It's
been a while since I've blogged, so it's about time for a new update on 'Mi Vita
Erasmus' here in Italy. I have so much to say, so this is going to be a long
one! (As they always are I expect you're all thinking!) As usual, the last few
weeks have been speeding by and now we're nearly in May and then I only have
June left here in Pavia! Che peccato! (What a shame!)
I'm
going to start this blog with some great news, and that is that after 3 months of
searching for a suitable au pair host family for this summer, I have finally
found a perfect family. The Mum and Dad are so lovely and they have a gorgeous
little 4yr old daughter called Rebecca. They live in the region of Emilia
Romagna in a city called Milano Marittima on the coast. It's a lively beach
resort and in the summer it's full of young students who come from the
University city of Bologna to spend the summer on the beach. My family have a
house near the beach, and I’ll have my own room and bathroom with wifi which is
great! They don't speak much English and this will be perfect for me as I can
speak in Italian with them, and I'm sure that after 2 more months of being
immersed in Italian I will improve even more before heading back to Leicester
for my final year. Their daughter Rebecca doesn't speak any English yet but
she's starting school in September and her parents would like her to have an
introduction this summer so she isn't as shocked when she starts English at
school. I'm a little worried about teaching English to a child so young who
doesn't even have a basic level as with Inés the Spanish girl last summer in
Madrid, I didn't really have to teach English as she already had such a high
level and I was just there for conversational purposes! With Rebecca this
summer however I'll have to keep her occupied between 9am and 3pm and organise
games and activities for us to do together whilst speaking in English. I will
have to speak in Italian as well and do translation between the two languages
to help her understand as I don't want her to feel upset when I'm speaking in
English and she doesn't understand! I think that she'll learn quickly through
as children of such a young age have a natural ability for learning languages.
I am very excited to spend the summer there with them as they are very welcoming
and I got on really well with them when we spoke on Skype. It's a great way for
me to spend the summer for the travel opportunities, the language immersion,
the experience of working abroad and of course the wages which is 100€ a week
which I can save and use for any future travelling after my degree is finished
next year as I'm thinking of going to South America, Australia or maybe even
China to teach English and travel. I never had a gap year before starting Uni,
so I think before I do a Masters degree I would like to travel and get
experience abroad for a year. Anyway, more on these thoughts to come!
On
Monday the 4th trimester started at the University of Pavia, but all hasn't
been as easy as I hoped. This trimester I am registered for 3 modules which are
'Lingua Spagnola' (Spanish Language), 'Lingua Francese 1' (Beginners French
Language) and 'Civiltà Spagnlo' (Spanish history and civilisation) but
unfortunately I think I'm going to have to change my learning agreement AGAIN
as the French class really is far too advanced for me. On Monday I was really
excited to actually go to Uni as since February I haven't been to any classes
as I didn't have any modules, so I was honestly looking forward to starting. I
had the Spanish language class at 11am for 2 hours and after hunting for the
correct classroom for 15 minutes, a lovely Italian girl showed me the way. We
got to the door, and there was a notice saying that it was cancelled and the
class would start on Thursday! I was a bit disappointed as I was looking
forward to going to the only class I knew I would be able to do! Anyway I went
and met up with Barbara for a coffee, and then we met Laura for lunch and Flo
came along too as he's visiting at the moment. We all went to Pane e Salame
which is a really cheap student cafe next to the Uni. After lunch I then had to
rush off to my second class on Monday which was French Language from 2-4pm. I
had no idea where to find the classroom as this Uni is really like a maze, so
luckily Laura took me to the room which was actually underground! I would never
have found it on my own! Anyway I waited for a bit and there were a few other
girls in the room who I spoke to for a bit. We waited for 30 minutes but the
teacher still didn't arrive, so we went to the faculty office to ask if that
was the correct room and if the class had been cancelled but they didn't know
anything. We then waited around for another 15 minutes outside the room to see
if the teacher would come, but she didn't so we all decided to go. What a great
first day of Uni I had, and one of the Italian girls even said 'Benvenuta
all'Università in Italia' (Welcome to Uni in Italy). I really hoped that it
wasn't always going to be like that, but then again this is Italy, and
organisation isn't really their forte!
