class. Granted, we've barely gotten into writing, so I'm going to give it some time, but... whatevz.

Art History (Iconography!) is really really cool. The only thing cooler than learning Siena's ridiculous history is seeing the art that came about because of it and then actually SEEING that art not just on slides, but in person. Awesome.

Finally, taking Sociology and Sociolinguistics which is THE COOLEST EVER. Well, Sociolinguistics is, but I can't say about Sociology yet because the Prof for that half of the class has been out with injured ankle, I believe it is. But language is so cool so linguistics is cool so everything is awesome.

It's been really nice just hanging around Siena, for the most part. The weather is still gorgeous. More gorgeous, even, since instead of being a billion degrees, it's a nice 80 during the hottest parts and a brisk 56 at night. There was a lot of rain for a week and a half or so, but that hasn't returned yet, so it's been really really nice to hang outside. Outside is the best side, and I've been happy. Also it was nice to go to Florence and really put Siena into perspective - Siena is a lot smaller. However, the number of tourists, which seemed ridiculous at first, are actually a lot less in Siena. Siena's a lot cleaner, too. It's just all around way better. Except the shopping and the duomo in Florence are better, I will give it that. Probably the night life, too, but I've been enjoying myself.

GOOD NEWS, Alison and I finally sat down and planned our fall break plans. We're flying out of Bologna to Barcelona, but actually it's not Barcelona, it's 100 km from Barcelona. Which makes it super cheap, which is awesome. We are perfectly content with fake-Barcelona and will make a day trip visit to the real Barcelona, anyway. After a few days in fake-Barcelona we're going to fly into Edinburgh and see beautiful Scotland. :) WHICH I JUST REALIZED is a hollaback to Wooster and our dear Fighting Scots. That makes it even more cool than just going to Scotland. We'll stay there a few days and then fly back into Pisa and then bus-ride our butts back to Siena.

I'm also looking into a Greece trip over our long weekend, but that all depends on $$$$$.

One of the weekends coming up we are going to another agritourismo, which I am pretty pumped about because they are really awesome. Rumor has it this one is on / near the coast, which is even better.

I've realized that as much as I want to travel and as cheap as it is to do sometimes (and by "cheap" I mean it's more cheap than traveling from America to Greece, for example...) we just really don't have the time. There's so much I want to see, and the facts are that I just won't be able to. Not enough time, not enough funds. Which I am pretty ok with. I really like the idea of getting to know Siena pretty well. It really makes it more of a home.

Some pictures.

Sometimes it is sunny while it rains here. And most times it rains, it isn't for a super long time. The weather is very bipolar.

Here's some puppy-chow making action. (For those of you not from the Midwest, puppy chow is chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and cereal (usually chex) and it is the best.) Unfortunately, peanut butter is literally 3,77 euro. For like a cup and a half. Ridiculous.

One of the views from Siena's Medici fortress. Lots of great views up there, and it's a really nice place to sit and relax or walk around or run. And around the bottom every Wednesday is a fabulous market with clothes, food, and everything you would ever want ever.

Siena is the best.

Siena, San Gimignano

So as I expected I'm kind of bad at keeping up with this blogging thing. Hanging out on the internet has a tendency to be boring, though, and I'd much rather be out and about or even just watching Barbie in Italian. (By the way, Barbie movies are really weird.) Living here is really fantastic. Most days I go to school, sit through the three hours of Italian in the morning, and then through language labs which are sometimes actually tours around the city. (And which sometimes include TWO tours in one day, and as much as I like learning about Siena, my legs and feet get angry.) Then afterward I hang out with some people in the campo until dinner time, which is at 8:30. So this also means that I frequently need something like gelato to tide me over. I am going to be so fat.

I want gelato right now, in fact. Chocolate mousse gelato is probably one of the best things to happen in the world.

SPEAKING of gelato, actually, we took an optional group trip to San Gimignano which has a gelataria that's won world gelato championships. I got banana and nutella, and it really was ridiculously good, although in retrospect I feel like I should have gotten one of there more exotic flavors. There was also a really beautiful fortress and the view was great. Fortresses are great places for views. It was also free. There was a tower we could choose to climb, but we didn't feel like paying to get in. Also really lazy. Anyway, San Gimignano was really adorable and just a smaller, less touristy version of Siena. It was pretty great, although lacking in the piazza department. But then, I don't think there's a better campo than the Piazza del Campo in Siena.

San Gimignano is filled with towers that you aren't allowed to climb, but they're very picturesque:

The view from San Gimiagnano's fortress. The place you could go without paying. :)

Siena is fabulous. It's a city, so there are things to do, but it's mostly university students and tourists (depending on the season). It's pretty safe and small, but still exciting. And it has the campo which is where we've been spending a good amount of time. Not sure what we're going to do if it rains / when it starts getting chilly. We spend a good few hours a day sometimes in the campo.

Siena's tower is better.

Siena's campo is fabulous. Here's a contrada parade. No big deal. Party in the campoooo.

It rained today (this entry is taking many days for me to write, because I am bad at writing much at once). We made puppy chow. We cannot do this every day. Peanut butter is 3.77 euro for about a cup and a half. Not a good deal. (Nutella, on the other hand, is lots cheaper here, unfortunately for my weight.) We also looked up plane ticket prices. Trying to figure out where to go for fall break and also for some weekends coming up. There are so many options, none of them as cheap as I wish they were.

Unfortunately for our weekend plans, it's supposed to rain forever (until next Tuesday), so we're not gonna go to Rome as planned. Going to wait for a sunnier weekend, so that we can do more walking around and less bus ridin. Being thrifty in Italy during rainy times is tough.

SPEAKING of tough, my goal is to find Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Italian AND paperback and to buy it to bring home. I really really want it, but the hardcover is 16,80 euro, which I think is pretty ridonkulous. (That's like 24, 25 dollars. Amazon deals are way better.) I've been in four or five bookstores, to no avail. But I think I'll look in Florence and Rome for a copy, also. There's a whole Harry Potter store in Rome according to my host mama's brother, who is way cool.

All the family we're meeting is cool. I really love the family I'm with, and their family and the friends of theirs we've met. Basically the best.