Pre-session Summer 2018
(May 16-May 30) 
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Category: Uncategorized
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Milan may be the capital of fashion, but it was oddly the only place I saw a fair amount of Italians wearing t-shirts. Weird. It wouldn’t be a trip in an Italian city without getting lost, and we did, without fail…before we even found the hotel. To make matters worse, we couldn’t check in right away, but we were able to leave our bags in a back room while we explored the city in the interim. A small group of us decided to walked to Milan’s duomo, which was a stunning Cathedral in the heart of the city. It was a little effort to find at first, but it wasn’t all too difficult with maps and asking locals for directions. I didn’t want to tour the cathedral itself, but I was goaded into doing so. The highlight of the journey was getting to climb the cathedral. The view(s) offered were/was spectacular. In a weird twist of fate, the professors were dining at a nearby restaurant, and joked about the unlikely scenario of seeing a student on the top of the cathedral. They did see a student…and wouldn’t you know it, it was me; dancing like the fool I am!
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An interesting class on 10 more cantos of Dante, and the drafting of a humorous poem, was a great way to begin our first full day in Bologna. I didn’t understand why we were there, initially. Typically, cities had some sort of significance to the course. Granted, Dante studied at the University of Bologna (the oldest university in the western world), where he took courses that aligned with his interests, and wasn’t forced to adhere to some structured curriculum. If only colleges were like that nowadays… But Bologna was fascinating in its own right, especially in regards to its cuisine. One of the first stops was at a pretty bomb gelato place called Cremeria Funivia, where I ordered a dairy treat and walked to a nearby park to enjoy it and watch the local kids act like beggars. The next stop of ours was at the university. We purchased tickets to see the anatomical theater where a young Mary Shelley was inspired with ideas for her then forthcoming novel, Frankenstein. Dr. Permenter encouraged me to cross the roped-off section for a photo-op, but my hamfisted civil disobedience attracted the unwanted attention of university security. A man, who looked like the Italian version of Dampe the grave keeper from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Getting yelled at in a foreign tongue is not as bad as getting yelled at in a language one understands, as embarrassment really isn’t as much of an issue. We were instructed to check out the library instead of fucking around in the anatomical theater. The library was impressive, but nowhere nearly as impressive as the one in the castle in Poppi. After visiting the university, we wandered the streets, whereupon we encountered a street cellist. He entertained us with riveting renditions of classical music and scores from Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Some of us stayed to watch the musician continue to play, while others (including myself) splintered off to see the two towers of Bologna. The towers were some of the most interesting designed buildings I saw on the trip. Garisenda, the smaller tower, had a strange lean to it, while Asinelli, dwarfed it by comparison. Being very affordable gave us more incentive to climb the challenging steps of the Asinelli. The effort expended was definitely worth it, though. Words couldn’t do the experience justice, so I’ll just say that the view was absolutely breathtaking. We enjoyed some pizza that out Sbarro’s to shame, in size, quality, and price. And then I stopped at a dog store to buy some souvenirs for MacKenzie’s dog, Ruby. The day ended with us vegging out in our hotel room, napping and getting homework done.
...First off, I am actually shocked at Milano. Before hearing about it, I figured it was just some mediocre city in Italy. Boy was I wrong… Hell, I think I seen more Porsches there than I did in my whole life. The fashion was a world of its own too. The standard Italian blazer was replaced with some supreme flamboyant jacket that even Mick Jagger could not rock. Even though the city was extremely fashionable, I tried my best to have some “swag”. Which ended up with me looking like a knock off Arnold Palmer. What shocked me the most was stepping off the train. I was amazed at the architect by far. It was hard to imagine the people of Milan building all of these monolithic structures after World War II. Especially with such elegance and beauty. Even the military guards at the airport had a great sense of fashion. I wish I got a picture of one of them but I did not want to get taken in the backroom. That would not have been good… Especially because I am a fragile being, especially against some that is trained to kill. Besides all of the fashion I was amazed by the duomo. That beast is huge! Both inside and outside just shines with beauty. On top of it you can just fall in a deep stare with a great view of the cathedral and city. Inside the belly, you will be blinded with beautiful stained glass. The stain glass cannot even be put to words, it was a different twist to the cathedral. Since at least from my understanding, most of Italy’s monuments are absent from stain glass. Lastly, LUINIs, that place is a taste of heaven. It reminded me of what a hot pocket should be. Sweat or salty, I gorged into it all. I do not know how they make such sweet treat, especially at such a reasonable price. Hopefully heaven has a Luini’s. If not I will be disappointed.
