It is hard to believe that 2009 has already ended and that we are through the 1st decade of the 21st century! Niraj and I hope everyone had a great night ringing in the New Year and hope everyone has a wonderful 2010!
We have both been full of the holiday spirit and have been celebrating in many ways. Niraj spent 3 days in Sarajevo over the Christmas holiday while I was back in Denver. He says he spent more time in transit than actually in the city, but that it was just how he pictured it. He got a great taste of Eastern Europe, and is already wanting to go back for more. I had a great time in Denver seeing friends and family, and I also greatly enjoyed pigging out on non-Italian food for awhile! I don't think a burger and fries or the famous holiday green bean casserole has ever tasted so good!
I was back in Bologna for my birthday and had a great day celebrating. Niraj and I went to Venezia (Venice) for the day. We had heard rumors of flooding and how the city was still recovering from the winter storms, but we decided to check it out anyway. We got there, and sure enough the city was flooded! The tide was high and water on sidewalks along the Grand Canal was above the ankles. The city polizia put up elevated planks throughout the city for people to walk on in single-file lines. San Marco's square and inside the famous Basilica was even flooded! It was a lot of fun though, and we definitely saw the city in a new light. By the afternoon the tide receded and everything began to drain out. Check out our Venice Pictures! We made it back to Bologna for dinner, and Niraj surprised me with an ice cream cake from Bologna's best gelato place... complete with candles! It was definitely a great birthday.
Last night was also a great night, and we had a lot of fun celebrating the New Year with our friends here. We started off the evening by going to a friend's place for a big potluck. There were about 20 people, and we spent hours eating amazing food, drinking wine, and just catching up on our breaks. The night even included a game of boys vs. girls charades which always guarantees a good time. Around 22:00 we all headed down to Piazza Maggiore in the city center for the festivities. There was a live band, and it seemed like the entire city of Bologna turned out for the event! When the clock struck midnight, everybody started lighting off fireworks, dancing in the streets, and spraying champagne. We were lucky enough to be surrounded by tons of Niraj's classmates and our friends, and everybody had a great time. A little later we walked down to I Due Torri (the two towers) and continued our dancing in the streets to a live polka band. People were in such great spirits and really enjoyed themselves. It was such a fun night! Below is a picture of Niraj and I in the Piazza, and a picture of me and some of my girls out here.
So, all in all we have had a great holiday season! It's hard to believe that it's almost time to get back to the normal working and school routine, but we were lucky to have so many fun adventures for Christmas and New Years. We even have more travels planned for the weekend, so keep checking back for more stories!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! BUON ANNO!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment