It seems like only yesterday that I was packing my bags and
leaving Lyon to set off on the next stage of my year abroad adventure. In
reality it was five weeks ago, and after a blink-and-you-missed-it fortnight in
Nottingham I arrived in my new Italian home for the next five months: Bologna,
the city of porticoes and towers!
I had mixed feelings about leaving Lyon. As you all know, I
love the city so much. I’ve now lived there twice, I feel completely at home
and comfortable when I’m there, it’s B-E-A-U-tiful all year and I’ve made some
fantastic friends who I hope will still be in my life for many years to come.
On the other hand, I was looking forward to discovering a new city and
experiencing a new university in Italy. I’ve now been in Bologna for three
weeks, and they have flown by. In this post, I hope to update you on my
experiences of settling into a new country, city, university and language, and
show you what I’ve been discovering in my new home.
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| Le due torre |
I count myself as being very lucky that I already have good
Italian friend from here in Bologna, who I met while she was studying economics
at UCL. As well as helping me to settle very quickly through already knowing
one of the locals, she was also able to help me out back at the end of 2014
when I was looking for a place to live here. I’m so grateful that she was able
to come and view the apartment I’m now living in back in November/December
time, and so when I arrived in Bologna I already had my room secured and
waiting for me. It’s one of four bedrooms in the apartment, with a shared
kitchen and bathroom. I’m living with Amira, Esther and Eva, three Spanish
girls who are all lovely and who helped me to settle in very quickly. The
building I’m living in is on a street in between Via Zamboni and Filippo Re,
two of the main streets for the Università degli studi di Bologna, and so I’m
able to walk out of my door and be in my classes in mere minutes. It’s really
handy, and is in a good position in the city for me to get to the places I need
to be by foot. Bologna is quite a small city, and so most places are only about
a twenty-minute walk away. It has a completely different feel to it, but as a
university city it has a great student atmosphere.
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| Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca |
Classes have started at the university, but there are some
that don’t start until the beginning of March or even April, so at the moment
I’m still in the process of deciding which courses to take. It’s looking like
I’ll be taking a French language class to keep that ticking over, a political
and economic geography class which has proved to be quite interesting so far,
and then one of either Contemporary Italian Literature or a History of Art in
Europe class which doesn’t start until the middle of March. Courses in Bologna
are worth more credits than those in France or England, so I only have to take
three here as opposed to the nine I did in Lyon!
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| Church of San Petronio, Piazza Maggiore |
There are lots of nice little cafés and bars dotted about
where we often go for a coffee between classes, and the quality of the pizza
you can buy here is undoubtedly, but not unexpectedly, so much better here than
at home. I admit I’ve given in to temptation and bought myself a hot slice for
lunch once or twice, but at about 1.20-1.60€ a slice I don’t really care! I’ve
also had some great pasta made for me by Italian friends of my flatmates, as
well as learning some amazing recipes for myself to take home with me. I’m
looking forward to being able to show off my new skills. I went out with a
group of UCL students also here on exchange for our first taste of aperitivo, which is a drink
of choice and an array of light-bites served buffet-style in a bar for about 8€
in the early evening. The food is great and it’s a lovely, relaxed atmosphere.
No one rushes you, and you don’t feel pressured to leave your table as soon as
you’ve finished. We also went out for one UCL student’s birthday and we had
dinner at an Osteria. Of course, being in Bologna I had to have the ragù, which
is what we call Bolognese. I admit it’s not my favourite Italian dish in the
world, but it was definitely the best plate of Bolognese that I’ve ever tasted
so far. I've also experienced "late-night bakery". It's run by an old lady and her son, who open their kitchens at midnight to serve freshly baked and deliciously warm pizza and pastries to people who fancy a late-night snack in the early hours of the morning. It's cheap, it's friendly (although you go to a service entrance or a hole in the wall so it does feel a little like a dodgy deal), and the food tastes great so if you're out and about in the early hours after having visited a bar with friends, it's a great stop-off on the way home. This is a dangerously tasty country to be living in!!!
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| Neptune's fountain |
Last weekend my friend from home (and youth leader at my
church back in Stapleford), Beth, came to visit. Having only been in Bologna
for two weeks at that stage, I hadn’t had the opportunity to fully explore the
city or check out its attractions, so it was nice to be a tourist, rather than
a student for the weekend. First up was a climb of the city’s Torre degli Asinelli. It was a lovely day
with plenty of sunshine, so when we got to the top we were spoiled by a
beautiful clear view of the city and the surrounding hills. It was breath
taking and I think it was the first moment I actually appreciated the true
beauty of Bologna, beside the porticoes and covered walkways. Next, we went
around the church of Santo Stefano and then the church of Santo Petronio in
Piazza Maggiore, before going to see Neptune’s fountain. After lunch we walked
up into the hills to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca. Instead of
taking the faster walk through the covered arcade (the longest in the world),
we decided that as it was such a nice day, we would take the two-hour scenic
route up a windy road. It was well-worth it as we were rewarded with stunning
views of the hills and rural landscape around Bologna. The views from top were
also fantastic, and the inside of the sanctuary was absolutely gorgeous despite
the renovation work going on. We took the arcade route on the way back down which
isn’t as picturesque, but gets you back to the city faster. That night UCL
friends came round for drinks to christen my new home, though I was on diet
coke because I’ve given up alcohol for lent – in a great wine-making nation…I
know, what was I thinking?!?!
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| Church of San Stefano |
Overall, I’d say my
transition into life in Bologna has been pretty swift, with no real struggle or
stress. I’ve settled into life at the university here, I’ve been making friends
and tasting great food. I’m looking forward to discovering more of what the
city has to offer and can’t wait to travel and explore more of Italy. I left
Lyon behind, a city that will always have a very special place in my heart, but
now it’s time for a new adventure…and maybe my heart has a little room left in
it for Bologna to fill!!!
