Italy!

Let's talk about the most important part first. Food and drink.

I stayed with an Italian friend of mine and we drank about 5 or 6 espressos a day. Normally I drink tea in the morning, so this is crazy. I would normally get a macchiato, espresso with a bit of milk. This or espresso is normally 80 or 90 cents!

At this machine below espresso was only 45 cents...and it was good.

For breakfast they normally eat something sweet like a cookie (biscotti, but just a cookie, not like our biscotti) and espresso. This, to a person who thinks a combination of protein and carbohydrates is very important in the morning, sounds crazy. But hey, cookies!

Wine is more common than in Germany and people may go from wine bar to wine bar drinking house wines and eating these things...

And they may eat a Frittelle with an espresso (which will be called a caffè)

Then they might be so weird as to get bread from a vending machine.

(ahem)

Everything else was just really beautiful. We visited a couple different cities.

This is Bassano...

Padova...




(Biggest square in Europe apparently)

Italy (Venice and around Venice) is beautiful! Who would have thought?!

Venice...

(This is the very famous "Bridge of Sighs", some people think it's called that in a romantic way but it's because it's the way to the prison. The advertisements ruined it for me.)



(This is my favorite)


(Great lady)

Carnival was starting while I was there. On my last day in Venice there were people wearing masks everywhere. Carnival is only once a year, but apparently the stores selling masks see enough tourists that they're always open.

And to end my great week in Italy...a carnival party.



When does my Italian class start? Where do I apply for scholarships?