Buona sera,
It has been another fantastic (yet rainy and very wet) week here in Bologna.
Niraj is still hard at work, but is getting to know his classmates better which is exciting. The people in his program are from all over the world including Germany, Austria, Colombia, Canada, Belgium, Croatia, Bosnia, Russia, Portugal, Azerbaijan, Japan, Holland, Croatia, and many more. We are starting to plan more big excursions, and it's nice to have people offer insight and travel tips into their hometowns.
As for me, I am having a blast getting more soaked into the Italian lifestyle. I am really starting to enjoy cooking out here and am getting more ambitious every day. My latest adventures have been chocolate and ricotta cake, baked ziti, and homemade bread (which I am waiting to rise right now but isn't looking so promising...) .
I am also meeting some girls who are also here as non-students, and we are having fun exploring the city together. There is even an official group of English speaking, professional women in Bologna who organize book clubs, cocktail and coffee hours, dinners, etc. The president of this group is actually married to the former CEO of Ducati (you should see their penthouse apartment! quite impressive!), so if nothing else maybe I'll get some sort of tour of Ducati while I'm here!
This weekend we had another adventure and went to Verona for the day/evening. Andrea Bocelli was singing in the Teatro Filarmonico, so a group of 20 or so students got together to go hear him. I went out earlier with a friend to explore the city, and then we all met up for dinner and the show. Verona was gorgeous and very different from Bologna. The city is very relaxed and seemed much slower paced than where we are living. The squares were full of street vendors and markets, and they were selling some of the most gorgeous masks that I have ever seen! Of course we went to Romeo's House and Julet's Balcony, but we also saw the Castle and some of the old churches. One of the best parts of the day was when we went to this very small bar for a glass of wine and an appertivo. The entire place probably only sat 10 people, and you could tell we were the only non-regulars there. At one point, the bartender (who also was enjoying some wine) and 2 other men in the bar started singing along with the Italian love songs that were playing. It was perfect! The concert was also incredible of course, and we really enjoyed the symphony and the music. After the concert the entire group went to a Trattoria for dinner, and they set up a huge table for us in their wine cellar where we sat for nearly 3 hours. They had hundreds of bottles back there, some of which were 25 years old! It was a very typical, slow Italian meal and was fantastic.
Here are the pictures from the day/evening:
Verona Pictures
And as a side-note, how bout them Broncos? 6-0!!! Niraj is getting really excited for the Bears game tonight and is actually staring at ChicagoBears.com right now. Kickoff is at 2215 here, and we are planning to stream it and watch online. So... go Bears!
So until next time, Happy Halloween and ciao!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Fall into Fall!
Fall has officially arrived in Bologna (seemed like overnight the temperature dropped 30 degrees), and it is fantastic. The sun is shining everyday and it is nice and cool outside. It's strange not seeing lots of scarecrows and carved pumpkins though! The Italians just need to get into Fall and Halloween more I guess...
Niraj is still keeping busy with his classes and is starting to have papers and presentations pile up. He's taking two econ classes, an American Foreign Policy class, a class on Science and Technology and policy-making, and Spanish. The students here are really starting to get more into the program, and it seems like every get-together sparks some discussion or debate! I told him the other day how weird it is to have these types of discussions now and how it's even stranger that I have not run into another engineer since coming here! My Italian class started last week, and I love it. The class is very intense, and my teacher walked in on the first day saying how that was the only English we would hear all semester. The class is really small though, and I'm hoping to learn a lot.
We had a fantastic weekend hanging out with the friends that we are making through SAIS. On Saturday we explored the Bologna Flea Market which was unlike anything I have ever seen! The market takes over an entire piazza every Friday and Saturday, and the tents seem to go on forever in all directions. They have the standard flea market junk (kitchenwares, knick-knacks, etc) but they also have nice clothes, shoes and anything you could ever need. So, that was definitely a great find. Saturday night some friends had a BBQ which was a great opportunity to eat some good food, get to know people better, and just relax. Then last night, to cap off the weekend, I decided to try some real home cooked Italian food and not just the "instant" meals we've been eating (which are also quite yummy by the way). I made Spaghetti Carbonera with pancetta, fresh Spaghetti noodles, and fresh Parmesan cheese. It was fantastic!!
