First things first - we made sure to show off our cooking skills and feed Estefi well. Nicole and I made two meals in the dorm kitchen that we were very proud of: risotto with chicken broth, chicken, asparagus, and walnuts one night, and another night we tried the ragù from cooking class, which turned out really well. We also found a bakery with divine hazelnut meringue.
We went out to dinner twice in Bologna, which Nicole and I never do, since we cook most of our meals in the dorm. We went to a low-key, very homey restaurant called Osteria dell'Orsa, and split three pasta dishes, one of which was tagliatelle al cacao (yes, pasta made with cocoa...it was the color of chocolate) with a cream sauce. Very interesting. (More about our other restaurant meal later.) We also took Estefi to the fabulous gelateria La Sorbetteria Castiglione, which we originally read about in the NYTimes, because everyone knows you can't come to Italy and not eat gelato.
Aside from giving Estefi the grand tour of Bologna, we took a day trip to Milan on Saturday. It was my first time being in Milan, and I'm really glad I made it there. I didn't like it as much as Turin, but it was definitely worth the trip just to see the famous sights.
Estefi and me in front of the DuomoFirst we went to the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, one of Milan's most famous museums. The art was beautiful, but so was the building itself; it looked like a small Renaissance castle, with a courtyard and clock tower, and a beautiful curved staircase with mosaics on the wall.
After that, we ate lunch at Princi, a "chic" bakery that we also read about in the NY Times. We had outstanding pizza...it was definitely worth pushing through the crowds at the counter to get the food!
Next we walked through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, the renowned and very ritzy shopping gallery of Milan.
After that, we ate lunch at Princi, a "chic" bakery that we also read about in the NY Times. We had outstanding pizza...it was definitely worth pushing through the crowds at the counter to get the food!
Next we walked through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, the renowned and very ritzy shopping gallery of Milan.
The outside arch of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
Inside the Galleria
Prada...don't worry, we didn't go insideWe walked through the Galleria, and on the other side waiting for us was the Teatro alla Scala, Milan's famous opera house! We were all very excited to see it, because not only are we all opera enthusiasts, but we all bonded during the Italian Department's opera trips to the Met our freshman year. So it was very fitting that we see Italy's famous opera house together.
The outside of the Teatro alla Scala
La Traviata - my first opera, and one of our favorites
In the wrong order, but Milan's beautiful cathedral
The lobby of the Teatro alla Scala...taking pictures was forbidden, but I was stealthy. I couldn't resist.
Another illegal picture, the interior of the Teatro alla ScalaNext we went to see the Duomo, the big beautiful gothic cathedral of Milan. It's actually the second biggest cathedral in Italy...I'm assuming the biggest is St. Peter's in Rome. We walked through the cathedral, which is very gothic and reminded me of cathedrals in France, like Notre Dame. As we were walking through the cathedral, the organ was playing, which really added to the experience. We also climbed up to the roof (you can actually stand on top of it...the architecture is breathtaking) and got a great view of Milan.
Piazza del Duomo
View from the topBack in Bologna, we happily continued to tour the city. On Sunday, we trekked to the Basilica of San Luca, a circular Baroque church on top of a hill outside Bologna. It's quite a hefty uphill climb, but it was a perfect Sunday afternoon activity, and the view was also beautiful.
Last night, for our farewell dinner (which doubled as a birthday dinner for Estefi who turns 21 on Saturday), we went to a restaurant called Drogheria della Rosa, which we had read about in that same NYTimes article about Bologna. When Nicole called up the day before, the owner asked if she was American, and insisted that the reservation be made under the name "Obama." (Didn't I tell you the Italians love Obama?) So last night we had a reservation for three for Obama. It was an epic meal. The owner was extremely friendly (and definitely a little drunk by the end of the night) and came over to our table several times and told us the best things to order. We of course talked about politics with him, and talked to both tables on either side of us by the end of the night as well. It was a very familial environment (it's actually a former pharmacy, turned into a restaurant) and we ended up staying there for a long time. It's definitely one of the best meals I've eaten in a while! It ended with roasted chestnuts, which they bring to every table. Roasted chestnuts are very common in Italy; there are chestnuts stands in most cities in the winter, but they're not candied like in the States, just roasted. I'd never had them before I came to Italy, and now I'm hooked! But the best ones we've had by far were at this restaurant. At the end of the night, we all got roses which I think they give to all the women because it's called Drogheria della Rosa. A perfect end to a perfect week with Estefi!
A few other quick things to note: my theater class switched to a theater space this past week, and we've started staging the three scripts we're working on. It's so much fun to be working on theater pieces in Italian, and I feel like it's improving my pronunciation so much. This past week in general, I've been feeling like I have a better grip on the Italian language, which is so refreshing because for a while I was feeling very discouraged and pessimistic about my speaking abilities. But it's all starting to come together now. Last thing to mention is that at the elementary school where I volunteer, I was switched from the 5th grade classes to a 2nd grade class, and I absolutely adore them. I thought I'd enjoy working with older kids more, who had a slightly better grip on the English language, but these seven-year-olds are just so cute and enthusiastic about everything. Next week, we're going to trace our hands and make turkey drawings for Thanksgiving!
Last night, for our farewell dinner (which doubled as a birthday dinner for Estefi who turns 21 on Saturday), we went to a restaurant called Drogheria della Rosa, which we had read about in that same NYTimes article about Bologna. When Nicole called up the day before, the owner asked if she was American, and insisted that the reservation be made under the name "Obama." (Didn't I tell you the Italians love Obama?) So last night we had a reservation for three for Obama. It was an epic meal. The owner was extremely friendly (and definitely a little drunk by the end of the night) and came over to our table several times and told us the best things to order. We of course talked about politics with him, and talked to both tables on either side of us by the end of the night as well. It was a very familial environment (it's actually a former pharmacy, turned into a restaurant) and we ended up staying there for a long time. It's definitely one of the best meals I've eaten in a while! It ended with roasted chestnuts, which they bring to every table. Roasted chestnuts are very common in Italy; there are chestnuts stands in most cities in the winter, but they're not candied like in the States, just roasted. I'd never had them before I came to Italy, and now I'm hooked! But the best ones we've had by far were at this restaurant. At the end of the night, we all got roses which I think they give to all the women because it's called Drogheria della Rosa. A perfect end to a perfect week with Estefi!
A few other quick things to note: my theater class switched to a theater space this past week, and we've started staging the three scripts we're working on. It's so much fun to be working on theater pieces in Italian, and I feel like it's improving my pronunciation so much. This past week in general, I've been feeling like I have a better grip on the Italian language, which is so refreshing because for a while I was feeling very discouraged and pessimistic about my speaking abilities. But it's all starting to come together now. Last thing to mention is that at the elementary school where I volunteer, I was switched from the 5th grade classes to a 2nd grade class, and I absolutely adore them. I thought I'd enjoy working with older kids more, who had a slightly better grip on the English language, but these seven-year-olds are just so cute and enthusiastic about everything. Next week, we're going to trace our hands and make turkey drawings for Thanksgiving!
3 comments:
Hi Gabby:
The pictures are just beautiful (even the sneaky ones!!). It sounds like you had a good week and ate well.
Miss you,
Love,
Ro
Fantastic pictures and tales of wonder. I didn't even realize that you were still volunteering at the school. I know you'll have plenty for us to do when we visit you...can't wait!
Love, Mom
Everything sounds wonderful!
so much love<3
Sophia
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