It’s Sunday, a day to catch up on homework, a day most things are closed and relaxation is necessary.  But it is also a day when I must undergo the most stressful task I have encountered in Italy thus far.    It requires preparation, concentration, strength, speed, time and money.  If any of these elements are absent, the trip becomes almost impossible to complete.  In Italy, we call this endeavor grocery shopping. 

First you must search your apartment for large shopping bags.  If these are forgotten you will have to access how much you have gathered and purchase individual, small plastic bags at checkout.  This isn’t recommended. Then you walk the 10-15 minutes to the closest supermarket.  Upon entering, things begin to get hectic.  In the fruit and vegetable isles you must first find gloves and a bag, choose what you want while simultaneously memorizing then number associated with such item, then go to the scale to weight your whatever you wanted.  Once you stare at the screen for a good amount of time, you finally find the button with the number you were supposed to remember, wait for the sticker to print and put the sticker on it (which indicates the price).  Congratulations, it only took you ten minutes to buy an apple!

After this, I personally meander up and down the aisles because where things are located doesn’t seem to make much sense.  Milk and eggs are not refrigerated, cheese has five different sections to itself, and bread…well that, technically, is a separate store entirely but I settle with the “not-as-good”, packaged, pre-sliced brands for convenience:  specifically, the kind that says “AMERICAN”(literally) across the front. 

When I’m done and can barely hold my basket any longer, I move towards the checkout.  For this one must mentally prepare themselves.  I stand in line planning it out.  I think of how I will take the heaviest items out first in order to ensure that they are the first to be run through.  But by the time it’s my turn and I’m at the front of the line everything becomes a blur.  The cashier starts mumbling things that I don’t understand and I rush to get my things out of my basket and onto the belt:  apples, oranges, nutella, pesto, pasta…faster and faster.  The people behind you are not patient.  If you take too long, they won’t be too happy.  After everything is out of the basket you must run to the other side to start bagging things.  All the planning, at this point goes out the window.  You end up just throwing in bags you brought hoping that it will fit; hoping that you can keep up with the seemingly endless amount of food coming towards you.  And then it happens:  I become…that girl.  The one who can’t make everything fit.  The one who is everyone is now watching (for taking too long).  I’m the one shoving my “AMERICAN” bread, peaches and cheese in my purse.  After listening to the cashier mumble some numbers, handing her a credit card to pay, realizing that I spent too much, I must now walk back.

Finally I arrive back at my apartment relieved that my hands did actually fall off from the weight of the bags and hopeful that the bruises on my arms will go away in a few days.  After not putting, but cramming everything away in to the small spaces I have (and even having to put some things on the balcony), I am finished, starving and tired.  

Location: Milan, Italy

Note:  Due to issues with internet connections this blog was written and supposed to be posted on 24/2/12

Finally Milan seems to be moving away from winter and towards spring!  It was sweatshirt, two-layer, running with a light shirt weather yesterday as compared to the two scarf, heavy jacket, five-layer weather it was just one week ago.  Although it felt as though I had an unimaginable amount of work to do today, to remain inside was not an option.   So we decided to go for a walk.  We didn’t expect to do anything out of the ordinary.  We didn’t have any direct plans.  We simply wanted to wander around the city.  I have fallen in love with Milan’s way of always remaining entertaining, different and surreal.  Each day you could set out to do nothing and be surrounded by so much. 

We decided to walk toward the Castello and surrounding park (about 10 minutes away from my apartment).  It’s fashion week in Milan and, although the scenery in this area is typically anything but ordinary, today it was especially unique.  The area was bustling with models (fully dressed for the runway), reporters and buyers.  It seemed as though every corner was setting up for a unique event.  There was also a carnival occurring behind the Castello with rides (all sorts) and games (typical to what you would see in America only the prizes to be won were much better…video game councils, phones and even wine!).   The area was, in short, very alive with activity and excitement; movement and happiness.  Afterward we stopped for a “gelato fix” and went back home.  Before I knew it, it was dark.  It was time to sleep and get ready for another day. 

Time in Milan…or Europe in general moves so quickly.  Between classes and homework; exploring and activities, it seems like I haven’t had the chance to stop and take it all in.  I haven’t had the time to reflect on all that I’ve done (hence the reason I haven’t posted in a couple weeks).  This worries me beyond belief.  The fact that time-management is much more difficult here and the fact that each week moves by without notice makes me wonder if I am fully appreciating everything I am doing.  I’m hoping to plan better in the upcoming months and leave time to fully reflect on what I am doing and what I have done.  I need to take the time to “catch-up.”

