one time, i spent the night on the streets of verona

The arena where we watched Rigoletto








The arena at night with all the candles lit to read programs (the lights in the middle/bottom area are the orchestra)









The park where we spent the night.




Yesterday the entire group went to Verona to see Rigoletto in the arena. The kids had class until 11:30, then we had to do some paperwork to get what's called an IMOB card (which lets you ride the vaporetto for 1 Euro instead of 6.50), then we had to leave Casa Artom around 1 to catch our train. We were all really tired already because we've been staying up late hanging out and bonding, but David was leading the walk to the train station and we practically had to run to keep up. I bought "lunch" at the little cafeteria in the station in the form of a brioche and then we all found our platform and got on probably the nicest train I've ever been on (it even had air conditioning).

Most people slept on the train but of course I couldn't, so I just rested and we got there pretty quickly (since it was a Eurostar). We decided to stick together once we got to Verona, so we headed towards Juliet's balcony and then the river that runs through town. Some of the group decided to go to the gardens, but some of us were too tired, so we just wandered around the city, made dinner reservations for later that night, and had coffee and spritzs in the main square until everyone else finished in the gardens.

Dinner was at a restaurant that Caroline's sister recommended and it was amazing. David was nice enough to pay for water, wine, and appetizers, and the main courses weren't that expensive, so we didn't have to worry about that, which was nice! I had rigatoni al ragu and it was perfect, then I had tiramisu (of course) and was promptly ready to go to bed, but we still had some time before the opera started, so we took a slightly slower pace back to the arena.

At the arena we figured out pretty quickly why people bring or rent cushions as we were sitting on hard, worn down marble for 3 1/2 hours. Despite the discomfort, it was an incredible experience. The arena is beautiful, especially at night with just the lights on the stage and from the candles that people use to read the programs. The opera itself was really well done, and while I have to admit I didn't know what was going on every single minute, it was still captivating and I didn't fall asleep even once. Eventually some of us moved seats so that we could lean back (versus not being able to because of peoples' legs being right behind you), which helped. I managed to somewhat successfully take a video of the more famous scene from the opera, but neither that nor the pictures really do it justice.

After the opera, we found an outdoor cafe that was willing to accommodate 20 loud, tired, hungry Americans at 1am and had water, coffee, snacks, etc to last us through the night. When it was time for the cafe to close, we went back to a park that we had found earlier to pass the rest of the time. We started out by playing a game called "Mafia," which is kind of a complicated strategizing sort of game and it ended up taking over an hour (because of how it played out and because of how many people played). After that, people played cards, sat around and talked, and we had a group game of "never have I ever" going on (although it was very tame). Finally we decided to head towards the train station around 4:45 to catch our 5:30 train. Most of us slept the whole way back to Venice (about 2 hours), then went back to sleep as soon as we got home and showered.

I have to admit I was really worried that we'd get pick pocketed or attract some police attention for loitering or that someone would get lost...it's my nature to constantly worry, after all. Nevertheless, it actually ended up being a lot of fun. Of course we're all still pretty exhausted and our senses of time are a little out of whack (personally it feels like about 11am to me, which is what time it is at home, but here it's 5pm), but the opera was worth it, and I really enjoyed how we passed the time between the show and our train.

I think tonight we're going to go to San Paolo, where there's a big movie screen that shows films from the Venice Film Festival (for people who can't or don't want to go to the Lido to watch the actual screening), and I'm sure we'll go out after that, but then again exhaustion may win...

(the group minus our professor)

The past few days have gone by so quickly--it really feels like we've been here more than 3 or 4 days. Yesterday we had to meet at the train station, so on the way a few of us wanted coffee and because of the time, they wanted it "to go," which is a relatively uncommon concept over here, so what we got was straights shots of regular espresso in tee tiny plastic cups. I can't imagine how strange we looked walking along the calle holding tiny cups of black espresso, but the caffeine was there and that's all that mattered. On the way, we ended up inadvertently splitting in to 2 groups, and apparently we're a very competitive crew, because it turned in to a bit of a race. I was happy to see that I remembered how to get there even though it's been a year or so since I last made the trek and my group happened to get there first... not that anyone is keeping track...!

