Pesca

Bologna is decidedly lovely. With its porticoed walkways, old buildings, and "Bars" (more like a cafe and bar in one), there is a charming mix of old and new; the modern buildings juxtaposed against the original; and the vespas bumping along the cobblestoned streets. And Italian is such a beautiful language that I am content just people watching and listening to conversations that I don't understand.

I am finding Italian easier to pick up than Arabic, but I certainly have a long way to go. I bought an Italian phrasebook at the last minute, and not surprisingly, it only has limited value. It has been helpful for looking up individual words, but at this point I'm jetlagged and getting my bearings, so I don't seem to be retaining much. Plus, under the travel section, the phrasebook tells you to listen for "there is a strike" when asking about train schedules. Ok, I know Italy is famous for worker strikes, but really? Is that the first thing I shold listen for? And while it explains that Italian pronunciation is intuititive once you learn the rules, I haven't gotten very far. I mean, am I really going to remember when a "c" takes on a "sh" sound? Apparently it would be helpful.

I finally got some gelatto, which was amazing by the way. I walked into the gelateria with my new roommate (an Aussie) and semi-confidently ordered "pe-she y fra--la." The server, while very nice, started laughing and asked if I meant "pes-ca y -go-la." Yes. That is what I meant: peach and strawberry, not fish and strawberry, thank you.

My first day of exploring I happened to find all of the shops where noone spoke English. Everyone was very kind, but it was painfully obvious that I had no idea what I was doing. Ordering espresso, I was asked if I wanted American coffee...I did not come all the way to Italy for American coffee. Plus, Italians are serious about their espresso. Capuccino or caffelatte is a breakfast drink. One does not order it in the afternoon. The cream is too heavy apparently. Straight espresso or espresso macchiato (with a dollop of milk) is acceptable, but no more. And everyone has coffee of somesort for breakfast. You're just weird if you don't.

Other cultural differences: hotels don't provide shampoo, but we do have shoe polish in our room; there is no iron available, you can only have it sent out; you had better be hungry during the prescribed meal times (and dinner is served late by American standards), otherwise you're out of luck as most restaurants close between lunch and dinner.