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Just before the guys came…Kelley and I decided to book hotels/hostels in Bologna and Rimini…cause why not? Right? So the guys decided that making the…mexican sandwich…would be too complicated and expensive for so many people. We thought it was better to not ask what a Mexican sandwich consisted of. But in anycase, they came over and cooked tortellini. The boys had gone to apertivo before hand, and were quite funny by the time they got to our apartment. They tried to cook, and we ate half over cooked, half raw tortellini in some boxed white sauce. We finally left for Merlins and were there until 1ish. We had to call it an early night because on Friday we had to be up at 6.
Friday, I did get up on time at 6, to shower and get to the bus station at 6:45 where our bus was departing for our Food and culture fieldtrip. We did get there on time, by some stroke of luck, and spent 3 hours on a bus to somewhere in Tuscany. My teacher, peter fisher, took us to an organic farm. We saw milking cows, small horses, ducks, and goats. The farm was made and run by people who felt a calling to farm…and thank god someone felt a calling for farming, cause that means I don't have to. So they are vegetarians, and raise these animals to produce natural fertilizer. We walked the beautiful farm, and (mom be proud!) I picked a fresh fig off a tree and ate it. It was delicious! Then we tried fresh yogurt, bread, an assortment of cheeses, and fresh natural fruit juice. At the little store they had, I bought an apple because I am jealous that my family is apple picking this upcoming weekend. I ate the crisp apple on the bus as we were headed to a restaurant. The restaurant was an hour away. There we were greeted by a very happy well-feed man. We had antipasto, consisting of bread, sliced meats, and pate (chicken liver). Then penne with a rooster sauce, and a very rare steak that is indigenous to Italy and not served in america. And if that wasn't enough, we had 3 different kinds of dessert. Of course I had an espresso too, to keep me awake after all those calories.
Kelley and I then got on the bus to Florence. From there we took a train to Bologna. We checked into an ACTUAL hotel . We fell asleep to Italian tv (it seems the only time we get to watch tv is on the weekends).Around 8 we woke up and walked around, because Nathan told me there was an H+M around. So we found that and then walked back to the train station to find Karole. Karole is our friend who lives with katy across the hall. With her, we went to a café and talked to an American guy in the airforce who is stationed in Italy and just returned from 15 months in Afghanistan. Then we went to the hotel and passed out at like 10:30.
Saturday, we woke up at 8 and I had probably the BEST shower I'll have in Italy. I cannot tell you how happy I was for a hot shower with actual water pressure. Then we went downstairs for the included breakfast, which we stuffed ourselves with. Then the three of us ventured to see what Bologna had to offer. We walked around the main piazza, where there was a strike going on. We saw the three palaces, church, and fountain it had to offer. Then we climbed up 498 stairs in the non-leaning tower, took pictures, and climbed 498 steps down. We decided there wasn't much else to see for the history, and that we should get with the modern times of bologna…and go shopping! I bought 2 sweaters, which is a lot for me. Then what else was there to do…but eat! So at this little restaurant, Kelley and I split a salad and I ordered Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. Why not eat Bolognese in Bologna! Right? (for those that don't know…it's just a meat sauce, but a delicious one at that). we found another place, and I had a cappuccino. We walked around to see the other shops, and then headed to the train station.
Kelley and I then took a train from bologna to rimini! I remembered nana saying something about rimini, so on Thursday we just decided to go! And why not? We got on a bus and the directions said to get on a number 11 bus and get off at 24…whatever that meant. So we got on a number 11 bus, went two stops when the driver stopped and said FINITO, a.k.a. the bus ends here. Here. Where WAS here? We didn't know. We laughed for a bit, realizing we were lost in rimini, with no phone number, and minimal Italian language skills. But luckily another bus 11 came. Then we took it to stop number 26, because we didn't realize we had to ring the bell in the over crowded bus. So we walked to number 24 and finally found where we should have been. Alas, the Sunflower Beach Backpackers Hostel. What a place. It was our first actual hostel. It was like I was in a college dorm in the 70s. the walls were a vibrant orange, and there were hippie pillows that people could sit on. The man at the counter gave us a room key and sheets. Check out the pictures if you think I am lying. We went to our 4 person dorm and made our beds, I ate an apple, and we retired back downstairs for a glass of persecco. We walked around a bit, and fell asleep without our roommates at 10:30. Our roommate we think was Polish, and came in late, but barely woke up when we did at 8am. I did not sleep well because there was a bug in my ear practically every hour. We couldn't shower in the morning because they don't have towels in hostels, and I think I would have gotten tetnis if I showered without sandals. But this is what you get or paying 18 euro a night. I woke up with 5, now very swollen, bites on my arm.
Sunday morning, we ate the hostel included breakfast, not as fantastic as the hotels. It was warm milk with granola and over sweetened orange juice. But Kelley and I were optimistic and headed to the beach! (at first in the wrong direction). But eventhough it was freezing and cloudy, we stuck our little toes in the Adriatic Sea!! We saw the beach activities they have during the actual summer, and walked around some of the amusements. It was kind of deserted. We decided to bus into the center to see the historical stuff. But not before warming up with some delicious Italian hot chocolate! The center was not much of a center. There were two palaces and a fountain. There was, however, an antique market in the piazza where these sites were. I bought a pretty ring for 2 euro from this lovely woman. Its kind of pink and seashelly which is perfect coming from rimini. It seems where ever we go, we happen upon something (DJ Ralph, a puppet show, a festival, a strike, an antique show)…Italy never rests! Then we saw the Sismondo Castle and the Tiberus bridge…which was smaller than I expected. But it was next to a beautiful park. Kelley and I walked through the park and got lost when we came out. We finally found the castle again, which was near where we had planned to eat. One of the books raved about a place. Well we were where the place should have been…but it wasn't there, it must have been bought out. So we went to another restaurant. The menu was entirely in Italian, and the waitress did not like us. We wanted fried calamari. And when we tried to order it, the waitress sighed, ran to the kitchen and came back with a piece of uncooked calamari on a fork. She pointed and said…fish, calamari is fish. (which we knew). But we didn't know what to say, so Kelley ordered paella. The waitress said it was big enough for two, so I said id split it with her. When the waitress asked what we were going to do about out second (our second course) we were so frazzled that I told Kelley to pick ANYTHING on the menu, which she did, she picked the cheapest thing, and that's why we get along. The waitress asked for one person or two, and I said two. The water never came…but the paella did. And check out that picture. It was huge! And full of fresh Adriatic seafood! It was delicious, if you couldn't tell. We were so full that we were hoping the mystery dish was small. Well then the waitress came out with two whole fish! Eyes, tail, skin, everything…and TWO of them! So of course I ate it. 17 euro and one very full stomach later, we left the restaurant and Rimini. The trip was worth it even if just for the seafood. We got home relatively early, did some homework, and called it a night. What a good last minute decision to go to Bologna and Rimini.
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