...So, I had decided to go get myself a tattoo as my souvenir for this trip. This trip meant so much to me and I wanted the tattoo as a reminder of all I had experienced in Italy. Unfortunately, finding a tattoo shop was harder than I had expected it to be. I had gotten the idea when we were in Florence. I proceeded to look up some shops online to see how close they were. I also looked at the reviews to see if the shop was clean and professional. I found a shop that was about a twenty minute walk from our apartment. The reviews on it were all very good and the pictures of tattoos they have done looked really impressive. I walked to the address and found the shop, but it seemed to be closed. I went back to the apartment and messaged the owners and unluckily for me, they were out of town currently.When we had arrived in Bologna, I decided to climb the towers. When I had made it to the top, I had an indescribable feeling. The view was so amazing and I just wanted to remember it forever. For this reason, I decided to give the tattoo another shot. This time I looked up some shops and found two that were fairly close and had really good reviews. They seemed like my best options. I ventured to the first one and it started to look promising. The lady spoke English and proceeded to see if they had any spots available for that day. They did not have any time for me that day and the lady was actually pretty rude, so I’m glad I didn’t get one there. I decided to try and find the other shop. I figured that if the next one didn’t work out then maybe it was a sign not to get one. Casey and I walked down a street and saw a tattoo shop with a family walking out of it. It didn’t seem to be the one I was looking for, so I decided to look down a different street. There was nothing on that street, so we decided to go back to the tattoo shop we had just seen and check it out. When we had gotten closer, we realized it was the one I was looking for. It was about 6:30 and they closed at 7:00. We suddenly realized that the family who was leaving were probably the owners closing up early. It was very disappointing. Bologna made me realize that maybe I’m just not meant to get tatted right now and I need to find something else to remind me of how this trip has impacted me.
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The city of Bologna was a very interesting place. When navigating the streets you see a bunch of modern influences like graffiti or high end shops showcasing their newest merchandise. But when you turn the corner, seemingly out of nowhere a medieval tower that belonged to a high ranking noble rises into view. You can climb all 498 steps of these historic monumental tower to the top where you can see the modern day city at its finest. If history isn’t the subject for you, there’s also the influence of science and literature available to satisfy your educational needs. Bologna’s university is the oldest of the western world, and is where the reanimation of corpses with electricity first took place. Science enthusiasts: you are sated. This also inspired one of the most famous classic literary works, Frankenstein. English enthusiasts: you’re covered. Add the beautiful frescos throughout the university’s halls, and the art enthusiasts need not complain. If you still aren’t interested, might I suggest visiting their library to see the thousands of books available on display. If none of this sounds interesting to you, then you must hate fun. After seeing many of the historic sights available to the public, you can fulfill all of your excessive spending needs by shopping at the high end retailers along the surrounding piazzas. Bologna truly is a mixture of old and new, and the resulting culture is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Bologna is truly a sight that people of varying interests can appreciate for the unique sights it has to offer its visitors.
...First thing that came to my mind when I heard that we were going to Bologna was obviously the shitty lunch meat found in every family’s fridge. I wasn’t surprised however that this city is no where near comparison to some shitty lunch meat. It’s a rich city full of unique spunk that makes it unique. In the park, I was amazed by the bastardized kids harassing the pigeons and people. They mocked beggars and caused disturbance to the pigeon population. I was a bit pissed off, but what was I to do? The only thing that truly matters was that gelato. I cannot recall the name but my god. Literally the banana was not dyed yellow, which honestly amazed me. At the University of Bologna I was fascinated to a point. I was a bit surprised that we had to buy a ticket but eh, I would probably charge people if I could make some money. The place where Mary Shelley got her inspiration was inspiring. I could just imagine the clicking in the brain she felt while watching a little frog come back to life in a sense. I love that feeling, when something just clicks. Later on my group and I went up into Bologna’s tower. In which it was a long long journey up to the top but worth it. Looking down at the roof tops shed beauty into my eyes. I could just imagine these towers towering over the city. It’s just something different, something that you could never do in the states. Especially because of all the damn security measures. Overall Bologna had a special feel to it. Bologna is not some big thing like Roma but it is still a charming city. Full of lovely people and great gelato. Beside those bastard kids…
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“When you grow up, you should join the covent!” My father would somewhat jokingly tell my sister and me when we were growing up. Well boy would he be shocked to learn that his delusion would come to life in Poppi. What the town is lacking in hotels and population, it is made up for in hospitality. The store owners (who did not speak any English) and our guides were nice beyond compare, but the group of people who stuck out the most were the wonderfully kind Sisters of Poppi. While in Poppi, the students of Slippery Rock University had the experience of overnighting in a wifi free convent. You may think this weird, but it was honestly one of the coolest experiences I’ve had. The women were extremely kind, the nuns have a free single serve coffee vending machine, and the view from our room was to die for. Let’s tackle this in order. The kindness and hospitality of the nuns: they prepared us breakfast, they constantly conversed with us, and when there was an unexpected rain storm and all of us left our windows open they made the room rounds and shut all of them. Second: the coffee machine. I want one for my house. You could choose one of twelve beverage options, and it would make you the perfect cup of choice. Third: the view. Imagine terra cotta roofs, small gardens, and far off photogenic mountains. Add in a surplus of silence (Slippery Rock students not included) and you have yourself the perfect rural atmosphere. I’m not one for medieval castles, but the view from both the Romena and Poppi castles was gorgeous. Add in rooms fully decked out in frescos, and you could paint me impressed. The detail and precision of these frescos seemed too perfect to be hand painted. The hike to these castles took a toll on all of us, but the view made the shortness of breath and burning calves worth it.
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