• Bologna and Milan

    Part 1:  Bologna
    Liz, Kristina, and I mak our way to the train station in Siena directly after I finished teaching English at the elementary school.  Leaving after 6, our Train takes around 3 hours to get to Bologna, changing trains twice (we picked the cheaper, yet slower train route).  My first train experience EVER!  So exciting right?  I actually do like trains now, they are slightly more comfortable and spacious than airplanes despite that they take longer.  But you don’t have to go through any check lines; you can bring all sorts of liquids, stretch out, etc.  Pretty nice, eh?  Except when its dark and you have to watch every single stop to see if it’s the right one you’re supposed to get off at.  #Close Call #1:  Liz spots the sign for our stop at the last second “GUYS GET OFF NOW!!!!!”.  We get off the train, and then it immediately starts pulling away.  Phew.

    first train ride!
    We finally make it to Bologna around 10pm.  A little sketched out since it’s late, we are able to navigate to our hotel fairly well thanks to the map in my guidebook I found in our student lounge.  We stayed at this surprisingly nice bed and breakfast apartment – the owner was so nice to come after hours to check us in and even provided us with a little map book!  We ended up with our own private room with a really nice bathroom and tv!  Way better than anticipated.  #Unexpected Victory #1.

    “It’s Thursday night, we’re totally going to go check out Bologna tonight”, yeah… Only to then look over at Liz already passed out on our bed.  Going to bed early is definitely worth it.  Lesson learned: when you’re traveling a while and you arrive late at night, just go to bed, because that’s what you really want to do anyways.
     






    We start off our Friday trying to figure out how to get to this Basilica right outside Bologna with an incredible view of the city.  We walk around, enjoy looking at the people, the buildings, the stores, and after asking several people, navigate ourselves to the right bus and hop on.  Yes, we were riding without tickets… #Close Call #2.
    pre-the hike to the basilica
    A bus ride and 50 minute uphill hike later, we reach the beautiful Basilica, albeit pretty sweaty.   After a little browsing and checking out the different views, we sit down in the small park area to our packed lunches.  It is the most beautiful day, about 60 to 70 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, resting our already tired feet and taking in the view of Bologna and this Basilica that overlooks it; definitely a great way to experience Bologna.  The inside of the Basilica is equally as grand and gorgeous, as I have found all of the churches in Italy to be. 

    San Luca Basilica
    inside the Basilica
    View of Bologna from the Basilica
    Bologna has tons of free stuff to do and look out.  Aside from just enjoying walking around the city center itself, we visit several other churches and museums to learn about Bologna.  The main piazza is Piazza Maggiore alongside the Piazza Nettuno with an awesome fountain.  Bologna is similar to Siena in style, but much bigger and more city feeling, but still very manageable.
    Piazza Maggiore
    Fountain in Piazza Nettuno
    the best gelato EVER!~






    And of course, Bologna has some of the best food and gelato.  Friday night we have the most FABULOUS dinner ever at the Trattoria Anna Maria – I strongly advise that if you are ever in Bologna, you must find this restaurant.  Very elegant but very well priced.  We started with various breads and olive oils and salami and frittata, then salad, and then I had the most wonderful Gorgonzola tortellini.  BY THE WAY, Bologna is credited to creating tortellini and stuffed dishes.  With a half bottle of the house wine, the best wine I’ve had so far, and finishing with some sweetly spiced pears, amazing gelato, and a shot of Limoncello, we each paid only 25 euro.  25 euro for that BALLER fancy meal! #Unexpected Victory #2
    One of the two towers of Bologna



    Bologna is also credited to having the oldest University still operating, and it shows, being quite the college town.  After leaving our dinner, there were Italian students our age EVERYWHERE.  Definitely more hoppin’ than Siena. 