Roberta and Laura met us at the train station and explained to the group a bit about the different types of trains and general train station procedure, then we walked along Strada Nuova and to the neighborhood known as Canareggio, which was once the Jewish Ghetto and is now a very residential, non-touristy part of the island. Then we took a traghetto (the "budget gondola" that ferries a dozen or so people at a time directly across the Grand Canal for approx. 50 pence) so that we could walk to the Ca'Foscari cafeteria (the Venetian university). I didn't get to determine whether or not Italian "dorm food" is any much like American because some of us had popped in to a bread shop in Canareggio and I split a baguette type thing and was stuffed. From there the group dispersed and I came home to try and bake a cake for Karen's actual birthday only to realize there wasn't a single ounce of flour in the house, so I had to hike back to the Billa, which wouldn't be so bad (especially given my somewhat unusual affinity for grocery stores), but I had slept maybe 4 hours the night before and was exhausted and hot! I got back from Billa and Christi, one of the men who works here, helped me light the gas oven and believe it or not, I managed to make a cake that people ate. I spent half the prep-time darting around the kitchen with the ingredients to avoid all the ants crawling around while wearing my crazy apron and my alarm clock (in lieu of a kitchen timer), so the students probably think I've lost it, but at least it worked out.

Today we had a long group meeting in the morning and now the students are in their first class of the semester. Everyone is dreading the end of the summer and the beginning of the workload, and I can definitely sympathize (especially considering how demanding my semester in Venice was last spring). Nevertheless, I literally had no obligations outside of my basic "student assistant" duties (still quite vague, really), and I'm still debating whether or not I plan to study for the LSAT while I'm here, so I have a ton of time on my hands. The group has treated me essentially like another student thus far, but I think now that classes have started, I might feel a bit more left out just by virtue of the fact that people tend to bond when they're enduring the same (academic) stress and I won't have that. But, plenty of things will involve me (group dinners, house meetings, birthday celebrations, trips hopefully, etc), so I'm not too worried.

Tomorrow the entire group is traveling to Verona by train (approx 2 hours) to watch an opera in the thousands of years old arena. We'll have to stay the night on the streets of Verona as the opera ends after the trains stop running back to Venice (we'll be able to head back around 5am, I think). I'm excited because I didn't get to see much of Verona the past 2 times I've been to Italy and I've never seen an opera, but I'm so sleep deprived from the last few nights that I'm not sure exactly how well I'll be able to pull an all nighter. Stay tuned...

the first real day(s)

Yesterday (Sunday) was when the majority of the students arrived (only one student is missing and may not be able to come since he has mono). I set my alarm for 8 even though I was exhausted because I wanted to have time to get ready and get coffee before the first group was supposed to get here (10ish). Since Bar da Gino (my favorite coffee shop) is closed for the August holiday (until Sept 1), I had to go to Cafe Belle Arti (where Allie and I would go on Sundays when we studied here). My Italian was stable enough to ask whether or not they had decaf espresso and then for a "macchiatone decaffinato," but, I felt like a complete outsider once the workers started talking to the customers in Italian...clearly my Italian is much rustier than I thought, which is a little discouraging.

Then David and I sat in the foyer by the front dock and read until the first group arrived...11 in all came in two water taxis, so it was a flurry of activity compared to Saturday (when it was just David, Rhianna, Chris, Megan, and myself). We carried hundreds of pounds of luggage to various rooms and I gave house tours before people settled in to unpack and then go off to find lunch. Rhianna, David, and I stayed at Casa Artom as we were expecting Brian and Tom at some point after their flights landed at 11ish. When they didn't arrive within an hour or so via water taxi, we assumed they took the Alilaguna (sort of like our public transportation), so Rhianna and I went to the Zattere around 1:30 to look for them (that's where the Alilaguna deposits you). We didn't find them and realized they probably could not have caught that particular boat, so we went back an hour later and thought we saw there boat only to realize Tom and Brian weren't on it and decided to walk in separate directions to try and find them. When we met back up (with no luck), we started to check the schedule to see when the next Alilaguna would arrive, but were worried because we thought they were lost and all the sudden the boys came walking down the dock right towards us. We got them and their luggage back to Casa Artom, then took them to a small sandwich/gelato shop for lunch. Later in the day, closer to 6, McKinley and Eugene arrived at the house, meaning everyone who was due to arrive made it safely, which was a relief.

We had a quick house meeting at 6:30, then all walked together to Taverna San Travaso for a big group dinner (somewhat of a Casa Artom tradition on the first night). Dinner was perfect...everyone seemed to get along well, the food was great, and the waiters love Wake Forest students, so that worked out to our advantage. After dinner, a handful of people were too exhausted to stay out, so they walked back to the house, and I led the rest of the group to Campo Santa Margherita. We split up between two pubs and just sat outside (beautiful weather) and talked for a while. Around 11:30, pretty much everyone was exhausted, so we came home, but I couldn't fall asleep until almost 2 for some reason, then woke up around 8. The students have to go on a walking tour of Venice after a few meetings today, so I'm hoping to rest while they're gone.