A lone bicycle in the streets of Pavia
Tuesday
was my second day of Uni and at 2pm I went to a French oral class which I was
signed up for. I hoped that it would be a basic level as it's French Language 1,
however after less than 5 minutes of being in the class I knew that the level was
far too advanced for me. I spoke to the teacher and explained that I was an
English Erasmus student and that I'd never studied French before. I stayed for
the class to see what it was like, but they were doing comprehension of a TV
announcement and I can barely say Bonjour! At the end I went to speak to the
teacher and she was so lovely and said that she can understand that this class
was going to be very difficult for me if I’d never spoken French before! She
did say though that she could do an easier exam for me for the oral part and
that I could speak about myself and my family etc instead of doing a 10 minute
presentation which was nice of her. I then went to try my Spanish History and
Civilisation class which was impossible to find in the first place! It was in
the 'San Tommaso' building which is a different Uni building from the main Uni,
so I followed signs to go there and then asked so many people where the room
was. After crossing a courtyard, climbing 2 sets of stairs, crossing a library
and walking through a hall I finally arrived in the correct room! It was packed
with people, so I sat near the front so at least I would be able to understand
the teacher. I had already met this teacher before and she is a really nice
Spanish lady, interestingly with bright red hair! I thought that this lesson
would be easy to understand, but I was pretty wrong as she spoke very quickly
in Spanish and didn't use any interactive methods such as a PowerPoint or
handouts! It was just like having 2 hours of someone rambling on at you and you
were expected to write down everything and take notes. I knew she was talking
about the history of Spain and the invasions etc as well as when Ferdinand of
Aragon married Isabella of Castille in 1492 and this was basically the unification
of Spain. That's pretty much all I managed to get written down, but luckily I
have a book at home about the history of Spain which covers all of the past in
English, so maybe if I read that then I'll be okay! As a last point on my first
few days of Uni in Pavia, I went yesterday morning to my French language class
which is the class that was meant to take place on Monday. It was utterly
impossible to understand anything as she was rambling on in French, and I just
had no idea what she was saying- I can barely say Bonjour remember! It was a
lecture again with no visual aids and after 10 minutes I just gave up. There
was just no way I could understand anything and take notes when my level is
absolute beginner whereas they were easily doing an intermediate level! I
luckily had my iPad with me, so was able to occupy myself. I then had a lovely
lunch date with Laura my Italian friend, and then at 4 I went to try my Spanish
Language oral class. I found the right room and after waiting for another 20
minutes (Punctuality really isn’t a word in the Italian’s vocabulary I think!)
the teacher turned up. She was nice, but refused to let me in the room as I
apparently wasn’t registered for that class! (How on earth I was meant to know
to register for the oral class separately I don’t know!) Anyway I have to speak
to the head of Spanish to get that changed, and then maybe soon I can actually
be on the list and she won’t throw me out!I am definitely going to write an email to Leicester tomorrow though and
ask if I can drop the Beginners French class as it's just much too difficult
for me, and its 10 hours per week which is an awful lot of time! I only need to
pass 15 credits, but we have to be registered for 30. I have 32 hours of Uni
per week which is an awful lot, so I think I have reason to ask Leicester to
let me drop French and be registered for 24 credits instead of 30. It will make
my life a lot easier as I'll have 22 hours of Uni per week then, and more time
to focus on my Spanish language module and more time for the reading for the
Spanish civilisation module. I'll see what they say, and update next time.
A beautiful Italian courtyard I stumbled upon whilst wandering around Pavia
Right, that's enough
about Uni- time for a more interesting topic! It seems such a long time ago,
but I'd really like to write about my Easter here in Pavia as I had such a
great time!Most of the Erasmus students
went back home for the Easter break, but I decided to stay in here as I wasn't
ready to go back home and also the flights were very expensive. I met up with
Malene and Stef a few times for various coffees and ice creams, but the best
day was when I went to Barbara's house for a traditional Italian Easter lunch.
The river Ticino taken from the bank
Stefanie and Malene by the pretty summer blossom
Me, Stefanie and Malene by the Ponte Coperto
Barbara
came to pick me up in the car at 11.30am, and after picking up her grandmother
and uncle on the way, we headed over to her town of Belgioioso which is 30
minutes east of Pavia. Her family were so welcoming and her uncle even gave me
a chocolate dog, and Barbara gave me a lovely chocolate rabbit! I felt sure
that the chocolate would last me a long time, but I think I pretty much had
gobbled it down by the end of the week! It was lovely to see her family again,
and meet new members who were her grandparents as well as her Dad's
brother. We started the Easter lunch with a boiled egg which they explained is
a symbol of Easter! It was strange for me to understand, but obviously makes
sense as an egg is the symbol of Easter in all countries except they are
normally given made of chocolate instead of being real! We ate the egg, and
then for the starter we all had a bowl of vegetarian pasta which was delicious.