    We spend Saturday morning shopping around and walking through Bologna, just enjoying the sights and stores and people.  We head to the train station around noon to catch our train...
    One of the towers leans!
    the most amazing chocolate mousse raspberry pastry









    Well, the Bologna Centrale train station is pretty large and we follow the signs to Oveste (west), and make our way up to Platform 3.  We’re there about a half hour to 45 minutes early and chill, chatting on the bench.  10 minutes before our train leaves and there is no train in sight… 5 minutes… finally it’s the time the train is supposed to leave… and no train still.  We figure, well, this is Italy, everything is always late, which it usually is…. I notice the board and see our Milan train time is flashing – I guess that means it’s late??  A couple minutes later…. It isn’t on the board anymore.

    Guys, why is the Milan train no longer listed?  It was never even here.

    Guys, we’re on the wrong platform.  WHAT!?????? We RUNNN down the stairs, scrambling and searching… oh great, we really were on the wrong platform because we then find the correct “3 Oveste”… we were on “3 Centro” #FAIL and of course, our actual train just left… After asking around, we discover that there is another train for Milan leaving in less than 2 hours and we don’t have to buy another ticket, our ticket is still good for the next one #Close Call #2


    Part 2:  Milan

    the most magnificent Duomo in Italy




    and this is just the train station..
    We finally arrive in Milan a little before 7, only to discover we have NO idea where to go – the map in my guide book is only of the city CENTER – yeah, Milan is about as big as New York City, and my map is equivalent to the area surrounding Town Square…  By this point, we have become pros as finding the best people to ask for help and directions.  We come across this quite glamorous Italian women, whom we find out works for Neiman Marcus and commutes between the US and Milan (SICK) and she is BEYOND helpful, going all the way to take us to the Metro station and show us the maps and direct us on how to acquire passes.

    Yes, the traveling time we had to do Saturday stretched MUCH longer than we anticipated.

    Duomo at night!
    We make it off the metro to the street of our hostel a little before 8 pm… to find the street filthy and covered in cardboard boxes, trash, and food. Beyond sketched out.  Arriving in the hostel, we question the receptionist and she explains there was a market earlier – Phew, explains a lot. 

    Cutting to the chase – we arrive back in the city center around 915 ish.  The best part is when you emerge from the metro station, you are right in front of the Duomo, which is absolutely stunning; definitely the most beautiful Duomo in Italy.  We wander about the city center which is very much alive, searching for some aperativo because we are STARVING.  I think we checked out about 15 different places, all quite pricey.  Having no idea quite where we are, we pass one small little bar and freeze, spotting a HUGE aperativo buffet out.  SCORE. 

    Taking over Milan
    #Unexpected Victory #3
    1.     AMAZING aperativo, all at the price of one 5 euro glass of wine
    2.     Of course a second glass of wine becomes a necessity.  10 euro
    3.     We become bffs with the bartenders, thus obtaining another free glass of wine
    4.     VIP treatment anyone? BALLER status
    5.     We get into some exclusive discoteca/club
    6.     We dance to Ai Se Tu Pego at another club #missionaccomplished

    Come 1 am, we decide it is best to head home.  Now, we preplanned our bus route because the metro stopped at midnight and the metro guy told us the buses ran throughout the night… but once we get off the first bus and make our way to the second bus stop, yes, of course, the second bus is not running.  GO FIGURE.  TAKE NOTE: the distances on bus stop maps look MUCH CLOSER THAN THEY ARE!!!!  We find come to find ourselves at 3 in the morning, still walking, no people in sight, cars honking, one car even slowing down… sketch sketch sketch.  “IF ONLY WE HAD A TAXI” I swear God heard us, because I spot a taxi coming by in our direction and I start FLAILING my arms about screaming TAXIIIIIIII – to sum up, we get in the taxi and the driver is saying (in Italian) “What on earth are you three doing out in THIS area at THIS hour??”   Well, it didn’t quite hit just HOW sketch it was until when we arrived at our hostel and he didn’t even make us pay for the taxi – He just wanted us safely home.  #Close Call #2.  Scratch that – EXTREMELY close call. 

