mi vida/vita erasmus !!!: PASCUA A PAVIA, GENOVA, E I NAVIGLI DI MILANO!

Bikes at the Uni

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