Como

June 2nd is some sort of National holiday in Italy so we didn't have school.  Three classmates took me to Como for the day.  Lago di Como is a large lake that is at the base of the alps in northern Italy.  Como is the town at the southern point of the lake where the train comes in.  Ferries take you everywhere else around the lake.  The famous town Bellagio is on Como.  George Clooney also has a Villa on the lake.  After walking around the town and having lunch we took the ferry to Villa Carlotta.  A famous villa with gardens and an art collection.

Villa Carlotta

baby spiders

Our turtle friends.

Well, it is officially less than a month until I go home.  I can't wait to have paved streets, my cell phone, a car, and meijer.  Italians are so proud of their food that it is impossible to find anything but pizza, pasta, and salad.  Your only alternatives are McDonalds and Sushi, if you can afford it.  They only eat pork and even then it is prosciutto or pancetta.  Prosciutto is their equivalent to cold ham but it is not the same.  It's cured, not cooked, with a sour strange taste.  I'm not a big fan.  The pizza however is amazing.  Unlike American processed cheeses and and flash frozen vegetables, Italian food is 100% fresh.  The mozzarella is amazing.  

After visiting so many countries, I've noticed that Italy is by far the dirtiest.  The sidewalks are covered with trash and the people tend to smell worse.  It is particularly noticeable on public transportation. 

Italy is also lacking in the urban planning and organization in comparison to the other countries I've visited.  France, Switzerland, Ireland, and Austria have ticket machines at every single bus, metro, and tram stop.  In Italy you have to search for a tobacco stand or bar that will sell them.  Even when you have a ticket the public transportation could stop running at any time.  At least 4 or 5 times I was waiting at the tram stop to go home and it stopped running for no reason so I had to pay the 20 euros for a cab home.  Its incredibly frustrating when you're used to the efficiency and common sense of the American organization of things. 

The train times are never correct on the website and they purposely go out of their way to screw over foreign people.  I've had the price of my train ticket changed multiple times for no reason at the last minute.  They also try to make it difficult by purposely seating you far away from your travel companion when you've asked for "posti insieme" or seats together.  I think the Irish and Austrian people have been the nicest people, constantly going out of their way to help anyone holding a map.  

In the next few weeks I have to finish my school projects. I also plan to take a day trip to Bergamo, a small town outside of Milan.  I am finally seeing Da Vinci's Last Supper on June 23rd.  You have to book tickets months in advance.  And finally I'm going to London on July 1st for a 3 day lay over before flying home on July 4th.  I'm so ready to be home and have grocery stores with more than 2 aisles and have english speaking people.  Could not be more perfect to go home on Independence day.  After being gone for so long you have a new appreciation for the normalcy of American life.  I will never again take that for granted.  

See you in 4 weeks!