I was pretty full after the egg and the pasta, but we hadn't even started the
main course yet! Everyone else had barbecued meats, but I had different pies
which were full of spinach and potato and they were really tasty! I was
unfortunately only able to try a bit as I was so full! After the mains then
came the pudding which was 2 different cakes! Her mum cut them up into thin
slithers for everyone, and then we each had 2 slices. One was a chocolate cake
and the other was with fruit in it. The chocolate one was the best, and luckily
I could manage to eat my slices! (I'm sure that I'll always have room for
chocolate even if I am stuffed!) It was a really great lunch and I enjoyed
speaking in Italian with everyone! Mattia, Barbara and I then went back to
Pavia where we had a walk down by the river and enjoyed yet another wonderful
Italian gelato!
The boiled Easter egg aperitivo!
Barbara and Me!
Barbara and me at the table
Everyone around the dinner table
Barbara's crazy family!
My chocolate dog and bunny! Grazie mille!
Barbara and Mattia by the Ticino
The ponte coperto over the Ticino
A view over the Ticino towards the Duomo
Pavia's Duomo!
Last
weekend I was also lucky to be able to go with Barbara, Mattia and Flo to
Genova which is a city in Liguria south of Lombardy. Flo and I had planned to
go to the Cinque Terre villages in Liguria, however the weather wasn’t as nice
as we had hoped so we decided instead to go to the aquarium of Genova as that’s
a bad-weather friendly attraction! We first had a snack lunch in Pavia, and
then got the train down to Genova around midday. The aquarium really was
gigantic and it was so funny for me as Flo and Barbara had never been to an
aquarium before! They were honestly like children as they saw what I would call
common animals for the first time! They were most excited to see the penguins I
think, but they were just as excited to see the dolphins, sharks, seals and
many different species of fish including a special tank dedicated to the fish
from the film ‘Finding Nemo’ which included Clownfish (Nemo & Marlin), a
puffer fish (Bloat), a Blue Tang (Dory) a Yellow Tang (Bubbles) and all of the
other types of fish from the film. I think that they were only missing a whale,
a shark and a turtle really! Check out some of the photos below as well as some videos. There is a Youtube video of a decent
clip of the Nemo tank! (The beginning of the video is a bit strange but after a few
seconds the quality of the filming of the fish is excellent), and also below
you can see a good video of the the jellyfish. It really was a good day
out, and after the aquarium we went for a walk around the centre of Genova,
however it had started to rain really hard by then so we soon headed back to
Pavia by train.
Pihranas
A manatee
Some really strange sting-ray fish with actual legs!
The sign above the Nemo tank!
Clownfish
Jellyfish
Penguins
Monday
I went to my classes as I’ve already mentioned above it was the first day of
Uni, and Flo spent the day doing his Uni work in the flat. In the evening I
spoke to my au pair family by Skype and after arranging all of my summer plans
I was in a celebratory mood so Flo and I went out for a meal. We tried looking
for a new restaurant to try, but being a stormy Sunday evening not much was
open, so we went instead to one of my favourite restaurants here in Pavia
called ‘Bella Napoli’. It’s a pizzeria on the Piazza Vittoria, and it’s where
Mum and I went on my first night here in Pavia! Flo ordered a pizza with lots
of different cheeses, mushrooms and ham, and I really fancied a pasta dish, but
they didn’t have a vegetarian one on the menu so I asked the waiter to make one
for me. We also had a side salad which was tasty and even though we were
stuffed after the meal we couldn’t resist having a desert! Flo chose a
chocolate fondant which was warm with also a cream pot on the side which was cold,
and I had profiteroles smothered in a chocolate mousse sauce! They were delicious!
The Bella Napoli meal
One
thing that I’ve wanted to do for a long time here in Italy is to see the canals
in Milan which are called ‘I navigli’. The area was once industrial, but
thesedays it is a focus for the city’s nightlife. Tuesday was a lovely day here
in Pavia, so in the eveing Flo and I decided to go and see the Navigli as the
guide book recommends going on a dry day, and even better in the evening when
the sun sets and the neighbourhood is lit up. We also invited some friends, and
in the end six of us ended up going. The area was shabby-chic and the guide
book was right that in the evening with all of the lights on it is much more
attractive. After wandering down the Naviglio Grande we were all a bit pekkish
so popped into a restaurant for an aperitivo buffet! The food was great, and
for only €8 with a drink included it was a bargain.
