Ciao!
Lately my life has been both average and
interesting. My days have been quite dull save for a couple events and I think
‘freshers’ flu’ has actually struck disguised as ‘Erasmus’ flu’ after the
Welcome Week, as most people ended up staying home last week because of
stomach/head/throat discomfort. I seem to have been able to mostly avoid it
*knocks on wood* aside from a little sore throat and tiredness that I’m putting
down to the fact that it’s that time of the month and that days have been
pretty warm with quite cold nights…aka temperature changes…aka not good.
Anyhow, as
I’ve said, nothing much has happened. Last week I attempted a Storia degli
Istituzioni Politiche with Jess on Monday which was an absolute failure. It was
a mix of law and political history and we spent two hours listening to the
professor talk about the barbaric communities after the dissolution of the
Roman Empire… Struck a bell with me but she spoke so quickly and the topic was
so uninteresting for me that I gave up note-taking half way through, and
following the course altogether not long after. End result? I had to look for a
replacement module. On Wednesday I attempted to go and see the Rhetoric
teacher, to figure out if I will actually (and successfully) be able to take
the module… He wasn’t in his office so I went again today. He seemed quite nice
and the module is very appealing but since it doesn’t start until May, I’m
trying out Storia Sociale in the meantime so I have a backup plan. The teacher
is really nice and the lectures are easy to follow as it’s pretty much primero de bachillerato contemporary
history material. I will sign up for this and then eventually try out Rhetoric
anyway – it’s a masters module so it might be harder to follow. Tomorrow when I
hand in my Learning Agreement I will check that I can indeed change later on if
needed.
This week
I’ve also been going to the gym. Turns out the initial idea of coming back from
Italy like a potato is unlikely to happen, as I’m filling my time with two
weekly workout lessons and some visits to the gym with Jess #gymbuddy. Working
that summer body (so we also have an excuse to eat gelato and pizza). Not a bad
combination. I feel tired but content after the workout session and hopefully I
will keep it up – will have to keep
it up because it costs a fortune to go to that gym…
I’ve also
been filling my time doing some course reading, but I feel I don’t really have
much work to do aside from catching up on lectures I’ve missed… Ideally I will
soon make a trip to the Library and take out a book in Italian or French (or
both!). The weather has been so nice lately that one of my favourite past-times
in sunbathing on the Piazza. If I have a book, I will at least feel like I’m
doing something useful with my time. I miss reading but I want to limit the
tablet e-books to my coursework, because I’m not a great fan of the electronic device.
Hopefully I’ll find something interesting!
On Tuesday
night Jess, Emilia and I went to an aperitandem
in a bar nearby. It was packed by the time we got there and we didn’t really
find anywhere to sit so we just hung around. By ten just as we were about to
leave, they suddenly yelled ‘Tandem is about to start downstairs, guys!’ so
downstairs we went. The event was organized by the ESN people – must say it
could be improved. I guess it was because there were lots of people but we all just
randomly chose a place rather than sitting according to target languages, which
made us three end up in the English speaking table along with two Turkish gals
and a pair of Italians. It was worth it because I met an Italian girl who was
quite nice and potentially interested in a tandem exchange and I also met
another guy who happens to be taking the Rhetoric module in May. We spoke
English, which was not ideal, but hopefully next time (they organize them
fortnightly) there will be less people and I’ll be able to speak some French or
Spanish… Or Italian for that matter – it’s really hard to find opportunities to
have a long conversation in italiano,
crazy as it may sound!
On
Wednesday, which was Women’s Day, I felt sick with cramps which was not a great
start. I ran some errands and stayed at home. I really wanted to go to an apericena organized by Amnesty Siena
about Rosa Parks – hoping to meet some Italians there. But I felt so sore I
ended up staying in. No Al Cambio, no nothing. I watched a film and went to
sleep. I hate it when this happens and I have to miss opportunities because I
can barely move and have to walk around with a hot water bottle glued to my
stomach. It called ‘the curse’ for a reason.
The rest of
the week was pretty chill though. The weather was amazing on Thursday and
Friday so on Friday I had lunch on the Piazza with Megan and Jess between my
lectures, and afterwards relaxed at home. I’ve discovered my window sill is a
pretty sweet spot to read or have a drink – quiet, in the shade and with great
views. I feel like I will spend a lot of time sitting there when the weather
definitely gets warmer.
