So when I left you last night I went and had a lovely buffet dinner and this place called Kitsche with Valerie and her mom. It was great and we both enjoyed Safe Sex on the Beach (non-alcoholic beverages. Then I returned to my hostel where I met one of my 8 roommates...who happened to be from Denver! She is visiting here sister who is studying abroad in London so I got the scoop there. We kind of made fun of our other 6 roommates because they are cliche Americans. They just want to party and get drunk. So at 10 they were obviously out. And we were, well, in. So they woke me up when they came in, just as we predicted. But I was the first one outta there in the morning.
The next morning I had the hostels breakfast--which was quite entertaining because I ordered 6 french toast pieces with egg. And I recieved 3 french toast pieces with egg essentially smashed into it. The hostel has 100+ beds so I am not surprised at the 3 pieces but the egg and french toast combo cracked me up. There was also no maple syrup. We are priveldged to live so close to the source of maple syrup...SERIOUSLY!!!
But then I met Valeries mom at the Accademia. Val was not feeling well, so I visited her after. We got there super early and so were one of the first people of the day to Michelangelos David. The statue is like 20 feet high!! And it is just PHENOMENAL!!!! There is a reason it is so popular!!! Wow. They do not let you take pictures, which was unfortunate. Then I hung out with Val some. She is having a similar experience. It is tough to study abroad! But oh so worth it!
I then picked up my luggage from the hostel and headed to Verona. Trains are complicated though...Its all in Italian which I dont get. And I really had no clue. I figured out how to pick up my ticket. But then it got confusing because the train with my number on it was headed to Milan...which didnt make sense. But I asked and got on and then there was someone in my seat! So I asked someone in back what to do and they told me to just ask them to move. Turns out some are assigned seats and some are not so people will just snag seats. The woman happilyy moved and it was a nonissue. I then had 30 minutes to transfer to the next train in Bologna. I found the platform without any issues. But then I guess they changed the platform or something. I was not paying attention to the time close enough either. Luckily a guy noticed me sitting there and asked if I was going to Verona. When I said yes he told me they transfered to a new platform and pointed to the right one. I started gathering my things and he was like Its 14:09...you have a minute left, Run. So I did. But I had to go under to get there and I was just like there is no way I am going to make this. I came up on the other side and the doors had closed. But the train wasnt moving yet so I opened the door and got in. Then the door closed and the train left.
Yes, I made it with seconds to spare. A guy had made it right before me and he just looked at me and said you are so lucky. Yes I am. I then sat next to this lovely older Italian couple. Between my Spanish and her Italian we managed to communicate the same story. I then spent the next hour trying not to fall asleep because I wanted to see the Italian countryside. Its gorgeous. My favorite kind of building is everwhere--those run-down, abandoned buildings that refuse to fall down, but have been reclaimed by nature.
Finally I made it to Verona. I then booked it over to the Castelvicchio Museum. This museum is actually a castle on the river. But MORE IMPORTANTLY it was renovated by my favorite architect CARLO SCARPA!!!!! All I can say is that it is AMAZING. It is so hard to describe this because it felt like a fairytale. I have had photos on my wall of this since I first learned about it approximately three years ago. And it is just great. If I am a fraction as good of an architect as Scarpa was I would be happy. His detailing is amazing!!! He literally designed every exhibit down to the pedestals or frames for pieces. The level of detail astounds me!!! But the really intriguing aspect is that he manages to draw your attention to each individual piece. In essence, he makes each piece feel special. It is just like a dream come true and I am pretty sure I had a big grin on my face the whole time!!! Like a kid on Christmas morning basically.
By the end of that I was sufficiently tired so I walked to the Bed and Breakfast and checked in early. This has been a fun trip and it is only halfway done. I like Italy. Tomorrow I am going to Venice where I will have almost two days to take this city at a more liesurely pace.
QUIZ: There is something wrong in this post. Can you find what it is Hint: This was written on a European keyboard. Also, you can post comments now.
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