After camps ended and I had to leave my host family's place on Saturday, I wandered around the suburbs of Milan, unsuccessfully searched for Internet cafes, and got a haircut. Since I couldn't connect to the web, I had to sit on a park bench, covered in sweat and little hairs from my fresh cut, leafing through my LonelyPlanet guide trying to figure out which city I'd end up in that night. Since I had plans to meet my Aussie friend Sarah in Florence on Monday, I decided to spend the weekend half way between the two towns, in Bologna.
I got to the train station late afternoon, got tickets, and made a mad dash towards the Internet cafe (€3 for 30 minutes?!) to book a hostel for a few hours from then. I found a place that was cheap and HostelWorld recommended, but about 6 km from town. So when I got in to Bologna, I wandered around looking for a night bus to take me to the middle of nowhere, where I'd either find a hostel or realize I paid €20 to sleep in a field. At the bus stop I met a couple looking for the same hostel. We got to talking and it turns out they were from Granada, so we talked about sweet ole Andalucia for a while. On the bus ride I met several people who were about to start their year abroad at the University of Bologna. They were chilling at our hostel while apartment hunting. Several Americans, a few Poles from Wroclaw, and even a Chilena. I spent the weekend drinking beers and jumping between conversations in different languages. Just navigating between Spain Spanish and Chilean Spanish proved to be a challenge after several beers.
Then it was on to Florence. Sarah and I stayed in an apartment we found through a site that is new to me, but highly recommended: airbnb.com We paid next to nothing for a private room with bath, and I even got to wash my clothes in a fancy washing machine. No hand washing in the sink for me! Florence was as beautiful as anyone imagines it to be. Sunsets overlooking the town from Piazza Michealangelo, Renaissance art and the Duomo, and gelatto. What's not to love? We ran into my friend Will, whom I met at work orientation in San Remo, and he and I decided to travel down to Rome together via Perugia.
That's where I am now. Cold winds and clouds remind me summer is coming to a close. Last night we went beer tasting: home made pork, home brewed beers, and home baked bread. I'm loving Tuscany (though technically we're in Umbria, but Tuscany just has that picturesque ring to it). Now we're off to Assisi for a few hours. Hard to believe, but it'll be my third time there. Globe-trotter baller status, what up?
-PM
