So today we had our first day of class! (happy now, Dad?) We slept in a bit
and took our time getting ready… imagine that. Before class we grabbed lunch at
this adorable little café where the waitress was actually really nice to us! It
was delicious and definitely a place we want to go back to! From there we went to class!
Not knowing exactly what to expect, I was pleasantly
surprised by how class went. We went over a few things in the classroom and the
set out for the town. We spent two hours walking through parts of Genova I had
never seen before that are absolutely stunning. We even stopped for gelato!
I’ll take a class with a gelato break any day! At one point, we stopped at a
point where we had an incredible view of the port and of the homes on the side
of the mountain.
On our way back down, we stopped at the University of Genova
to take a peak at where they go to school.
I’d say TCU is holding back on us because it is nowhere near this
beautiful, but I guess it’s all a matter of opinion! Genova may have a few
years on us.
We ended class with a trip to the site where the Dorian
family palaces are located. The Dorian’s are a prominent maritime family with
several palaces and a cathedral built in a square. This was cool because in the
reading we read before class, the writer visited these very buildings and
commented on them from a British point of view.
It was neat to put an image with what we read. Inside the cathedral we weren’t allowed to
take pictures, but it was very ornate like most churches in Europe. The ceilings had gold leaf detail, frescos,
and statues depicting images special to the family and the church. There was
even a place for current descendants of the Dorian family to sit during church
services. This family is still around
today, but does not live in their palaces. They live in nicer homes on the hill
and the palaces have been transformed into apartment and business buildings.
After class, a group of us went to enjoy some aperitivos in
a piazza near where some of the other students are staying. It was a lively
area with tons of kids playing soccer and riding bikes all around us. One thing the Genovese people LOVE is their
dog. They take them everywhere! Here, a dog is considered like your child, so
it’s inappropriate to pet the dogs, which is difficult for me.
Our friends told us about a great grocery store, so we
stopped in to get a few essentials and then decided to make a meal out of it.
We bought ingredients for our own pasta dinner and headed home! Below is a picture
of our delicious meal. Pasta with a tomato basil sauce, bread with olive oil,
and salad with some kind of dressing (it was the only dressing we could find)!
It was absolutely delicious and well worth it!
We finished the night by planning our weekend trips to
Florence (this weekend) and Rome (next weekend). After booking several train tickets, a
hostel, and a tour of famous Michelangelo sites around Florence, I accidentally
set off a fraud alert on my credit card! Sorry Mom and Dad, but this is a once and
a lifetime opportunity! Now to do some reading for class and go to sleep!
Another big day tomorrow! Ciao!
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