Osservazioni

Amici,

Since I have officially been living in Italy for 2 full weeks, I have noticed that I have been getting more and more used to doing things differently, doing things the Italian way. For example, Italian clerks will not hand money to you and sometimes, in certain situations, you do not hand money to them. It is polite to place your cash or card on a small metal dish they have near the register. Fascinating, right? They will then place your change on the dish.

Another fantastic thing is learning to not be afraid of trying something new. For example, my friends and I have been adamant about trying different restaurants if we're eating out. You have the opportunity of trying the same dish interpreted differently, or getting a completely different menu altogether. You will also probably find the best food further from the historical (touristy) center. I have found that the best gelato is found in obscure places.

Today, for example, Molly and I needed to go to the supermarket, but it was siesta, which is a time during the afternoon when everything in Italy shuts down for about 2-3 hours, and we had about 70 minutes to kill before it would open again. So, we walked around a stumbled upon a wonderfully posh little pasticceria called, "Regina di Quadri." It was pricey at 4,50 euros for a small pastry, but boy am I glad I splurged! It was incredibly delicious.

It was a dark chocolate mousse pastry. It was really rich, so it was quite filling. It was definitely worth every single penny. (Sorry the pictures are a bit blurry!)

That made my day worthwhile because Molly and I later did homework waiting for siesta to end and then discovered that our nearby supermarket had been closed since June 30. If we had read the sign when we saw that the supermarket was on a siesta, we would have never stopped at the pasticceria!

My day later took an amazing turn when I had to meet Molly in the park about 30 minutes after I got home because I accidentally had her homework. I was walking on via Murri and I saw a Shar Pei being walked by two young kids about 10-12 years old. They were so excited to have met someone that appreciated their wrinkly, slobbery dog. They also laughed when I told them I had a Shar Pei named Nutella at home. Actually, a lot of people seem to be amused by that around here. I wonder why! Anyway, the Shar Pei was so sweet, he let me pet him without a problem. It truly made my day.

Then, on the way back from the park, I noticed that there is a cinema right across the street from the entrance to my neighborhood. Can this city get any better?

My mom told me that I would fall in love during study abroad. She has no idea how right she was! Although I know she was teasing and speaking about a study abroad romance, I have truly fallen in love with this city. Everyone should visit Bologna, Italy. Seriously.

Ciao for now! <3