So, overall things are falling into place more and more each day. We are always looking into more weekend trips and have some exciting things coming up. On Friday we are going to Verona to hear Andrea Bocelli, and November is slowly filling up with chocolate festivals and a potential trip to Vienna (keep your fingers crossed that one works out).
We miss everyone and love hearing what is going on back in the States so keep us posted!
Ciao!
Danielle
Niraj is still keeping busy with his classes and is starting to have papers and presentations pile up. He's taking two econ classes, an American Foreign Policy class, a class on Science and Technology and policy-making, and Spanish. The students here are really starting to get more into the program, and it seems like every get-together sparks some discussion or debate! I told him the other day how weird it is to have these types of discussions now and how it's even stranger that I have not run into another engineer since coming here! My Italian class started last week, and I love it. The class is very intense, and my teacher walked in on the first day saying how that was the only English we would hear all semester. The class is really small though, and I'm hoping to learn a lot.
We had a fantastic weekend hanging out with the friends that we are making through SAIS. On Saturday we explored the Bologna Flea Market which was unlike anything I have ever seen! The market takes over an entire piazza every Friday and Saturday, and the tents seem to go on forever in all directions. They have the standard flea market junk (kitchenwares, knick-knacks, etc) but they also have nice clothes, shoes and anything you could ever need. So, that was definitely a great find. Saturday night some friends had a BBQ which was a great opportunity to eat some good food, get to know people better, and just relax. Then last night, to cap off the weekend, I decided to try some real home cooked Italian food and not just the "instant" meals we've been eating (which are also quite yummy by the way). I made Spaghetti Carbonera with pancetta, fresh Spaghetti noodles, and fresh Parmesan cheese. It was fantastic!!
So, overall things are falling into place more and more each day. We are always looking into more weekend trips and have some exciting things coming up. On Friday we are going to Verona to hear Andrea Bocelli, and November is slowly filling up with chocolate festivals and a potential trip to Vienna (keep your fingers crossed that one works out).
We miss everyone and love hearing what is going on back in the States so keep us posted!
Ciao!
Danielle
Monday, October 12, 2009
Little Bit of History and Stunning Mosaics
Hello again and happy Monday,
First of all, I must say something completely unrelated to Bologna or Italia... GO BRONCOS!!!! 5-0!!! And keep your fingers crossed for the Rockies! (I'm sure Niraj will have similar comments about the Bears performance next week so stay tuned...)
Ok, now on to serious business. :)
This weekend was really fantastic and provided some more sightseeing opportunities. On Saturday, Niraj and I did a walking tour of Bologna which we both really enjoyed. It was our first time starting to learn the history of this city and realizing exactly what it is we are looking at while walking down the street. One of the more interesting tidbits that I learned is that the main cathedral in Piazza Maggiore (the main square) was never finished! Rumor has it that when the city decided to build it they wanted to make it the largest cathedral, even bigger than the Vatican. Of course the Pope would not allow this, so midway through construction he decided to order the construction of palaces right next to it which would block additional growth. So, the cathedral is not finished and you can even see 1/2 windows and 1/2 arches on the sides where it was suppossed to be bigger! Take a look... the first picture is the cathedral (even the facade was never completed), the second picture you can see a 1/2 window on the right side of the church (right above the point on the tent), and the third picture you can see the start of the arch where the church was to be expanded outward. I'm excited to learn more about this city and will share more pictures as I continue exploring.
Yesterday we hopped on a train and did a day trip to Ravenna which is about 1 hour southeast of Bologna. It was a small, sleepy town that seems to still be stuck in the middle ages, and it was truly fascinating. Ravenna is known for its Mosaics which are everywhere in the city. We went into 5 or 6 different churches, and each one had floor to ceiling art that was made completely of tiny glass, colored stones. It was incredible! I've been to the Vatican and many other amazing churches completely covered in paintings, and this was equally as remarkable! The stones have been incredibly preserved considering these churches dated back to 600AD, and it is hard to grasp that the entire wall and ceiling was created by hand-placing the mosaics. I posted pictures and the link is below. Even in some of the pictures you can make out the individual stones, and just try to imagine seeing it in person!
Ravenna Pictures
Now we are into another week of classes and such. Niraj is getting more into his classes, and my Italian course starts tomorrow. Oh, and of course we are still eating well. After all, Bologna's nickname is "la grassa" or "the fat one" due to the amazing eats, haha!
Ciao!