The Naviglio grande during the early evening
Flo, Karolina and Marco
The Naviglio Grande
All lit up at night
Yesterday
was quite a relaxed day in Pavia apart from the Uni disasters with the French
and Spanish oral classes which I have already explained, but for lunch I went
for a quick snack with Laura and then I met Flo for a wander around Pavia and
we went to a cafe so he could grab some lunch. Stefanie and I had a cappuccino!
They are so yummy here in Italy! The weather wasn’t that great though and it
even came over all stormy and was pouring down with rain! I got a few nice
photos of one of the pretty Uni courtyards in the rain though! Somehow it was
still pretty! I was quite tired from being out all day, so in the evening Flo
and I decided to cook a risotto! I have seen Dad make them before, so I knew
vaguely what to do, but I’d forgotten the steps so Dad was on hand to help via
the internet phone! It took a long time to make it as you have to constantly stir it,
but after around 40 minutes I’d made my first risotto! It was a vegetarian one
with mushrooms, courgettes, onions and tomatoes and was very tasty! I’m quite
proud of my new dish!
Beginning stages of risotto cooking!
Nearly done!
The finished meal! (Smiles proudly..... I can cook!)
Okay
I think that’s it for now, I’ve covered most news! I’m around in Pavia for another
12 days and then I’m off home for a short break for my mum’s birthday and to
take home a suitcase full of winter clothing. I’m really looking forward to
seeing my friends and family at home and just relaxing for a bit! Then the week
after I’m off to Spain to see two friends in Seville and a friend in Valencia!
Plenty of plans coming up! Right, I’m off, I’d better go and try out this
Spanish Language 2 course! Let’s hope that 1: I manage to find the correct
classroom, 2: that the lesson isn’t cancelled again 3: that I don’t get kicked
out 4: that I actually understand something! Then at 6 I have my Italian
Language course for Erasmus students again! I really like those lessons; at
least I can follow what is going on and actually make progress which is more
than can be said for ‘actual Uni’.
Ciaooo
xx
Some gorgeous vines in a Uni courtyard
The Uni
A contrasting pic of the Uni courtyard in the rain! I love the bright red flowers!
The time has been flying so fast here in Pavia that I don't even know which day is which at the moment, and it doesn't help that I don't have any Uni classes to help me remember which day of the week it is! I can't believe that I'm going to say this, but I honestly think that I'm looking forward to when the 4th trimester starts on the 16th April and I can start going to Beginner's French, Spanish Language and Spanish Civilisation. I'll probably have a lot of hours at Uni, but it'll be nice to feel like I'm actually doing something towards getting the required 15 credits I need to pass this semester! That's not to say that I've been doing nothing though.... I have still been going to my Italian Language classes, and been busy travelling about as per usual, but this last weekend was different as I spent it with Italian people only and had two whole days of Italian oral practise which were certainly the longest oral classes of my life! (Although it didn't feel like it was 'work' to me).
