Enjoying the good life
Door: Melanie
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Melanie
01 April 2012 | Italië, Cesena
After my first week in Cesena, Philippe came to visit me. It felt very good to see each other again and I was very happy to have him around. We started our weekend in Bologna. It was a sunny Saturday. After some sightseeing we decided to grab a quick pasta-bite. After having passed by several restaurants we decided to enter the one that looks cozy, cheap, but good enough. The waiter gives us a menu: ‘So this is our menu. This is our pasta. But if you want, we can make something else, with mozzarella for example. Whatever you want!’. Whatever we want? Yeah, ‘we can improvise’. I guess that is the positive side about Italy being less organized than I am used to. First it gives you a weird feeling because you are not used to it and it looks unprofessional. But then you start to see the hospitality of these people and it gives you a warm feeling.
On Saturday evening we are driving to our second hotel for the weekend. It was supposed to take us thirty minutes. However, after forty-five minutes we are still not there. We are in the right city, not far, but it seems impossible to reach the hotel we are looking for. Because this city thinks it is easier to make every street a one-way-street and then it thinks it is funnier to make everybody drive in circles over and over again. For the people who want to know where it will be a challenge to go to by car in Italy; the city is called Ravenna. A small city that is famous for its mosaics. However, you have to enter the pretty buildings in order to appreciate this and because of a lack of time we did not do that. But we still enjoyed a good afternoon in this town.
Mountains, beautiful landscapes, and three towers. Another Saturday, another trip. San Marino this time, and this time with the girls of my master. Officially it is the Republic of San Marino and it is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains; it is an enclave surrounded by Italy. In other words, it is a very pretty place. Since I grew up at the bottom of the sea in the flattest country ever, every landscape with some pretty mountains impresses me like crazy. First it always annoyed me that my country had nothing pretty to show, but now I am happy that I can be so amazed by something ‘simple like that’.
The next Thursday I find myself in a city where I run into David over and over again. The souvenir shops called themselves David, clothes shops did so too, little Davids are being sold everywhere, and then there was the actual David statue standing proudly on one of the piazza’s of the city. Some of you should be able to guess where I was. Since some of you recommended me this city because it was supposed to be amazingly pretty. I do not know if it was the fact of having a prejudgment or if it was the fact of the city being loaded with other tourists, but I was not that much amazed by it. I mean, of course I found it a very beautiful city, with great buildings and pretty streets, but it was just not that impressive anymore after all the pre-information. But okay, I would not dare to say that anyone was wrong about it: Florence is a must-see in Italy!
Saturday again. Bologna again. The girls again. After having visited Bologna twice already it was time to do something different this time. What can be more different than climbing one of the two famous towers of this city? I am starting to become experienced in that, after the tower of the Oude Kerk and the Zuidertoren in Amsterdam, and after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. I must say, I am never motivated to do that when I am standing on the bottom of the tower. However, once I have reached the top I am always happy that the people around me motivated me to do it. This view over Bologna was amazing. Another successful city trip!
Am I enjoying the good things a bit too much these days? Am I still being realistic by visiting all these places? Am I still me? There was a time in which I did not care that much for travelling. In which I only cared about studying, graduating, and growing up. In the past few years my view of the world and my view on life have changed. I have seen many things and I have learned a lot from the people around me. A couple of years ago I would never travel around this much, even if I would have lived in Italy. Now things are different. I want to get the most out of my third experience abroad and out of my last 1.5 year as a student. However, sometimes I cannot help feeling a bit weird about my new habits. Apparently, someone does not change that rigorously from one day to another. Nonetheless, I am enjoying Italy, I am enjoying my life, and I am enjoying another great experience abroad.
On Saturday evening we are driving to our second hotel for the weekend. It was supposed to take us thirty minutes. However, after forty-five minutes we are still not there. We are in the right city, not far, but it seems impossible to reach the hotel we are looking for. Because this city thinks it is easier to make every street a one-way-street and then it thinks it is funnier to make everybody drive in circles over and over again. For the people who want to know where it will be a challenge to go to by car in Italy; the city is called Ravenna. A small city that is famous for its mosaics. However, you have to enter the pretty buildings in order to appreciate this and because of a lack of time we did not do that. But we still enjoyed a good afternoon in this town.
