CIAO MONDO!

I am now in Urbino. It is such an incredible place. I am finally getting over the whole jet'lag thing. Here is a typical day for moi:

7:00 Wake up and go out on my balcony to stretch and breathe in the air. The view is absolutley incredible... rolling hills and villas as far as the eye can see.

7:45 Head to the Cafe Degli Amici for breakfast (included in the program cost...) for un Cappucino e un cioccolato paste (a chocolate pastry that is to die for).

8:30 Class out on the terazzo of one of the school buildings. Our classroom turned out to be the computer lab (not ideal for a language class) so our teacher decided class outside would be beneficial. You can guess there were no complaints...

10:30 Break during class. All of us go to the vending machine area and get coffee out of a vending machine... it is quite an experience.

12:00 Class is done and now it is off to lunch at the Mensa. This is no oridinary cafeteria, of course. This cafeteria serves things like Gnocchi, Pasta with clam sauce, Thinly sliced beef with olive oil and artichoke hearts, and grilled chicken with lemon. It is incredible!

1:30 Off to town! At this point in the day I usually go with some friends into town. Town is about an eight minute walk from the school. On the way there, there are some breathtaking views.

... Then we usually wonder around town and explore, get some gelato, sit in the piazza by the fountain, and eat Crescia (a specialty of Urbino).

At night we hang out in our dorms and do homework in a big group in the kitchen.

Oh... some quirky things about Urbino:

1. There is no toilet paper in the bathrooms... you have to bring it every time you go
2. People here do not smile unless they are happy. They do not just smile to smile and try to be friendly.
3. The keyboards are different...
4. There are not any public bathrooms in town... and the only one was locked when I needed it... haha

Ciao for now!

My time ran out!