On Saturday I went to Piacenza for the day to visit my Italian friend Laura and her boyfriend Alberto. Piacenza is just outside of the Lombardy region where I am, and is in Emilia Romagna of which Bologna is the capital. It was only an hour and 20 minutes south-east by train with one change in Milan which of course managed to go wrong for me. I got the train at 9.34 from Pavia which was fine, and then I knew I had to make a change at a station called Stradella at 10.05, however when 10.05 came I was expecting for us to stop at this station, only we didn't! I had been keeping a look-out as well, so I knew that we hadn't already passed it. Then a few minutes later the train announced that we were arriving in Milano Centrale which was the end of the line! I was so confused, but then decided that the only thing to do was to look for the times from Milano Centrale to Piacenza and I was lucky as a train was leaving 2 minutes later! I quickly found the platform and thankfully jumped on the train seconds before it pulled away! The train was incredibly busy, so I just took a pull-out seat in the aisle and stared blankly out of the window day-dreaming and enjoying the scenery when suddenly a ticket-inspector was in the carriage. My heart started racing as I knew I didn't have the correct ticket, and I started planning on what to say. He came over and I showed him the ticket and he said that I had to pay a supplement as my ticket was for a slow train and the one I was on was apparently a fast train (although it seemed to me to be going the same speed as the train I'd previously been on from Pavia to Milano Centrale!). He insisted that I paid the 8 euros supplement and I said that I had no money on me and showed him my purse which was empty as I was actually planning on getting out money once in Piacenza. I hoped he would take pity on me being a poor English student, but he didn't and continued to write me a ticket. He showed me the ticket, and then said that just before we arrived in Piacenza he would be back to give me the ticket which I had to take to any station and pay the fine at a later date. He then wandered off down the carriage and left me in peace to think. There was no way I wanted to pay the fine as as far as I was concerned, it was not my fault I was on the train in the first place! If the train from Pavia had stopped at Stradella like it was meant to, then I would have made my change there and all would have been dandy. I decided that on arrival at Piacenza I would just run and hope for the best. 5 minutes later as we pulled into Piacenza, he still hadn't come back to give me the ticket so I got off the train and then started walking quickly (errr more like running!) towards the exit. I turned behind me once I was sure I was far enough from the train and actually saw the ticket man hovering at the door of the train where I got off! He waved his arm at me, but I just continued towards the exit knowing that I was far enough away for him not to catch me, and if he didn't give me the ticket, I didn't have to pay the fine. RESULT!...... although afterwards when I was waiting for Laura and Alberto I was really jumpy expecting the police to come out of nowhere and arrest me or something!
Piazza Cavalli and the façade of il Gotico.
Laura and me by the cavallo! (horse)
Laura and Alberto on the Piazza
I soon saw Laura and Alberto waiting for me, and by car we went back to Alberto's house. We then wandered into the centre by foot where they showed me around and even gave me a mini history lesson about the city. We first went to the main square which is called 'Piazza Cavalli' due to there being two horse statues on the piazza, and towering above them was the huge 'Il gotico', otherwise known as the 'Palazzo Comunale' which is a Medieval civic building. The square was buzzing as there was a local market on, and Laura couldn't resist buying a piece of Sicilian focaccia bread!
Laura by the focaccia bread stand!
We were then pretty hungry so went back to Alberto's house where we picked up the car, and then he drove us to a town called the 'Case Marchesi' where we stopped for lunch at a pretty little local restaurant called 'La Bissa Scudlera' which in Piacenzan dialect means 'the turtle'. It was a modern restaurant which had been converted from a house. It was next to the River Trebbia, and was very modern with only a few dishes on the menu. We were given a lovely little table in the outside conservatory from where you could see the river. After recommendations from Laura, I chose an asparagus tart surrounded with a melted Gorgonzola cheese sauce for starter and then a tortelli pasta dish with a mushroom dressing which is a local dish from the Piacenzan region. Laura and Alberto both had a cured meat dish for starters and then Alberto had the same main dish as me, whereas Laura had a carbonara pasta dish.
The outside of the restaurant
The menu
Laura and me inside the restaurant
My starter: the asparagus tart with a Gorgonzola cheese sauce
Laura and Alberto's cured meat starter with 'pan brioche'
Tortelli in a mushroom sauce
Laura's carbonara dish
After lunch we went to have a look outside and took a few photos before driving back to Piacenza and grabbing two bikes to go for a cycling trip around the outskirts of the city centre. At first I was a bit nervous about cycling in Italy as the traffic here is crazy and cars will run you over without a second thought, but we spent most of the time on a 'pista ciclabile' (cycle track) and enjoyed doing a bit of exercise after lunch! After an hour or so we then undid all of the calories we'd just burned off by each having a large home-made ice cream from one of the best Gelateria's (Ice cream shop!) I've ever tasted! and then had some drinks on the piazza overlooking the Duomo. The centre of Piacenza was really pretty and I especially liked the coloured buildings on the Piazza Duomo. After such a lovely day I then went to get my train at 7pm to return to Pavia, but the journey wasn't as relaxing as I'd hoped it would be.
After half an hour on the train admiring the lovely sunset out of the window and taking photos as the train was whizzing past, I realised that I was alone in my carriage. This didn't bother me until some drunk young men got on and sat next to me. They were talking and flirting and then there was a small incident with one of them trying to kiss me and the others trying to stop me from getting away. It was quite scary, but I managed to run and hide in a toilet cubical. I didn't know what to do though as I had to change train at the next station, but they did as well! So to avoid seeing them again I stayed on the train thinking it would go straight to Milano Centrale but instead it stopped at a suburban Milan Station where it would stop for an hour before heading back to Piacenza! I had to wait for an hour, and then change at the next station which was the change I should have already made. It was a big hassle, but luckily nothing more happened. It wasn't a very nice end to an otherwise lovely day!
