Bologna is not spelled Oscar Mayer

The first university was founded in 1088 in Bologna, Italy. It is considered the oldest surving university, to our knowledge. I visited the city and was enamored with the many porticoes (covered walkways, heavily decorated arches). The pictures are of the porticoes, the main tower and the view from the top. I was having a bad hair day, so no pitures of me!!!

Scenes of Siena

Siena was gorgeous!!! Featured here is the tower of Mangiaguadagni (Eats profits), named after the tyrannical ruler who used the people's money to construct it. I climbed to the top and took a snapshot of the Piazza del Campo (of the field). Every July 2nd and August 16 they have the Palio, a bareback horserace around the Piazza. Also featured is the most amazing, most elaborate cathedral that I have ever seen. They would not let me take pictures inside, but here is the facade. WOW! I actually found the LDS church this morning after an hour of walking around. Last Sunday I was in Ravenna and couldn't find the church at all. So, I went to a catholic service instead! :) This week its back to research in the Biblioteca Nazionale di Firenze.

I'm actually working on my thesis now

Peter and I passed the 3 year mark! He was in Omaha and I'm was here in Florence, Italy when the big day came... and went (June 10). Florence is not so romantic when you're all by yourself, I've learned. :) A propos to learning, I've actually started my research in the Biblioteca Nazionale di Firenze (of Florence). YIKES! Talk about scary and huge and overwhelming. But, I pray my guts out all day long and I am fortunately getting into somewhat of a groove. The hardest part is knowing where to focus, what to take notes on, what to skip altogether, and how to best make use of my time and resources here. I'm staying in centro, between Piazza del Duomo (with Brunelleschi's dome) and Piazza della Signoria (the Uffizzi Gallery). So, the location is ideal, as I can walk to the Biblioteca Nazionale every morning in about 10 minutes. There's also a gelateria next door, which is obviously the most important point of reference. :) This weekend I'll go to Siena (the best preserved medieval city in Italy). Pictures coming soon...

Sciopero!

I met my first sciopero this trip. Well, not exactly. Sciopero means "strike", as in a worker's strike, and anyone traveling to Italy must be careful, just in case the train workers or library personnel go on strike, just when you plan on getting there. Last Monday, my 10am train from Biella to Torino was 15 minutes late - an extremely rare occurence, according to the elderly gentleman awaiting the same one. Finally, after 20 minutes, we heard an announcement that said the train had been "suppressed", or cancelled. Just like that. Forget your schedule, or the people waiting to pick you up... He invited me for a cappuccino while we waited for the next train at 12:30, and I sadly declined. You know, because I'm married and all. Anyway, that's Italia!

Smart cars?

Most Italian cars are VERY tiny, as it were, but the Smart car is tinier than them all! So, you'd think they'd cost less, right? My Italian friend Ruben bought a brand new Smart car 3 weeks ago and it cost him €15,000, which is nearly $23,000! Only two people can ride at a time, but inside, its surprisingly spacious. As for gas consumption, they do consume much less, so it might save money in the end. He reports that a smart car on diesel fuel gets about 60 miles to the gallon. Obviously, parking the smart car is a DREAM, its facilissimo!

Cinque Terre

Five years ago, my sister Meredith and I went to Cinque Terre (five little lands connected by the sea), but we lost many of our pictures. Here are a few from Ruben and Cecilia's visit there last month. It is GORGEOUS!

A layover in Phoenix!?

A great big GRAZIE to my family members who came to see me at the airport on my 2.5 hour layover at the Phoenix airport earlier this month. I love you guys soooooo much! Di, thanks especially for making the effort to bring your three small, lively children to see me at 6:30 in the morning. It was fun to see everybody and catch up. When we arrived on the 2nd floor, Livvy exclaimed, "This is BUUUU-TIFUL!" I almost missed my connecting flight because I underestimated the security lines at Sky Harbor. A big shout out to the FABULOUSNESS of the Omaha airport where you're in and out.