Orientation Wrap Up

Ciao!

So orientation is almost over, we finish tomorrow. Our trip to Siena was wonderful. Very very scenic and beautiful!! I really enjoyed it. It was a long bus ride there, but that's okay because I slept the whole way. That night we went to the Village of San Gimignano, really famous for its towers that rich families built back in the day. It was very nice, a little hard to see everything in the dark. But nice none the less. After that we had dinner and went into downtown Siena and stayed out pretty late - there were so many youth out!!

Sunday we explored Siena on our own in the morning, not many shops were open though because it was 9am on a Sunday. We saw some adorable kids though playing with each other and chasing pigeons. It was really nice. Lunch and some more Italian languague classes. These classes are very informal - just trying to get people the basics so we can function on our own. :)

The bus ride back I slept again - no surprise there. Had dinner for the first time at the Mensa - our cafeteria. Pasta, Pasta, Pasta! Hopefully I won't get sick of it.

Today was fun - a day trip to Hadrian's villa (a very famous Roman Emperor), the villa is near Tivoli. Very vast villa, over 3 acers. It's all ruins now but one can only imagine what it looked like in its prime time. Very very beautiful I imagine...

Dinner at the Mensa and tonight we have a meeting about the study trips available...I can't wait to hear about them.

A few things that I have gathered from the Italians ---
> They like really firm beds. Our beds here are so hard, and the hotel we stayed at in Siena (a 4 star hotel might I add) had very firm beds as well. Oh well!

>Lots of people smoke. I knew that coming over but I don't think I really understood how popular it is. There are also lots of kids from the program that smoke as well, which I wasn't really prepared for. To each their own!

Tomorrow we are going to Montecassino Monastery, which was founded by St. Benedict. I'm excited to see what the day trip holds!!!

I need to get ready to go to the meeting about the trips so I will let you go! I hope that all is going well back in the states or where ever you are!!!

Pictures tomorrow I promise!!!!!!

Love,
Amelia