Since I’ve last posted I have traveled to Amsterdam and Paris (with a weekend in Milan in between).  Amsterdam was beautiful and different but hard to fully enjoy due to the fact that it was unbearably cold.  The second morning of our trip we woke up, went to get breakfast and came out to see nothing but snow.  It snowed the entire day, creating difficulty with transportation and even greater difficulty staying warm whilst trudging through a foot of snow in boots that are not exactly waterproof.   We spent the majority of the trip attempting to remain indoors; jumping from museum to restaurant to bus and so forth.  We saw windmills and the Anne Frank house and many other areas which are “very unique” to Amsterdam. 

My trip to Paris went by much too quickly.  It was absolutely amazing and although I could not attempt to understand anything the French were saying, I know I want to return. We, of course, saw many of the famous areas such as the Mona Lisa in The Louve (which was a struggle, as you have to fight the crowd to get a glimpse), the Eiffel Tower (and the 669 steps that go with it), the Arc de Triomphe, etc.)   Although it was misting (technically not raining, but you got just as wet) the entire trip, it did not take away from where we were and what we were seeing in the least.  I was upset when Saturday turned to Sunday and we had to leave.  The transportation hassles returning to Milan only increased my disappointment.  To get back we had to leave at 5am, take a cab to a bus then take the plane to another bus to a tram to the metro.  From the metro I walked back to my apartment and immediately went to sleep. 

Right now I am in the airport awaiting my delayed flight to Budapest for the weekend.  I am anticipating this weekend to be very different than my previous trips.  For one thing everything is so much cheaper than any other place I have been thus far (because it isn’t on the Euro).  We are staying in a 5-star hotel for the same price as our below-average hostel in Paris for the same money.  Our hotel in Budapest has a pool, sauna and mini-bar; our hostel in Paris had bathrooms/ showers on only 2 of the five floors and bunk beds which sounded like they were about to collapse.   I’m excited to move away from the sacrifices a “backpacker student-traveler” must endure and embark on a trip which will (hopefully) actually feel like a vacation.

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands; Milan, Italy; Paris, France

Ciao!

This is my third week in Milan and also my last week with a semi-relaxed schedule.  Although things have been hectic these first few weeks I now have to prepare myself for a more intense schedule of full-time classes, traveling and attempting to enjoy all that Milan has to offer. 

Last weekend (the 20^th– the 22^nd) was my first trip outside of the city to Venice.  Although Venice is known for being made up of mostly tourists (and it was), it continued to be an unforgettable experience.  When you step out of the train station the canal is directly in front of you.  You have a choice between paying for an overpriced taxi boat or taking the bus boat (which is Venice’s main public transportation).  Cars or bikes are not present in Venice and boat remains the only option of travel.  A group of 8 of us arrived late Friday night and made our way directly to our hostile.  After taking the bus about three stops and moving through/ getting lost in alleys that twisted and turned in every direction, we arrived.  The streets in Venice are tiny and narrow, hence the reason I refer to them as alleys.  It directly reminded me of a movie set (especially at night when nothing is open and few people are present).  The atmosphere is very surreal.  Most of the alleys also lead to nothing (deadends or stairs going into the water) which makes it very easy to get lost.  We were lost about 90% of the time and asking for directions was useless.  When we asked someone how to get to the bus one night he told us: “make a right then a left then a right and another right then go across the bridge, not too far and you should see it on you left.”  Even though he was speaking English (which most people do in Venice) we had no idea what he was saying.  However, overall, our stay was amazing.  We saw the main attractions in Venice as well as went to Murano (where they make Murano Glass) and Burano (where they make Burano lace)–(two other islands outside of Venice).

This past week, being in Milan I have learned that this city forces you to move around their time.  You’re hungry at 2:00 (14.00) and want to go out to eat?  Good luck.  Most restaurants and stores closed.  You might find someone open and willing to serve you, but chances are you will be the only one there.  Also most things are closed on Sunday and Monday which also makes it difficult to accomplish necessary errands.  The constant strikes have also assisted in disrupting our ability to adjust.  Last week we had to cancel class because of a proposed strike where all transportation was predicted to stop for 24 hours.  This would have made it impossible to go or do anything out of walking distance.  Many people leaving the city for the weekend had to reschedule to leave a day before in fear of not being able to get to their destination.  Because of this, a few of us planned a day trip to Verona, which was also an amazing experience where I survived climbing up the old and very steep stairs of the arena and saw Juliet’s house and the Castello. 

Next weekend we are leaving Italy for the first time to go to Amsterdam! Next time I hope to discuss that trip as well as the continuous ups and downs Milan continues to bring. Right now the weather is not ideal.  It has been snowing for about a day now making walking much more difficult along the slippery cobblestone sidewalks.  I hope the weather will be better when I get back! Arrivederci!

Location: Milan, Italy; Venice, Italy; Verona, Italy