Alberto, Laura and Me by the Po river after lunch
Alberto and Laura!
Alberto, Laura and me cycling!
Piacenza's Duomo with the lovely blue sky background
The three of us on the Piazza Cavalli
The coloured buildings on the Piazza near the Duomo
My very yummy ice cream! Coconut, Fruits of the forest and Chocolate
Laura and Alberto with their ice creams!
Alberto, me and Laura
The gorgeous sunset from the train on the way home
After such a lovely day in Piacenza on Saturday, I was then invited for dinner at my other Italian friend Barbara's house on Sunday. She lives in a small town called Belgioioso which is just east of Pavia by about 30 minutes in the car. She came to pick me up around 11.30 in Pavia and then we went back to her place where she introduced me to her family. They were all so lovely and welcoming and it was a fantastic opportunity for me to practise my Italian for a few hours and enjoy the lovely lunch! We had a rice dish followed by a mozzarella and tomato salad and then for dessert we gorged on strawberries! The other strange thing about the dessert was that Barbara's parents brought a jar to the table and explained that inside is alcohol and soaking in the alcohol are sugar cubes! It's called 'Zuccherini della nonna' (Grandma's sugar cubes) and apparently having one after a meal is meant to aid digestion! You take one and put it in your mouth, and at first the taste is so strong of alcohol but then the sugar melts and it's all sweet! One try was enough for me, but Barbara's mum went in for seconds! We had a lovely lunch, and then Barbara and Mattia showed me around the tiny town of Belgioioso. There was a medieval castle though which was quite grand, as well as a few shops and a church.
The 'Zuccherini della nonna'
The castle in Belgioioso
Barbara e Mattia
Barbara and me by the castle
In the afternoon Mattia, Barbara and I went back to Pavia to have a wander around the Sicilian food festival which was taking place on the Piazza Vittoria. We saw gigantic bread, hundreds of types of olives and different Sicilian cheeses. The festival even had folklore dancing which was pretty funny to watch! (see the pic below). We then went for an ice cream down by the river at our favourite Gelateria and relaxed in the last of the afternoon sunshine.
The Sicilian food festival poster
All of the little stalls 'bancarelli' in Italian!
Strange Sicilian cheese!
Lots of marzepan fruits and behind those are different types of cakes!
Sicilian olives!
The folklore dancing
The beginning of the week in Pavia has been quite quiet as a lot of Erasmus people have gone home for Easter, however I'm managing to keep busy! I went for an ice cream (yes... another one! wow I need to stop eating so many but they are so good here in Italy!) with Malene and her brother and his friend on Monday, and then in the evening I went out for a meal with them all to a lovely cute little Italian restaurant called 'Il Cupolone' here in Pavia. From the second we walked in I loved the place. The decorations were so ye-olde Italian and the walls were covered with old paintings of Pavia and decor. The boys had a set menu, whereas Malene and I shared a pear risotto! (I had no idea you could make a pear risotto! haha) It was nice, but I'm not sure I'd order it again! We also had side salads which were nice but rather large.
The inside of the restaurant
The reception area
The boys and Malene
More restaurant decor
The Bruscetta starter
Malene and me
Malene with the boy's starter- cured meats and a bowl of veg and tuna paste
The pear risotto complete with dried pear slices!
Yesterday and today have been fairly quiet days, and yesterday I spent a lot of time reading and then in the evening I went to my Italian Language course and then afterwards had a good old viber chat with Gemma which was nice. Then today I've been reading again and listening to Italian music. Malene my Danish friend, Stefanie my German friend and her German friend Carina who is visiting are coming round to the flat in a bit to cook and watch Finding Nemo in Italian! Barbara lent it to me the other day, and I think it'll be quite funny to see in Italian! I think you can count that as language learning and related to my degree, right? Tomorrow I'm having lunch with Laura, and then Friday a coffee date with the girls and the Italian girls and then Saturday I think a trip might be on the cards to Bologna or Turin but we'll see. It's all go go go here even when it's quiet!
Okay, that's me done for now! The girls will be arriving any minute! I'll be back soon with another update, but for now BUONA PASQUA! Happy Easter :) xxx