Today we took a group adventure to the Billa (grocery), and once again I bought hardly any food just because it was SO busy and I've done a horrible job of figuring out if/what I'm going to cook, etc. I'll probably go back tomorrow afternoon while the students have more orientation --"siesta" is the best time to go because it's less busy.

I'm getting more used to being back, but in a non-student role. It's just very weird to be here in the fall instead of spring--don't get me wrong, the weather is so much better (although I'll be happiest when it's about 5 degrees cooler during the day) and there are plenty of other perks, but, the myriad of tourists drive me crazy (I, probably irrationally, don't consider myself a tourist). The students seem relatively ready to consider me more friend than authority figure, which is nice, because I don't have a roommate, so I'm kind of the only person in the house without an automatic buddy, which just means I have to make more of an effort to do things with the group (without imposing...a tricky balance). I haven't really figured out yet if I'll do much traveling outside of the 2 breaks just because I'm not sure who I'll travel with-- from my experience last time, it's pretty important to get along well with anyone you're spending 3 or 4 straight days with, but I think hopefully in time, I'll figure out who that might be!

Tomorrow one of the students, Karen, turns 19, so it seems like we'll be celebrating that starting tonight...I get the feeling things will never be quiet or boring around here...!

hello, goodbye

Oh, just 160 lbs of luggage

The Alps from the plane

bed in my room

makeshift closet

desk

While this is stating the obvious, I made it to Casa Artom without any trouble at all! After a particularly slow check in at the Delta counter in Charlotte, everything else ran smoother than I expected. The only minor incident involved accidentally leaving behind my favorite black cardigan somewhere in the Charlotte airport, but I suppose it gives me a reason to shop here in Venice, so I can't complain too much. On my first flight (Charlotte to New York), I sat next to a friendly lady about my Grandma's age and immediately felt bad about whining about my hatred of flying...she's headed to Madigascar (about 24+ hours of travel time total). That flight was really smooth, which was probably the only reason I didn't get to JFK and immediately want to go home. Then I found the Delta lounge, conveniently located right next to my gate, and ate some fruit & crackers while making all my last phone calls to friends and family. Being tucked away outside of the hustle of such a major international airport and being able to talk to some of my favorite people definitely helped keep my mind off the upcoming marathon flight.

Once I made my final phone calls, I headed to the gate just in time to hear my zone being called, so I got on the plane and called Mom and Dad at which point I got a little anxious, but knew I didn't really have a choice and that it'd be worth it once I landed in Venice. I had hoped to sleep my way through the entire flight, but true to international traveling form, I kind of tossed and turned all "night." Part of my problem, too, was that I initially refused dinner (nervous stomach and all) but I hadn't eaten much since breakfast and hunger was winning over exhaustion, so I killed a package of chips ahoy cookies and resumed the pursuit of sleep. I finally gave up a few hours before we were supposed to land and killed time reading, looking out the window, eating some fruit & drinking some coffee and trying to figure out how to deal with all my luggage upon arrival.

Luckily Rhianna (a girl from my group who arrived a day earlier than the rest of the group) was waiting for me pretty much the minute I cleared passport control and we headed over to find my bags. I'm proud to report I pulled every last bag of mine off that conveyor belt, wrangled a few luggage carts together for us, and got us out to the docks and on to a water taxi in about 20 minutes flat. The driver dropped us off right at our dock and Professor Hagy helped us get our luggage to our rooms. I was absolutely famished as was Rhianna, but we both wanted to unpack and clean up before leaving the house again, so we finally went for lunch around 1ish (Pizza al Volo and gelato from Il Doge...2 of my favorite places for quick food in Venice).

As the pictures prove, everything I brought managed to fit in my sadly closet-less room, but it's a tight fit! Me being me, I felt light years better about life once I had everything in its place, even if it means I won't remember a week from now where everything ended up. Since I got unpacked, I've been doing whatever David (Professor Hagy) asks of me, including assigning pantry and fridge space, distributing house keys (to the tune of $50 each), labeling the rooms, giving house tours, etc. I had thought only Rhianna and 1 other student, Chris, were arriving today, but Megan and her mother arrived from Florence this morning, too, so it's not as empty as I anticipated.

It's so incredibly weird to be back--strange, I think, because it feels so normal, feels like I just left a few weeks ago and now I'm "home" again. It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone that at times I questioned whether or not I'd be able to really enjoy being here. But then I thought about all the hellos I get to say, too--hello to one of my favorite cities on earth, to one of the best train systems ever, to beautiful Casa Artom, to the hundreds of unique bridges, to Bar da Gino, to the gondolieri who sing beneath my window, to a whole new group of kids in this house, and most importantly, to the semester of no regrets.

I'll quit boring y'all now--I've lost the energy to type (jet lag + nearly lethal humidity). Keep me up to date on what's going on back at home!