First of all, I must say something completely unrelated to Bologna or Italia... GO BRONCOS!!!! 5-0!!! And keep your fingers crossed for the Rockies! (I'm sure Niraj will have similar comments about the Bears performance next week so stay tuned...)
Ok, now on to serious business. :)
This weekend was really fantastic and provided some more sightseeing opportunities. On Saturday, Niraj and I did a walking tour of Bologna which we both really enjoyed. It was our first time starting to learn the history of this city and realizing exactly what it is we are looking at while walking down the street. One of the more interesting tidbits that I learned is that the main cathedral in Piazza Maggiore (the main square) was never finished! Rumor has it that when the city decided to build it they wanted to make it the largest cathedral, even bigger than the Vatican. Of course the Pope would not allow this, so midway through construction he decided to order the construction of palaces right next to it which would block additional growth. So, the cathedral is not finished and you can even see 1/2 windows and 1/2 arches on the sides where it was suppossed to be bigger! Take a look... the first picture is the cathedral (even the facade was never completed), the second picture you can see a 1/2 window on the right side of the church (right above the point on the tent), and the third picture you can see the start of the arch where the church was to be expanded outward. I'm excited to learn more about this city and will share more pictures as I continue exploring.
Yesterday we hopped on a train and did a day trip to Ravenna which is about 1 hour southeast of Bologna. It was a small, sleepy town that seems to still be stuck in the middle ages, and it was truly fascinating. Ravenna is known for its Mosaics which are everywhere in the city. We went into 5 or 6 different churches, and each one had floor to ceiling art that was made completely of tiny glass, colored stones. It was incredible! I've been to the Vatican and many other amazing churches completely covered in paintings, and this was equally as remarkable! The stones have been incredibly preserved considering these churches dated back to 600AD, and it is hard to grasp that the entire wall and ceiling was created by hand-placing the mosaics. I posted pictures and the link is below. Even in some of the pictures you can make out the individual stones, and just try to imagine seeing it in person!
Ravenna Pictures
Now we are into another week of classes and such. Niraj is getting more into his classes, and my Italian course starts tomorrow. Oh, and of course we are still eating well. After all, Bologna's nickname is "la grassa" or "the fat one" due to the amazing eats, haha!
Ciao!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Benvenuti a Bologna!
Buongiorno a tutti,
Niraj and I have decided to blog our adventures, day to day life, and anything else that presents itself not only to keep in touch with those we left behind in the States but also as a reminder to us of everything we did here! So, welcome to our life...
I have been here just over two weeks now, and Niraj has been here a month longer than that. Niraj has successfully completed his pre-term courses with flying colors, and this week has marked the beginning of the fall semester. He's been busy getting back into "school-mode" and figuring out how to survive the hundreds of pages of "suggested" reading! The people in his program are definitely very diverse and are from all parts of the world with all sorts of backgrounds. The majority of them seem very friendly and anxious to meet people which is encouraging. Since being here we have also both ventured to Munich for Oktoberfest and had a blast out there!
Day to day life has definitely been a big adjustment, but we're both starting to feel like we're getting settled. The apartment we are living in is fantastic and is beginning to feel like a home away from home. There is a balcony which looks into a small courtyard and all the neighbors apartments (and once I learn Italian I can understand what they are saying!). We are in a fantastic location and within walking distance to most things, and overall the apartment seems very large for European housing. It definitely has its quirks though! For example, turning on the washing machine (which is in the kitchen of course), using a computer, and turning on any lights will most definitely blow the power out. To enter the apartment it is necessary to turn the key around four times and then push on the door with the key still in the lock. Hanging the clothes on the line outside to dry and forgetting to bring them in when it starts to rain is never a good idea. The rock band that rehearses next door practices the same song for weeks and appears to love American Classic Rock. And finally, no matter how you sit on the couch it is inevitable that you will roll off taking the sofa cover and cushion(s) with you.
Bologna seems to be a nice place to live, and we are slowly learning the way of the land. The apartment is on a quiet dead-end side street, and the nearby major cross streets have everything including a pharmacy, a bakery (which I have yet to go to when they are actually open...), a butcher, a mini-market, and a post office. Between home and the John's Hopkins building we pass many produce stands, gelaterias, restaurants, and cafes. Within 10-15 minutes walking you can either be at school or in the city center which is fantastic.
