First Impressions

Welcome to my latest blogging endeavor! This round I'm even typing on an actual keyboard, rather than my tiny but trusty Blackberry. Now I have no excuses for errors. In any case, I will try my best to keep this blog updated with all my exciting Italian adventures, but, as usual, please keep your expectations low. 

I left London yesterday morning. It was typical English weather, cold, cloudy and wet. Even with a wool sweater on, I felt the chill. So when I debarked the plane on the runway in Bologna, the first thing to strike me was the heat. It wasn't warm, no, it was hot. Hot like a beach in the tropics hot. Or maybe I felt that way due to the damp sweater I was still wearing.

The airport was tiny, but easy to navigate which was a relief with all my luggage. I only had to walk a few meters to find the taxi stand and wait about twenty seconds before I was ensconced in a taxi on my way to the big, bad city of Bologna. The trip was short but scenic. The countryside, or what little of it I could see from the backseat of a taxi roaring down the highway, was stereotypically Italian. All open plains, distant mountains, and those ridiculous Seuss-like trees. It wasn't as green as I expected, it was more brown and gold. Sun-drenched is my best description.

Entering the city proper of Bologna was at first disappointing. We turned off the highway onto a long, broad commercial strip. There was nothing even remotely lovely about it, but just when I began to despair of the location, we reached the city center. Suddenly, Bologna was beautiful. The buildings are ancient, painted all shades of red and yellow, with enormous shutters. They're packed together along narrow, winding streets. While it appears dangerously easy to get lost here, it's hard to imagine that being an upsetting experience. I could wander the streets for ages and be perfectly happy.

This morning, that is exactly what I did. I walked around with the vaguest intention of finding the Johns Hopkins Bologna Center campus. Of course, I set off in completely the wrong direction and found myself on a bridge over the rail yard. While I watched some dark and stormy clouds roll in over the horizon, I had my first stereotypically Italian experience when a older gentleman walked past and said "Ciao, bella." Not being very quick on my feet, I just gave him a nod and walked on. I nearly walked straight into a couple of Jehovah's witnesses who gave me a pamphlet and invited me to a meeting. At last I extricated myself from that conversation and continued to wander. A light rain started to fall and since I managed to not pack a single element of rain gear, I was endlessly grateful for the long arcades. 

Eventually, and completely unintentionally, I came to one of the most popular sights in Bologna, the Two Towers. I know very little about their history, but I can tell you definitively that they both appear to be leaning dangerously. A man on a scooter was stopped at a light in the shadow of one tower, and I couldn't help but worry for his safety should the tower begin to fall.

Scooters, naturally, are everywhere. I have seen far, far more of them than actual cars. Clearly, I am amongst my people. The locals also appear to be dog lovers. Most everyone out for a Sunday morning stroll had a dog with them. It was not unusual to pass by a cafe and find a dog tied to a chair leg while its owner enjoyed a bit of breakfast.

After a few hours, I finally caved and looked at a map. I was only a few blocks from SAIS, so I popped over and had a look. The campus is home to, by far, the ugliest building in the center of Bologna. Oh well, it's not like I'll have to spend much time looking at it. But I do pity the neighbors whose view is so lacking. 

My camera batteries died while I was in London, so I will have to buy new ones before I post any pictures. Stay tuned!