Champions league and more!

Ciaoooo cari tutti!

It's monday again.. the last monday of the year that i'll spend here! Unbelievable that i'm going home already on saturday.. These 2.5 months have passed by soooooo fast, but that's a good sign, no?

A lot has been going on lately, and to be honnest, I really have to think about what exactly i did last week! For sure is that on tuesday I went for a dinner at alex her flat, together with Shun and Sashi, and 2 of her italian flatmates! As always, it was very cosy, very good and very gastronomical! I was responsible for dessert, so i decided to make one of my favourites: "appeltjes in de oven", and luckely for me and my reputation, they turned out really well!

Also the day before, I was able to enjoy LA CUCINA ITALIANA! The school had organized a dinner for all students of the academic year, and since I'm one of them, I had the pleasure of joining! Together with some teachers and the two principles, a group of 15 people invaded a little Italian restaurant close to our school! And as it always goes here in Italy.. the first thing that arrived on the table was: The housewine! Then afterwards all the piatti followed, and to finish we could enjoy a good Limoncello or caffé. It was a nice and very fulfiling evening!

On wednesday, for a chance I didn't had a dinner planned, but a Chiampions league game: AS ROMA - VALENCIA! With our little group of 6 girls, we entered the gigantic Stadio Flaminio, and sang along with all the italians like real fans! The atmosphere was great, but the game sucked tremendously! We did win in the end, but even this one goal was one goal too much if you ask me! They didn't deserve it since they played soooo badly! (even 2 days ago they lost the derby AS ROMA - LAZIO ROMA with 0-3) Still, we had lots of fun and it was a great experience!

On thursday evening, the weekend started because friday was a official holiday: the festa of Immacolata, some (of course) religious thing! That evening I got invitated by Alex to join her to a club Living Room, because some friends she knew were going there! So, first, for warming-up we went to a very nice Enoteca and had a marvellous glass of italian wine! Then, before going to the club, we went for a little walk around Piazza Navona, where we ran into Rèmi (a french boy from our class) and his friend! (rome is really not this big!). So, we decided to go all for a drink and then go out! But one drink turned into two drinks, and by the time they wanted to go out I felt tooo tired, so I passed and went home! Good decision I made, since the weekend was again very busy!

Friday was a very relaxing day, with especially some sleeping, washing, cleaning and a trial to shop for christmas presents! Unfortunately it was sooooo crowded in the city centre that I decided to return after half a hour! No possible way of getting through! REALLY CRAZY! ROme got tooo small that day, and even the next day! Saturday was even worse!
But, returning to friday, in the evening I went with My Dutch sweeties to the christmas market at Piazza Navona!! How lovely it was: candy everywhere! Of course I bought some Nociollini (caramilized nuts! mmmmmm). Aafter one hour I had to go, since I got invited my Daniele, my Italian friend, to go see a concert at Auditorium, the biggest mucsic complex of Rome! After first sitting in the wrong concert hall and after escaping there, we finally did arrive in the good hall! We sat down on the ground like all the rest, and prepared ourselves for what was about to strike us: A japanse "music"-band called ZU! oooooooooooooooooh dio, I really tried but it couldn't convince me at all! Tooo experimental and modern! Luckely the first band was really really good, so we were able to enjoy at least one half of the concert! hihi.. really funny! Afterwards we treated ourselves on a beer in some pub!(I added some pictures from the concert on the "pictures-website")

Saturday was a bit of a sad day... it rained a bit, it was cold and I didn't feel too great! During the day there wasn't much to do, so I learnt a bit and stuff. In the evening there was normally a birthday party planned but this didn't really got organized, so in the end, Alex and I went for a glass of wine in one of my favourites Enoteca's! There it was sooooo crowded, but we were lucky, and people left when we entered so we had a place! There we drunk again some wonderfull wine and talked talked talked.. untill, 2 italian boys showed up and invited us for going out dancing! Since we didn't really feel like that, they decided to stay for a while in the enoteca with us and they offered us another glass of wine.. They were students architecture, nice but a bit strange (at least one of them). Still, we talked a lot and it was nice. In the end they drove us home which was very easy for us: not having to wait for a bus at night in rome is like a present from heaven!

On sunday Alex and I had a little trip planned: NAPOLI!! at 6.49 in the morning we took the train out of Rome, and 3 hours later we arrived in Napoli, "the dangerous city in the south".. It was a great trip! Since it was a sunday and christmas is coming closer there was a big christmas market going on: all little streets were filled with people selling christmas-stuff! Honnestly, I've never seen sooooooo much kitch in my life!!!!! INCREDIBLE!! ALso the famous Presepi (=christmas stable) were there in every possible shapes and looks! Really, there are no words! After doing a very nice long walk we went for coffee, and then we entered the underground of Napels: we visited the greek ruines under the ground of Napels! Really very adventerous and interesting! we walked in very narrow little halls with only candle-light, to discover the antique water-system of the greeks! Very interesting! After this we stopped for another coffee, and then we went for a pizza (of course) at Da Michele, the place were pizza was born!! hmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Unfortunately i started raining in Napoli, so with very wet feat we returned on a stamped train.. Result: ALex didn't go to school today! beginning of a cold... hihi

This evening I'll stay in the house! Probably I'll organize myself a bit: see what i'll take home with me, do some washing, etc.. yep, the last week here! I also need to discuss and talk a bit with school, because I'm thinking of moving to another appartment! I reallly reallly would like to move, but there are some problems (too long and boring to explain!). NOrmally by thursday I'll have the final answer! Cross your fingers for me, okay?? My new appartment would be with 3 italian girls, so... waauuw, would be really great!! But, let's not look into the future tooo much!

Okay, I'm going now! Probably I'll see some of you next week in Belgium!! Woooohoooooo!! looking forward to that!!! really, I prefer talking above writing I guess!! ;-) I'm happy in a way that I can return now for some time! It's always nice to be home as well! So please, let me know when you're all available so we can meet, oky???

Biggest hugs,
Tanti grossi baccini!
Sofiaaaaaa
xxxx