Mountains, beautiful landscapes, and three towers. Another Saturday, another trip. San Marino this time, and this time with the girls of my master. Officially it is the Republic of San Marino and it is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains; it is an enclave surrounded by Italy. In other words, it is a very pretty place. Since I grew up at the bottom of the sea in the flattest country ever, every landscape with some pretty mountains impresses me like crazy. First it always annoyed me that my country had nothing pretty to show, but now I am happy that I can be so amazed by something ‘simple like that’.
The next Thursday I find myself in a city where I run into David over and over again. The souvenir shops called themselves David, clothes shops did so too, little Davids are being sold everywhere, and then there was the actual David statue standing proudly on one of the piazza’s of the city. Some of you should be able to guess where I was. Since some of you recommended me this city because it was supposed to be amazingly pretty. I do not know if it was the fact of having a prejudgment or if it was the fact of the city being loaded with other tourists, but I was not that much amazed by it. I mean, of course I found it a very beautiful city, with great buildings and pretty streets, but it was just not that impressive anymore after all the pre-information. But okay, I would not dare to say that anyone was wrong about it: Florence is a must-see in Italy!
Saturday again. Bologna again. The girls again. After having visited Bologna twice already it was time to do something different this time. What can be more different than climbing one of the two famous towers of this city? I am starting to become experienced in that, after the tower of the Oude Kerk and the Zuidertoren in Amsterdam, and after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. I must say, I am never motivated to do that when I am standing on the bottom of the tower. However, once I have reached the top I am always happy that the people around me motivated me to do it. This view over Bologna was amazing. Another successful city trip!
Am I enjoying the good things a bit too much these days? Am I still being realistic by visiting all these places? Am I still me? There was a time in which I did not care that much for travelling. In which I only cared about studying, graduating, and growing up. In the past few years my view of the world and my view on life have changed. I have seen many things and I have learned a lot from the people around me. A couple of years ago I would never travel around this much, even if I would have lived in Italy. Now things are different. I want to get the most out of my third experience abroad and out of my last 1.5 year as a student. However, sometimes I cannot help feeling a bit weird about my new habits. Apparently, someone does not change that rigorously from one day to another. Nonetheless, I am enjoying Italy, I am enjoying my life, and I am enjoying another great experience abroad.
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01 April 2012 - 15:50
Raach:
Liefste Mel,
Wat een lieve reactie van je. Je raakte mij zoals ik jou raakte. Nu weer met jouw verhaal. Omdat ik de inzichten die je beschrijft herken, omdat ik blij voor je ben dat je gelukkig bent en omdat ik je ook mis.
Ik geef je een hele dikke kus terug! X -
01 April 2012 - 17:48
Bernadette:
Mellie!
Nice story, again!
Keep enjoying life as much as you can!!!
You go girl! Miss you & love you!!!
Big hugs & kisses! -
01 April 2012 - 17:57
Laura:
Hi Mel,
Wat is het toch fijn om zo'n blog te lezen. Jouw blijheid straalt er van af! Heel fijn dat je leuke dingen doet en je je er zo goed bij voelt. Lekker blijven genieten!
Liefs, Laura -
01 April 2012 - 18:58
Celiiiiiiiiiiiinne:
awesome!!! keep posting pictures and comments !!! missing youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu -
03 April 2012 - 20:26
Philippe:
I'm really happy for you baby :D.
That's really cool that you seem to make the best out of your student life right now: hang out with your friends, travel around and even have some good time with your boyfriend ;) (even if its not enough time...).
I was in a similar situation a year ago...! I wish I still had this much free time...
Continue like that! Get your battery charged ;). I will be there to help you fighting against your next French semester.
I love you! -
20 April 2012 - 14:46
Ise:
You're gonna faint once you come visit me and see all the mountains around here.
Say hi to David (that naked man statue David, not the stores)
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
