Phone and Looking for Houses

This morning I had a meeting for our permits of stay, not bad. Then Lauren and I got our cell phone service at WIND with some help from a friend in the program, I luckily unlocked my phone and didn't have to buy a new one. Then it was time for lunch and we found a cafeteria for some fruit, salad and bread. Then we hung out in the room and starting looking online for apartments. We went out at 4 to check one out, just around the corner. They had a dog so I was out right away. Then we walked around for a lil. And came back to continue our search- very frustrating. I need dinner now and in a bit I am going to look at another apartment. The days are non-stop from earlier in the morning until or can finally go to sleep at 12:30- when ive already been exhausted since 10..

Surreal Life

Last night (Monday) Lauren and I walked around the city for two hours, a lil lost but having fun exploring the city. Then we found our way around and headed to the main square- Piazza Maggiore. When we arrived in front of the basilica I was in awe- the site i have seen in pictures is actually right in front of me- hardly could believe it. I took a couple of pictures. Then we headed back towards our hotel to a little ristorante we saw by our hotel to eat dinner around 9. It was called A Roma di Roma and it was a cute little place with an older gentleman named Michelle that was super nice. We shared a homemade egg pasta with artichokes dish- very delicious and something I would not have tries in Stati Uniti. We also had rosemary potatoes and a half bottle of white wine. To finish they served us a small flute of bubbly strawberry drink- very sweet and good. We ate for an our an a half- the whole time sitting there not believing this was our life and will be for the next 6 months. 

This morning we had our first meeting at the BCSP office- which is right around the corner from our hotel and just off Via Indipendenza. We met Dot. Andrea Ricci, the director of our program- very cute and seems very nice. We had a 2 hour orientation meeting and i surprisingly understood quite a bit. Then we had a 15 minute break to go get a cappucino at a bar around the corner- i tried lauren's. Then we headed back for a housing meeting with Daniella- all repetitive. Lauren and I were starving by this point and headed out to get lunch and look into cell phones. The cellphone stores were closed but we got a prosciutto e formaggio panino. We then headed back to the piazzia and i took some more pictures in the daylight. We then actually went into the basilica. It is my first huge european church i have been in- it was amazing. Then we walked around little streets near the piazza- tiny cute and expensive shops. We then went into a cell phone store to inquire. Next we chilled at our hotel before headed back out to try to actually get a cell phone service and the store closed right in front of us. So instead we headed to this nice hair salon two stores away and purchased our straightner and other hair products. Then we went to dinner with the BCSP group at Pizzeria Belle Arti- with many courses and a fun table to chat with. We met the year students and Ricci's wife and three year old. Then a group of us headed to Via Zamboni in the university zone to find a bar. The first one we happened upon was English Empire, we found a table and ordered drinks. Lauren and I both had a drink called Sexy. It was vodka, lemon and strawberry- very tasty. We stayed and talked for an hour, complete with 90's hip-hop songs playing on the tv's. Now it is one and I have to get up for a meeting at 9:30, buy a phone and make apartment contact tmrw afternoon. A domani!

Day 1- Monday

This morning I arrived in Bologna! Our flight landed at 11:30 and all our luggage was luckily there. We grabbed a taxi and loaded all of our luggage in an started our drive to Hotel Holiday, Via Bertiera 13. We did not talk to our driver, but I took tons of pictures along the way. Then we checked in- lobby is really small. We asked for a room together and took the tiny elevator one at a time up to our room. It is really small, but very cute Italian windows to a tiny opening in the building. We put our stuff down and had a minute in our room. We then went down and had a meeting with Daniella and Marina- in Italian of course, a little intro to the hotel and the schedule for the next couple of days. We headed back up to our room and wanted to take a quick nap before heading out. It was a beautiful day, about 32 degrees and very sunny- perfect for exploring the city, but... we didn't feel like waking up when our alarm went off and ended up sleeping until 5:30 pm- we wouldn't have lasted long on our walk. We are now downstairs in the little eating area with free wifi. I skyped my brother on his lunch hour and checked my facebook. We are now planning on going out to find dinner at the Piazza Maggiore. Italian is spoken all around.. with some English, meeting the other BCSP students. We are discussing finding phones and going to dinner, all on our laptops in the eating area. Va bene, Lauren and I should maybe change and head out. 

Ciao for now!