what we did and you won´t believe

Let´s first talk about school! Last week we started with a new system; meaning I don´t have anymore language-courses! Instead, with all the other students from the academic year, we get lectures about Italian culture, politics, economy etc.. Interesting but it demands some efforts from us as well. Every week we need to do some research on a certain subject, write an essay and finally present it to the other students! I think it´s all verzy interesting. The only pitty is that it seems I´m one of the only ones who´s enthousiastic! Some people from our class don´t take any interest in what we´re learning and this passive attitude influences a bit the atmosphere in the class.. A bit of a shame but what can you do! They´re always some “rotte appels” in a group of people!

Last week I looked up information on Abruzzo, one of the 20 provincies of Italy, and also the provincy where Valentina, my flatmate and Manuel, my italian casanova, are living! This week I´m studying about Federico Felinni, a famous Italian movie director!

Enough about school, let´s talk…. About the weather!!! How exciting! 2 weeks ago it seemed like spring and summer had really begun! Sun everywhere for the whole day! I could even bike to school without my jacket! How beautiful rome is within the sun!! So, what happened.. Almost every day after school Alex and I went to Circo Massimo to lay down, relax and take a sunbath! How nice this was.. Also Manuel joined me one afternoon at the circo! There I got an introduction to … his kind of music.. Metal!! Ooooooh dear lord, yes, I know what you are all thinking now! I thought the same! But he´s everything but the stereotypical metal-fan! What a strange man! No no, tooo sweet actually! Of course alex and I also went for jogging, but only when the sun was already leaving cuz otherwise it was tooo warm!!

After a week of sun, we all hoped for a weekend full of sun, and that is what we got! Valentina and Erika had lefted our flat to go back home for the weekend, Julia went out with her french boy and Alex and I, we got spoiled! Already on friday evening we were invited at Manuel´s flat for a dinner together with matteo, one of manuel´s flatmates! What a good service we got there! After eating, we all watched from out of the sofa Nip/Tuck.. very popular here in Italy! Then we walked alex back to the metro station and I got a bed offered at manuel’s place! The next day it just kept on going: alex and I were invited for lunch! So of course we accepted and there we were again: eating at manuel’s flat! This time Manuel didn’t join us for lunch because he had a ticket to see the rugby game: Italy vs Ireland! ( and Italy lost, but wrote history anyhow!). After lunch Alex and I decided to go follow the match on the big screen that they had put on Piazza del Popolo! Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, Italy was soooo far behind that there was no possibility left for a victory! Anyhow, the atmosphere was great!

On sunday, the 18 of march, alex, Huei and myself wrote history!! We run the Marathon of Rome!!! Oooooooooh yes we did! Well, kind of… we did run the marathon, but we had chosen to run only the little one of 4 km!! Hooooow great it was!! The whole storical centre was forbidden for cars but was crowded with people!!! 40.000 in total I believe! What an atmosphere! With the official T-shirt –that we had received when we went to register for the run- we ran 4 km in the eternal city! We were so excited!! Probably it was noticable because the Italian tv took an interview with us! Unfortunately we missed it on tv that evening, although we searched.. And this is how we wrote history, in the sun!!

Last week the weather unfortunately changed completely!!!! Cold, rain, storm, thunder, snow (not in Rome but quite close!) how sad rome looked all of a sudden! But eventhough the weather was horrible, we kept organizing all kinds of things! On monday we had a dinner with some friends from school at our place, tuesday I went to the flat of my favourite dutch friends to eat chinese, on wednesday Manuel came over for diner and we all watched Troy on tv together, and… last but not least, on thursday Alex and I left for a little trip!!

We got invited of Cesare, my italian friend, to join him for two days to Bologna! Ooooh yes, I didn´t have to think to hard about it! So, I told the school I would be absent for two days and on thursday morning we left by car! It took us about 4 hours to arrive at Lugo, a little village between Ravenna and Bologna! During our trip we stopped once to ….. play in the snow!!!!!! Really, we build a little snowman and we attacked eachother with big big snowballs! How funny it was.. especially because two hours later we were sitting outside in the sun, eating something at a bar close to our bed&breakfast at lugo!! Strange weather…

After arriving in Lugo we did a bit of a sightseeing, went to the rehearsel of the theater compagny of cesare, wachted the real spectacle and then went out for dinner with all the actors! Nice but very tiring! The next morning we left for Bologna, a BEAUTIFUL city full of students, so with a great atmosphere!! There we did a nice walk to the city centre, climbed the highest antic tower of Italy and bought ourselves some nice dolci! Around 4pm we decided to return back home since we all felt a bit tired! At 8pm we were back in Rome, where we were immediately welcomed with a nice diner with Manuel and Matteo at our home!

As always, also last weekend was a very nice one!
Saturday:
lunch with vale, manuel, matteo and myself at their home.. (because I felt so tired in the afternoon, I went back to bed for two hours, untill our guests had arrived for the diner at our home in the evening!) Matteo, Pietro, Manuel, Mona, Fausto, Alex, Vale e io had dinner all together and then left for a drink! First we went to the university campus of La Sapienza because there we “le Notte Bianche”. This is one night that university is open for all her students and they organize little concerts, speeches, drinks etc.. Very nice atmosphere!! The whole campus was decorated with big lights, music etc.. We just had a beer and watched the fireworks! Very nice but very italian with in the end for 10 minutes the colours of Italy! Then we decided to go for a drink at San Lorenzo, the student neigbourhood! After searching for quite a while we managed in finding a table for all of us! It was a very nice evening, also because I ordered myself a brown leffe.. MMMMM!!!
Sunday:
Relax, because the time had changed and also because I didn´t feel to well! In the evening, for a change, we had a nice dinner with only ladies! All friends from the language school came over and we had a very nice evening all together!!

Well, that´s about it I think!! Talking about a lot of information!! Ooh, maybe one more thing! Next wednesday I’ll make a little trip.. not in Italy as the plan was, but I’m going to barcelona to visit my friend santiago overthere! He invited me over and really such an invitation I can’t reject!! So, from 4th-8th april I’ll be in spain instead of Italy!! La vita è veramente bella per me!!

Probably I all made you a bit jealous …. But at least by writing everyting down you can all enjoy my stories together with me no?? I hope you are all doing well, all around the world!! A biiiiiiiiiiig kiss to all of you, and who feels like it: do write, call, send me a message or whatever!!