Now what
you’ve all been waiting for, our day trip to Pisa on Saturday. Megan and I got
up early to catch the 9:20 train to Pisa – you have to change at Empoli and I
must say it takes nearly two hours each way so it’s a pretty long trip. Anyway,
the weather was lovely (chillier than in Siena but the sky was clear blue and
the sun was shining). We arrived at around 11am and made our way to Piazza dei
Miracoli to start with. I’d been to Pisa before but I barely remembered
anything aside from the station and the actual Piazza, so my memories were not
of much help. We managed to get there without any problem (it’s quite an easy
city to navigate) and there we were joined by Sebastian, a German guy studying
in Pisa who Megan and Jess met during their language course. It was great! He
joined us and was our guide for the day, which was so nice of him and spared us
from having to pull out the maps all the time. In the Piazza dei Miracoli we
saw the Leaning Tower (touristy picture included, of course), the Cathedral and
Baptistery. It was packed with tourists as expected. The tower is a lot
prettier than I remember – not as tall but under the sun it looked amazing. We
then went into the city and walked around –Sebastian showed us part of his
University and a couple other random spots in the city: a nice Piazza where
students meet, lots of other piazzas and alleys. We, of course, also visited
the popular sightseeing spots: Chiesa della Spina (amazing church by the
river), the river Arno, Palazzo Blu, Giardino Scotto (which looked like the
Fortezza Medicea in Siena) and Keith Haring’s 1989 mural Tuttomondo which was amazing. We had lunch at a pizzeria Megan had
read was supposed to be very good – we waited for over an hour for some
not-so-amazing pizzas so I will not even mention the name of the place.
Mistaken choice. At least the beer was good. Megan and I also tried panpepato which is a Tuscan pastry made
with pepper and I must say I’m a fan – it’s like panforte but with a more unique taste. Definitely try it if you get
a chance.
After the sightseeing we parted with Sebastian and stopped by to do
some much needed clothes shopping. I got myself some emergency shorts in case
the weather gets too warm before Dad brings me my summer clothes. I also tried
(and failed) to find nice plain white shirts so bought an over-priced Mango one
and I could not keep myself from buying an orange red jumper. Completely
unnecessary but I fell in love and there are no shops in Siena so I thought I
might as well buy it. Happy and tired, we made the long trip back home and that
was a wrap for the day. There was a Limoncello Fountain Tour and night out at
Al Cambio that night but we were knackered from the long day so it was a no
from us.
On Monday
morning we met with Enrico in the Piazza – he came to visit and check on us! He
invited us for coffee and pastries at Nannini and then took us to an amazing
place near Piazza del Mercato called Gino Cacino for wine (Montalcino for red
and Vernaccia for white) and we had a tagliere
di salumi and crostini for lunch:
a cutting board full of different hams, cheeses and bread with different
toppings. My favourites were pesto, ceci
and pepper. It was such a lovely meal and it was great to catch up with him. He
updated us on all the Bath news and we had a lovely long chat about our
respective Erasmus experiences and how to make the most of our time here. We’ve
really missed him and we all miss Bath and can’t wait to be back next year
(despite the work-load!). Grazie
mille per il pranzo Enrico!
Then
yesterday and today I’ve pretty much spent running errands and catching up on
missed lectures (which takes forever, by the way). I’ve binge eaten a lot of
unhealthy food so today I cooked a batch of veggies to keep me going the rest
of the week. Last night was Karaoke night so the British lot went and it was so
much fun! La Piazzetta (same place as for the apericena) was packed and Dan got the ball rolling by performing ‘Wonderwall’
– such a classic. Nat and Emilia nailed the ‘Wannabe’ rap, kudos. We sang a lot
and very badly and we had a couple of drinks. Let’s get the playlist ready for
next time!
Tonight I’m
going to Al Cambio, since it’s been ages since I last went out to dance.
Tomorrow I have to pack as this weekend Megan and I are going to Perugia to
visit Cristina, so keep your eyes peeled for the next entry!
Alla prossima!
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