Arriving in Bologna

Well what can I say...

So, I’ve made it to Bologna and decided to embarrass myself by telling you how I got here...

I’m finding it difficult to concentrate as music pours through the Italian excuse for a window. There’s a public holiday here and they are having a HUGE festa in Piazza Maggiore. They’re playing ukeleles, pipe things, accordions you name it. It’s pretty cool, though I‘m not certain about the men in tights.

So my good company left me alone in Mestre (vicino Venezia), 9am on Friday morning. I was left to fend for myself at the train station with 30kg of luggage, 1 carry on bag and two handbags, only to be faced by about 10,000 staircases. Those Italian boys were yelling and carrying on… and I was determined not to receive their help! So I carried on...pulled a few muscles in my back, was helped by a gentleman and collapsed in my seat.

Upon arrival at the Italian version of Grand Central Station, I asked the information desk about a hostel, only to be sent to a 2 star hotel that cost 70 EURO on the wrong side of town!! I was all on my lonesome, nowhere to go and no one to talk to (The cab driver gave me his number to take me to a "discotecha" but no thanks...). So I flopped on my bed and burst into tears…just for a bit. Then I thought I’d be brave and find a supermarket.

You know what… until now I thought I was a confident person.... until I was forced to brave the streets of Bologna ALONE.

No joke they yell, scream, whistle, beep, chase, follow, make these silly kissing noises… and stare until they are blue in the face. I’ve never seen anything like it! So in the end I resorted to locking myself in my room and yet again...burst into tears.

I was woken the next day by a phone call haha.... I slept in past checkout! I chucked on some trackies and a singlet.... (You can imagine my hair) and jumped in a cab to find my apartment. There was a bar/cafe downstairs packed with locals...and nobody to answer my buzzer. After about ten minutes the entire cafe was standing in a semi circle around moi… trying to help with what was an Italian and English attempt at communication. There was a bit of a ruckus and I eventually discovered my roommate wouldn’t be in Bologna until Sunday. I was told to wait for an hour so I sat on my stoop like Hey Arnold... and there he was................ Leonardo! Gorgeous Italian boy on a vespa came to save the day.

And in that moment, I began to see that every cloud has a silver lining...