The food here is fantastic, and I am looking forward to learning exactly how to cook it all. I'm hoping to enroll in some cooking classes and my goal is to make Pasta Bolognese (Ragu) from scratch. So definitely check back for updates on that! The grocery stores are filled with fresh breads, handmade refrigerated pastas, sauces, thin cured meats, cheeses (the Parmesan is INCREDIBLE out here!!), unique fruits and vegetables, and lots of cheap, cheap wine. There are also tons of cafes that offer aperitivo's where you pay for one drink (typically 3-5 euros for a glass of wine) and get unlimited trips to their appetizer/small-plate buffet. It's a fantastic happy hour type of deal! Of course there are also great pizza places nearby, and we found a small calzone joint yesterday that was quite delicious. Oh, and don't even get me started on the gelato! Yum! Apparently there's even a geletaria here that offers tastings and parings with sweet wines!
All in all it has been a great start. We definitely miss everybody back home and there are still lots of things to figure out, but we already creating a mile-long list of places to go, clubs to join, and things to do. We are doing a city tour tomorrow, so after that I will be able to describe more of what Bologna has to offer! So until next time...
Ciao!
Danielle
Niraj and I have decided to blog our adventures, day to day life, and anything else that presents itself not only to keep in touch with those we left behind in the States but also as a reminder to us of everything we did here! So, welcome to our life...
I have been here just over two weeks now, and Niraj has been here a month longer than that. Niraj has successfully completed his pre-term courses with flying colors, and this week has marked the beginning of the fall semester. He's been busy getting back into "school-mode" and figuring out how to survive the hundreds of pages of "suggested" reading! The people in his program are definitely very diverse and are from all parts of the world with all sorts of backgrounds. The majority of them seem very friendly and anxious to meet people which is encouraging. Since being here we have also both ventured to Munich for Oktoberfest and had a blast out there!
Day to day life has definitely been a big adjustment, but we're both starting to feel like we're getting settled. The apartment we are living in is fantastic and is beginning to feel like a home away from home. There is a balcony which looks into a small courtyard and all the neighbors apartments (and once I learn Italian I can understand what they are saying!). We are in a fantastic location and within walking distance to most things, and overall the apartment seems very large for European housing. It definitely has its quirks though! For example, turning on the washing machine (which is in the kitchen of course), using a computer, and turning on any lights will most definitely blow the power out. To enter the apartment it is necessary to turn the key around four times and then push on the door with the key still in the lock. Hanging the clothes on the line outside to dry and forgetting to bring them in when it starts to rain is never a good idea. The rock band that rehearses next door practices the same song for weeks and appears to love American Classic Rock. And finally, no matter how you sit on the couch it is inevitable that you will roll off taking the sofa cover and cushion(s) with you.
Bologna seems to be a nice place to live, and we are slowly learning the way of the land. The apartment is on a quiet dead-end side street, and the nearby major cross streets have everything including a pharmacy, a bakery (which I have yet to go to when they are actually open...), a butcher, a mini-market, and a post office. Between home and the John's Hopkins building we pass many produce stands, gelaterias, restaurants, and cafes. Within 10-15 minutes walking you can either be at school or in the city center which is fantastic.
The food here is fantastic, and I am looking forward to learning exactly how to cook it all. I'm hoping to enroll in some cooking classes and my goal is to make Pasta Bolognese (Ragu) from scratch. So definitely check back for updates on that! The grocery stores are filled with fresh breads, handmade refrigerated pastas, sauces, thin cured meats, cheeses (the Parmesan is INCREDIBLE out here!!), unique fruits and vegetables, and lots of cheap, cheap wine. There are also tons of cafes that offer aperitivo's where you pay for one drink (typically 3-5 euros for a glass of wine) and get unlimited trips to their appetizer/small-plate buffet. It's a fantastic happy hour type of deal! Of course there are also great pizza places nearby, and we found a small calzone joint yesterday that was quite delicious. Oh, and don't even get me started on the gelato! Yum! Apparently there's even a geletaria here that offers tastings and parings with sweet wines!
All in all it has been a great start. We definitely miss everybody back home and there are still lots of things to figure out, but we already creating a mile-long list of places to go, clubs to join, and things to do. We are doing a city tour tomorrow, so after that I will be able to describe more of what Bologna has to offer! So until next time...
Ciao!
Danielle
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