That was one CRAZY Italian weekend......Part 2

Friday, January 9th:

Friday was a lot like Thursday as far as during the day goes. We awoke even later this day, just before 1, and we didn't want to miss lunch and appear rude, so we hustled down in our PJ's. Everyone had a good laugh at that, as the married couple barely makes it to lunch and even better, still in their pajamas!! :) Ha!! We just can't seem to get out of our usual sleeping patterns being that we are now a whole 6 hours ahead of that. After a delicious lunch prepared by Angelina, we got ready for the day, and we were off.

I don't know how to explain that, besides when I have been sleeping or eating a meal, I have not been in the Villa....at all (the main reason why you haven't had any posts to read or pictures to look at). We have been going CONSTANTLY this weekend. And, I'm not going to lie, it's been VERY tiring, but, you don't realize it until you lay down in the bed at night because you're having so much fun during the day running around!! And while all the walking through the city and up and down the steps is going on, you don't realize you're hurting until you can barely get out of bed in the mornings!! HA!!

So on this particular Friday, a group of us that had not yet been to the port walked to it to see the boats and the famous "pirate ship." It was VERY windy and VERY cold, but nonetheless, captivating. The pirate ship was humongous!! I don't really know it's reason for being there, but it's definitely cool. The port has some great outdoor cafés, but a lot of them are not open because it is so cold. They will definitely be a place to visit when it gets warmer. There is also an outdoor ice skating rink and structure for covering the rink designed by the famous architect, Renzo Piano (the same architect that designed the High Museum of Art in Atlanta). It's really something to see!!

Afterwards, we headed over to Rostkafe for hot chocolate. OH MY WORD. I have never had anything so good in my entire life. It seriously tasted like someone had taken the finest chocolate and melted it right into our cups. Ooooh. Man oh man. Good stuff.

AH-mazing hot chocolate

After we recovered from the chocolate and sat for a while, our friend Drew needed to go the MAC store to get a new plug in for his computer because his current one went bad. It was starting to get dark, so everyone headed back except myself, Jonathan, Derrick, Drew, and Leslee. We all made the 5 mile trek over to a store called, Saturn which was just like a Best Buy. I mean exactly like it. They had a MAC department so we went there to take care of business. By the time we finished up, it was completely dark, so instead of getting ourselves in trouble, we took a taxi back up to the Villa.

No joke, the minute we walked in the door, we turned right back around, and walked right back out!! :) It was time for us to head off with a long time friend of the Villa, Luca.

Sidenote: Luca helps connect the students each semester with the community and people of Genoa. He is AMAZING!! We LOVE Luca!!! This guy knows what Genoa is all about. We ended up hanging out with him for the remainder of the weekend, and I'm sure this will become a regular thing. He is from Genoa, so he knows of all the good "local" spots to go, not the touristy ones that we would find on our own. There is NO WAY we could have gone to the places we've been if it weren't for Luca....a tourist would never find these local spots because they are in the alleys of alleys, hidden behind a tiny door, upon the tiniest stoop. It's amazing that he has taken us into the places he has and we are only 5 days into our trip. Most people dream that these type of experiences just happen once before they leave, and they're happening to us every night!! Thanks Luca!!! :) :)

Okay, so off we go with Luca to a Pizzareia which he claims to be the best in all of Genoa....well I'm definitely convinced that he is right!! I ordered the formaggio quattro, or 4 cheese pizza with rosa, or red (tomato) if you will. If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE cheese.....and Luca said that my face when I saw the pizza and then tasted it gave him "great satisfaction!!" He said it made him happy to suggest something that was liked so much!! :) :) Oh, it was delectable!!

After the Pizzareia, we headed to another small café for more coffee and drinks (if you preferred). We hung out there only a little bit before Luca asked us what we wanted to do next. We told him that we were up for anything. So, he said that he would take us to his most favorite place to go in all of Genoa. I don't even know quite how to sum up this experience. So many people travel to other countries, but I don't think they are ever given the opportunity to really feel a connection with the locals and do something that they would do just about every Friday night. We come up to a tiny door in a tiny side street and there isn't even a name outside of the door. If Luca hadn't shown it to us, I probably would have walked right on past (or not even be on this particular street so late at night anyways).

Before we went in, he took us about 10 feet across from this place to a church that was just open for anyone to come in. I'm convinced there isn't anything nearly as old or beautiful anywhere else. Ahhh.

So, we go into this pub, and it's TINY. It's obvious locals, and we're OBVIOUS tourists. I'm looking around at all the SMALL tables that are taken, and I'm thinking, where on earth are we going to put 14-15 to people!?!?? But, as it turns out, Luca is good friends with the owner, and he knows just the spot. We follow Luca down into a very small, very narrow stairwell that winds completely around until we enter the coolest atmosphere in all of Italy I am sure!!! It was a small, rectangular shaped room with a high ceiling and the floor was glass that covered a well. You could still see the water below. There was a small table in the middle and pillows lined the outer area of the room. We all sat on the pillows and the owner lit some candles and it was unbelievable. Some of our students trickled out and more Italians trickled in, until it was only 5 of us Clemson students left and about 20 Italians!! We sat around talking and teaching one another phrases in our own languages until 3:30 AM in the morning!!! It was only the 3rd day here and by far the best learning experience of my life!!!!!