    Yeah, I don’t think we had JUST ONE Angel watching over us during the weekend.

    inside the Duomo
    I’m not sure how we managed it, but we leave our hostel by 930 Sunday morning to take in the most of Milan we could.  We spend over an hour in the Duomo, it is just so beautiful, listening to them sing in Latin.  And of course, we spend quite a while shopping about Milan – the amount of stores is RIDICULOUS!!  Overall, Milan is very glamorous and the buildings are WAY more beautiful than I anticipated for such a large city.  BUT, Milan is also EXTREMELY huge and we only received a VERY small taste of the city – it is just too large of a city, you would need a week there to take in everything, or at least all the major highlights.  Oh yeah, and a ton of money if you want to do it right.

















    What is supposed to be 5 hours on the train turns into almost 7 due to our second train in Florence being delayed by 45 minutes – we get held up in Bologna on the way back and arrive in Florence with less than 5 minutes before our train to Siena is supposed to leave, so we SHOVE our way off the train and BOOK IT to our platform along with a bunch of Asians, all of us looking quite frazzled and crazy trying to make our train… only to find it delayed.  A few minutes later, we notice several Italians from our last train casually strolling up to the platform – HOW DO THEY KNOW THESE THINGS?! #TotalAmericanMove.  You can’t blame us though – you can become quite derranged after such an exhausting weekend.  Oh man, all we wanted was to be back in Siena.  Oh how we missed Siena.

    Part 3:  Recap

    SO happy to be headed back to Siena


    So after this weekend, I learned a LOT.  I’m talking boatloads.  Although I technically visited Florence on my own, my program sponsored one day, so it wasn’t too difficult.  I consider this to be my first real trip doing everything completely on my own.  Just being abroad itself for the semester is already considered a huge learning experience, and now you add on traveling on your own in this foreign country.  I swear I learned more in this weekend of things I wouldn’t even go near if I were still back at home for the rest of my time in college.  Some of it really isn’t even explainable, but here are some of the highlights.













    1.    Plan plan plan!  When you think you planned enough, PLAN SOME MORE!  Essentially, all of the things I learned could have been solved prior through better planning – and you’re talking to an anal planner and organizer here!  But, this type of thing is very different than anything I’ve done before.  Oh yeah, then slap on the whole speaking Italian thing and everything is in Italian.  Then get back to me.
    2. You can’t put a price on safety.  Any amount of money is worth your safety.
    3. When riding trains, always ask other people (this is more of a beginner thing I guess) if they are going to the same place… you can avoid the whole wrong train issue this way
    4. Oh yeah, and sometimes trains have assigned seats.
    5. Make sure you are on the correct train platform – there is always the possibility of 3 different number 3 platforms… as was our case
    6. You think you are aware of your surroundings, but you have to be extra extra aware
    7. When you’re a tourist, you can’t avoid looking like a tourist.  You want to stop and take pics? TOURIST – can’t avoid it.  Deal with it.  Take those pictures.  You know you want them.
    8. DON’T plan to go more than one place in a weekend unless they are doable day drips…. It’s exhausting just being in one place!  I strongly suggest two full days in a place at minimum.  A day of travel is a day of travel, exhausting unto itself, and trying to squeeze a lot of sightseeing in on the same day is overdoing it.  Especially after your feet already have blisters.
    9. Finally, I LOVE Siena.  Siena is so far my favorite place in Italy.  It probably will always remain so.  I already feel my heart finding its place here in Siena.  It is such the perfect place for me – an adorable walled city amid the beautiful Tuscan countryside that is a very manageable size with friendly people, and lots to do without being overwhelming.  Sounds perfect right?

    ***I don't apologize for the ridiculous length of this entry.  #sorryi'mnotsorry You should miss me enough to want to know EVERY SINGLE DETAIL OF MY LIFE IN ITALY - just kidding actually.